Tag Archives: liatris spicata ‘alba’

Notes On The Garden At Memorial Day

Northern Border

Temperatures reached 87 degrees and the day felt quite humid and summery. The borders appear full and lush, a tribute to the power of adequate rainfall; however, the first flowering period of many plants is past, so deadheading and trimming are on the agenda for this week.

Southern Border

There has been little work done in the garden for the last two weeks, but that must change. The garden is in transition and is very much in need of attention. Echinacea, Gladioli, Liatris and Daylily are replacing Iris, Lamb’s Ear and Tradescantia.

Liatris spicata ‘Alba’ (Gayfeather)

Shasta Daisy clumps will be covered in bloom any day. Meanwhile Meadow Sage should be cut back to encourage more blooms. Nepeta may need shearing soon as well.

Northern Border, Meditation Circle

Monarda and Lantana are teasing with a bit of color today.

Monarda didyma (scarlet beebalm)

Lantana camara (Common lantana)

This weekend in town I came upon a large and beautiful planting of Baptisia and Autumn Joy, all in full bloom. In this garden all three baptisias lost their flowers suddenly this year after a just a short bloom time, but the foliage remains healthy and green.

Baptisia australis (blue false indigo)

Hylotelephium telephium ‘Herbstfreude’ (Autumn Joy)

Paths in the meditation circle are in some disarray lately. The pine nugget mulch being used this spring is too lightweight to stay in place when rains come. Also the mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ Penstemon has sprawled over quite a bit and requires staking again. Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ is so much better behaved and retains its upright place, (although its self-sown seedlings need to be removed soon).

Meditation Circle

The annual Angelonia ‘Blue’ in the meditation circle has begun to grow now that the weather is hotter.

Angelonia ‘Blue’

There will be plenty of tasks to keep this gardener busy this week but with an abundance of flowers blooming and the scent gardenia wafting through the air, it should be mostly delightful to spend time in the garden.

Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)

Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

Newly Blooming

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Fragrant Gardenia jasminoides ‘Chuck Hayes’ and a few other plants are newly blooming in this Chapel Hill garden today.

Gardenia jasminoides ‘Chuck Hayes’

Long before the garden’s picket fence was installed ‘Chuck Hayes’ was planted as a low privacy hedge in the western border. Both evergreen and deer resistant this gardenia variety is very cold hardy in this area. It prefers regular watering, but seldom is anything watered in this garden beyond a week or two after planting. The hedge is benefitting from the very significant amounts of rain the garden has received all winter and spring. It also responded well to the Epsom salts I applied a month ago when some of the leaves began to yellow. Many of the original ‘Chuck Hayes’ shrubs were lost to drought and the spots left bare are gradually being replaced with taller plants that can provide more privacy.

Gardenia jasminoides ‘Chuck Hayes’

Nearby the first clusters of flowers have opened on the Butterfly bush (possibly Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’).

Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’? (Butterfly bush)

The bees are finding plenty of food, including this Veronica spicata ‘Pink Goblin’ (Speedwell), which actually has been blooming for a few weeks now, not just starting today. It seems much revived after last night’s elaborate thunder and lightning storm that brought heavy amounts of rain.

Veronica spicata ‘Pink Goblin’ (Speedwell)

Pale delicate flowers of Lavender are open today at last and bees are finding it irresistible. In the background are drifts of pink Achillea and the ‘Blue Point’ Juniper hedge planted last year.

Lavender and Pink Achillea

The first blossoms of Salvia ‘Blue Sky’ appeared today, revealing this flower’s characteristic azure blue brilliance atop a 5-foot flower stalk.

Salvia ‘Blue Sky’

Liatris spicata ‘Alba’ is not quite open, but a little of the white flower is visible. The soft grass-like foliage provides a nice texture in the northern border.

Liatris spicata ‘Alba’

One more newly opened flower today, a cheerful Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy). There are many large clumps of this herbaceous perennial all around the garden, so soon this single blossom should have plenty of company.

Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)

Droplets, Webs and Color: Select Details

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Yesterday the early morning garden was rich with droplets of moisture, complex webs and deep, intense color.

: Penstemon ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’

: Early Morning Web in Liatris spicata ‘Alba’ (Gayfeather)

: Early Morning Web in Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)

: Early Morning Web in Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)

: Iceberg Rose

: Iceberg Rose (detail)

: Meadow Sage

Mid-June Garden

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Gladiolus, Liatris Spicata and Echinacea

The garden is holding up well this week despite a lack of rain or watering. In the northern bed Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) and the first blooms of Liatris Spicata ‘Alba’ (Gayfeather or Blazing Star) and Gladiolus dominate the view.

Liatris Spicata

Gladiolus

In the southern bed, sweet peas and pink yarrows are still pretty although the color is fading on the yarrow. Mexican salvia, with its intense blue flower is coming into its own in the southwest end of the bed, while Lantana, with its multicolor flowers, fills out the southeast corner.

Lantana

Daylilies, which I had many times threatened to pull out completely in an attempt to keep deer away, have persisted and (now that the fence has deterred the deer so far), they may actually bloom this year.

The tradescantia (Virginia Spiderwort) is winding down its long blooming period that started in early April, so I cut down most of it this week. I had never noticed a sensitivity to this plant before, but I developed an itchy red rash on my arms after carrying the trimmings away. The rash lasted a day or so; fortunately the itch lasted only a half-hour or so.

Several Shasta Daisy flowers opened last week but as a group they are blooming very slowly. The Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’ is starting to form buds. Several types of lavender are in flower, which delights the bees. Perovskia (Russian Sage), echinacea and bee balm were introduced last year into some additional areas and they seem to have adapted equally well around the garden.