Plant Profile: Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro) ‘Taplow Blue’)
Karen Globe thistle is a clump forming herbaceous perennial native to Asia and central to eastern Europe. It is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow…
Plant Profile: Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus ‘Sentimental blue’)
The unusual buds of balloon flower would earn the plant a place in my garden even if ithad no other virtue. They are shaped like a hot air balloon and…
Plant Profile: Blanket Flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora ‘Goblin’)
Big, bold, bright flowers give a suggestion of what this plant is all about. Scarlet ray petals tipped with yellow surround the dark purple centers producing 3-4” flowers that are…
Plant Profile: Gay Feather (Liatris spicata) ‘Kobold’
Also called blazing star, this clump-forming herbaceous perennial is native to eastern US and is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. Corms…
Plant Profile: Crocosmia (Crocosmia x Curtonus ‘Lucifer’)
For a real color punch in a hot border Crocosmia will fill the bill. The unusual flowers rise up on tall arching stems and are striking against the tall attractive…
Plant Profile: Yellow Fumitory (Corydalis lutea)
Corydalis is not the most conspicuous plant in the garden but it is one of the most welcome. How many plants bloom from spring to fall and have attractive foliage?…
Plant Profile: Sundrops (Oenothera fructicosa)
Some plants just don’t take a hint and this is one of them. It is a cheerful, adventuresome member of my hot border and just won’t reign itself in no…
Plant Profile: Butterfly Weed (Ascelpias tuberosa)
This clump-forming, long-lived, herbaceous perennial is native to eastern North America where it tends to grow on dry soil in full sun . It is a member of the dogbane…
Plant Profile: Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis ‘Blue Danube’)
I always look forward to the flowering of Stokesia. It only blooms for 3-4 weeks in my garden but its flowers are very special. Their color is a fusion of…
Plant Profile: Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)
Also called wild carrot, bird’s nest, and bishop’s lace, this herbaceous biennial is a member of the parsley family, Apiaceae, that also includes celery, dill, and poison hemlock. It is…