Text and photos ©Nancy J. Ondra
Finally, I’ve gotten a chance to put together some images of what’s blooming now at Linden Hill Gardens in Ottsville, Pennsylvania. There’s a lot going on in the gardens, so I decided not to show the more common annuals and perennials, as pretty as they are; instead, I’m focusing (both figuratively and literally) on some of the more unusual beauties.
Above is a newer strain of an old-fashioned favorite: annual clary sage (Salvia viridis, a.k.a. S. horminum). This particular strain is called ‘Blue Denim’. The actual flowers are tiny and a pale lilac-white color; the colorful parts are the bracts at the stem tips. Some people see this as a rich purple, while others describe it as an intense blue; either way, the plants have been getting quite a bit of attention from visitors. They were super-easy to grow from seed (from Select Seeds), sown indoors in late March and set out in June. They started coloring up by early July and look like they’re just going to keep getting better for weeks to come. Height right now is about 14 inches; they’re supposed to eventually reach 18 to 24 inches tall.
I also grew ‘Marble Arch’, a blend of blue, pink, and white from Renee’s Garden Seeds; the pink, in particular, is very nice, and I’m generally not all that keen on pink.
Finding suitable plants for the Deer-Resistant Garden is an on-going challenge, so I’ll try all the sages that I can get my hands on. A tender perennial one that is shaping up for a good show this year is Mystic Spires Blue (Salvia ‘Balsalmisp’). At a reported 2 to 3 feet tall, it’s is a more-compact version of ‘Indigo Spires’, which can reach about 5 feet tall. Here, it’s blooming with a tall strain of Bidens ferulifolia, which self-sowed from last year, and my favorite perennial bee balm (Monarda), ‘Raspberry Wine’.
Another bee balm I’m trying in this area is the annual ‘Bergamo’, from Park Seed. It’s in the range of 18 to 24 inches tall: much shorter than the 5- to 6-foot-tall ‘Raspberry Wine’. It does appear to be deer-resistant, but unfortunately, it seems to be very tasty to rabbits.
Euphorbias also tend to be critter-resistant, so I can’t be without one of my favorite self-sowing annuals: snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia marginata). (Is it weird to be amused at how the clusters are arranged kind of like a happy face on this one? Um…never mind.)
Coleus (Solenostemon) don’t seem to be bothered by our deer, so I used lots of them in the Deer-Resistant Garden. Here’s ‘Kiwi Fern’ against Euphorbia palustris:
And the luscious newer ‘Smallwood’s Driveway’, with its assortment of Fruit Loop colors:
Foxgloves (Digitalis), too, are touted as being deer-resistant, but I have some trouble getting the purpurea types through the winter. Last year, I bought seed of ‘Anne Redetzky’ from Plant World Seeds, then overwintered the plants in pots in a cool spot indoors before setting them out in the Deer-Resistant Garden in early spring. One started flowering a few weeks ago, at just 14 inches tall. I’m not sure what I think of it: I like the greenish white color, and the split and curled trumpets are kind of interesting, but the flowers are held so close together that the spike looks kind of like a shaggy blob from a distance. I’m hoping that the other plants will survive to bloom next year, and that they’ll be taller (they’re supposed to be around 3 feet) and more elegant.
Another gem I’d gotten from Plant World Seeds and treated the same way is Lysimachia ephemerum. This clump-former definitely is elegant, with slender spikes of small white blooms atop 4- to 5-foot-tall stems clad in gray-green leaves. It’s supposed to be hardy in Zones 6 to 8 or 9. If you want to try this one for yourself (I highly recommend it!), plants are available from Digging Dog Nursery.
At the opposite end of the height spectrum, creeping snapdragon (Asarina procumbens) shares the same reported hardiness range as the lysimachia. (Many references say Zone 7, but some say Zone 6, and I’ve seen it survive in the Philadelphia area.) Even if it doesn’t overwinter, it should self-sow, apparently. I started the seeds indoors in early March, and the plants are already in bloom and spreading well.
They’re barely 2 inches tall, so their fuzzy leaves have been getting soil-splashed by stormy downpours, but the small, pale yellow flowers are still cute. You can get seed from Summer Hill Seeds or plants from Digging Dog Nursery.
I’ve written before about the white form of the annual African foxglove (Ceratotheca triloba ‘Alba’). This year, I have the straight species too in the Deer-Resistant Garden. Here, it’s with ‘Blue Fortune’ anise hyssop (Agastache). I hope it will self-sow, as the white one does (not to the point of being a pest, though). Chiltern Seeds is one source for Ceratotheca triloba seed.
‘Jester’ purple millet (Pennisetum glaucum) isn’t all that unusual. But I think it’s so cool, the way it’s seriously chartreuse for the first part of the summer, and then basically black for the rest of the season. Right now, it’s just starting to make the change.
I’m trying several kinds of love-in-a-mist (Nigella) in the Deer-Resistant Garden this year. So far, my favorite is this ‘African Bride’ (seed from Park Seed).
And finally, what will likely be a “what was I thinking?” new addition: Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera). It’s looking absolutely lovely right now and filling its spot just as I’d hoped it would.
The individual flowers are beautiful to look at and constantly abuzz with bees.
Holy cow – look at the trunks on these giants! How cool that they’re making prop roots, like corn does. These are growing out about 6 inches above the ground; others were forming even higher on the stem, which is currently about 6 feet tall and still rising.
Then, the down side: each of those pretty blooms is going to produce lots of seed, which will be flung far and wide as the seedpods explode. I have a feeling it’ll be one of those annuals that I’ll never have to plant again, and that I’ll be weeding out seedlings by the hundreds, if not thousands. It’s easy to see how Himalayan balsam could be considered invasive in many areas. If you’re tempted to try it, I suggest reading this Global Invasive Species Database fact sheet first. I feel really guilty about planting it now. Sigh.
It is always a treat when you decide to show us lots of plants. I really like the African Bride Nigella. That I will try to find next year. I have seen the raspberry bee balm on another blog. It is pretty too. Well, all of them are pretty actually.
That was quick, Lisa! I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. I have to admit that the ‘African Bride’ plants themselves aren’t that great-looking: not nearly as bushy and bloom-laden as some others. But the view close up is amazing.
-Nan
Good Heavens Nan !
What a mix of unusual annuals you have there .. I love the “happy face” euphorbia : )
I am a fan of Bee Balm but find powdery mildew drives me straight up the garden wall .. but I manage Petite Delight for that wonderful scent.
The trunk picture reminds me of Indian corn we grew one year .. I swear they could have gotten up and walked out of the bed they has such awesome legs protruding from the trunk .. plants amaze me all of the time : )
I always find it fascinating how corn does that, Joy, and to see an impatiens doing it too – well, I was gobsmacked (I believe that’s the correct term, anyway).
Have you tried the ‘Raspberry Wine’ bee balm? It seems to be just as good as ‘Jacob Cline’ for mildew resistance. Or maybe its because I thin it out quite a bit in spring. I haven’t tried ‘Petite Delight’ myself. If we get any in at work, I’ll add some to the Deer-Resistant Garden for comparison.
-Nan
For a while I grew balsam, and I miss it now. It does send a lot of seed around, but the seedlings are very easy to keep under control. In fact, the seedlings are an advantage because they keep other weeds down that are harder to remove. When I did want to remove the extra/excessive balsam seedlings, they were easy to chop with a hoe, and, as a side benefit, they made an easy compost that breaks down quickly because they are so largely water. So–to the extent that it became a weed, it was an attractive and better weed to have than lamb’s quarter, etc. Also, the fact that I don’t have it now tells me that it couldn’t have been too invasive, or I wouldn’t have lost it.
Thanks for that, Dan. I feel better now. I suppose the major threat is in frost-free areas. And yeah, I hadn’t considered that they break down so quickly when pulled out. So, maybe not such a mistake after all!
-Nan
I really like the color & flower form of Monarda ‘Bergamo.’ Knock on wood, the rabbits have been kept at bay this year (I think it’s the fox’s doing), so I might give them a try next year. Deer have been a serious problem in my front garden, so anything that they won’t sample is a good thing. I’ve never heard of Pennesetum ‘Jester,’ so it’s unusual to me. This looks like my kind of plant, as it’s both of my favorite foliage colors.
Yep, ‘Bergamo’ has been a pleasant surprise, looking just as good as its catalog picture (which so seldom happens). Kind of a dumb name, though: a bergamot named ‘Bergamo’. I think that may qualify as a tautology.
If you want to try ‘Jester’ next year, remind me to send you seeds this fall. It costs a fortune to buy them, for some reason, but they’re really easy to save and start at home. And that way, you can set out the seedlings while they’re still small, which they seem to prefer.
-Nan
I love all the plants that you showed to us, can’t even chose the favorite. Just lovely!
Thanks for visiting, Tatyana. I think my favorite is whichever one I’m looking at at the moment.
-Nan
I always learn something new over here, Nan. Thank you for the information on these unusual annuals. I like that impatiens. Where did you get the see for this and the other unusual annuals?
We bought in the Himalayan balsam as plants from Landcraft. Let me know if you want to try some seed; since the plants self-sow, I’d guess that direct-sowing in fall might be worth a try. I think the biggest challenge will be to catch the seed after its ripe but before the capsules pop open; they really explode.
I think I mentioned sources for all of the other annuals that I grew from seed; if I didn’t, I got them from the HPS/MAG Seed Exchange, or we bought them in as plants.
-Nan
What a wide variety of beautiful plants and colors. I am always partial to the coleus foliage, especially the newer types and the scalloped edges of many. And despite your reservations you’ve sold me on the balsam. My dry season often keeps such plants in check, and their cornstalk roots might be a benefit here. Who knows? I’m tucking away the idea of this plant for next year.
Having the coleus be deer-resistant (at least for us) has been a blessing, because it’s a great plant for adding season-long foliage color in this area. And yes, I bet the balsam would be shorter and perhaps less likely to spread in drier conditions.
-Nan
What a wonderful variety of plants and flowers. That balsam is crazy… I’m glad I don’t have room for it. ;-) I’ll let you describe your balsam experiences next Spring before I make up my mind to recommend it!
I think that’s a wise approach. Shady! I will definitely report on its status next year.
-Nan
Some very neat plants! I’ve tried the ‘Mystic Spires’ for two years now and I’m not disappointed. Great for the hummingbirds too. The coleus is really interesting too!
Thanks, Dave. Between the monarda and all the salvias, the hummingbirds are having a great time here too.
-Nan
Isn’t the African Bride nigella fun? I’m growing it for the first time this year too, and have been having fun documenting the flowers’ various stages. As for the ceratotheca self-seeding – it does for me, nowadays. The first couple times I grew it, nary a volunteer the following year. So I guess it depends on where they’re planted.
We have similar tastes in cool plants, Rob. Thanks for your observation about the ceratotheca. The white one seeded both here and at work, and I hope the purple will do the same.
-Nan
Gorgeous as always, Nan! I have that same fruit-loop-colored coleus, but mine had a different cultivar name on it–I’ll have to dig up the tag and see what it said. I really adore that millet (now that I know it starts out chartreuse and ends up black, anyway!) and the ‘African Bride’ nigella are pretty, too.
I assume those are nigella seedpods mixed in with your clary sage mix, too, correct? If so, which one–I didn’t realize that the seed pods were such a cool shade of wine/red, but now that I know… :)
If you check back, Kim, do let me know about the coleus. I’m hoping maybe it’s the same thing but with a new, zippier cultivar name. And yes, the purple pods are nigella, from a strain called ‘Cramer’s Plum’ (white flowers but solid purple pods instead of striped ones). Let me know if you want some seed!
-Nan
Hi Nan,
I’m still exploring blotanical blogs. There were so many cool plants in this post, I hope I can remember which ones I wanted to comment on. I have grown the clary type of salvia you have the different colors of before, but think I had them too far apart. I love how you have different colors growing with the nigella. Nigella doesn’t always reseed for me, but it did last year, and I’m hoping I’ll have even more next year.
Foxgloves haven’t lived many seasons for me, either, but I was pleased with the ones that came back and bloomed again this year. I may plant some more just in case.
I’ve grown an annual balsam before, but have forgotten about it lately. I’ll have to check on it before trying it again. I’m not sure if it was the kind you have there. I do try to avoid invasive plants.
Thanks, Sue! I’ll bet that you were growing garden balsam (Impatiens balsamina), which is a generous self-sower but apparently nowhere near as serious a problem as the Himalayan balsam can be in some areas.
-Nan