Author: Nancy McDonald, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission. If you are like me and grow lemon verbena, you now have a very large plant. What started as a small seedling in the spring has grown in size, approaching 60 cm (2 feet). So, what to do with this abundance? A Delightful Herb Let…
Harebell, Campanula rotundifolia, is delicate, attractive, and graceful. Each plant produces an abundance of purple bell-shaped flowers. Harebell is a tiny wildflower that only reaches a height of about one foot, and it is native to many of the dry grasslands and partially shaded forests of North America. Its bell-shaped, deep bluish-purple flowers bloom from…
Virginia waterleaf, Hydrophyllum virginianum, is an excellent choice for shady areas and woodland gardens. It can spread quickly from rhizomes and fill open areas, where some gardeners use it as a groundcover. Where to find Virginia Waterleaf Virginia waterleaf is a perennial typically found in low woods, thickets, ravine bottoms, bluff bases, river flood plains…
Foamflower can be a great addition to many gardens. It has an interesting, attractive leaf when not in flower. It also produces masses of lovely, lightly-scented white star-shaped flowers that rise above the foliage. Shell pink flower buds appear from mid-spring to mid-summer. It is most effective for visual effects when planted in groups. Green…
The Saskatoon Berry Bush is a woody, perennial shrub that can yield fruit and adapt to a variety of soil types and climatic conditions. The Saskatoon is a small to medium-sized shrub or tree that is a member of the Rose family. It shares a kinship with the mountain ash, apple, and hawthorn. Saskatoon berry…
Blue vervain, or American vervain, is a hardy and drought-tolerant plant native to North America. It is a traditionally important plant, widely distributed in almost every state in the USA and a few provinces in Canada. Moist prairies and damp thickets are its main habitats. It is a type of perennial herbaceous plant falling under…
The leaves of the Mad-dog Skullcap are serrated and opposing, and the stem is square and often hairless. As a member of the mint family, one would expect it to have medicinal and beneficial properties. From July to September, it blooms with tiny, trumpet-shaped flowers ranging in colour from light blue to lavender or even…
Bottle Gentian is, with its dark blue closed flower, among the finest perennials to grace the garden in late summer. Bottle gentian has bottle-like deep blue flowers that never actually open. The blooms are pollinated exclusively by bumblebees, which have the size and strength needed to pry open the flowers and gain entry. Bottle Gentians…
The hoary vervain, or Verbena stricta, is a type of herbaceous plant falling under the Verbenaceae family. The flowering plant is most commonly found in different states of the United States, namely Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Kansas, among many others. While it is native to most of the states, it has…
Slender Blazing Star is an upright, clump-forming perennial with fluffy, purple flowers that bloom in late summer. It is best to plant it with slow-growing perennials or as a border plant, as it is a shorter, non-competitive plant. The long-blooming perennial Liatris, a slender blazing star or gayfeather, is native to eastern North America. It…
Rough Blazing Star features fluffy, deep rose-purple flowers arranged in 1″ button-like heads. Blooming begins, as one would assume, at the top of the flower stalk and steadily progresses downward. The flower display continues from late summer until autumn for 3–4 weeks. Discover more about its sister plants, the slender blazing star and the dense…
The Nodding Onion is famous for its blossoms’ unusual orientation: pointing downward, “nodding” towards the earth. Each hooked stem has pom-poms of star-shaped blooms blossoming in cream, pastel pink, and light lavender. This plant is simple to cultivate and will expand naturally by seed and bulb offshoots. Plant in large quantities for a spectacular show….
Wild Bergamot has rich globular heads of fragrant lilac-purple tubular blooms. The flower heads perch on a whorl of beautiful, pinkish bracts and bloom for weeks from mid-summer to early October. You may also flavour tea with the foliage of deep green, distinctively scented leaves. Wild bergamot is a drought-tolerant prairie perennial that spreads by…
Hydrangeas are hardy fellas that don’t require a whole lot of fuss. They produce beautiful flowers that form various shapes from large globes to pointy cones. And not only do the shapes vary, but their colours can range from white to shades of pinks, blues and purples. You’re likely familiar with the big, impressive blooms…
Echinacea is an excellent flower to grow in a garden because its brilliant colours stand out against the green surroundings. They make an eye-catching colour display, especially when placed amid shorter perennials, where the spectacular purple, pink, and white blooms shine out above the leaves. It is also one of the perennial border’s longest-blooming plants….
The Passion Flower is listed as hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5-9; however, it may actually struggle in zone 5 and may not survive very cold winters. If you live below zone 6 you should plant Passion Flower in a sheltered area near a wall so and provide the roots with protection against the cold in the wintertime
There are two types of plants that most people refer to as “geraniums”.
There are “true geraniums”, which are hardy, native and wild plants that make excellent groundcover and space filler in your garden and landscape.
There are also Pelargoniums, which are more delicate plants hailing from South Africa. In this article, we will discuss both members of the geranium family and share some smart tips for their use and care.
The Great Blue Lobelia is a clump-forming perennial which grows large spikes featuring bright blue tubular flowers. The showy flowers form an elongated cluster on a leafy stem. This blue counterpart of the Cardinal Flower is the most desirable plant for woodland gardens since the blue flowers offer a welcome contrast to the yellows and…
Lavender is a popular and fragrant plant for both commercial and personal use. It is also one of the simplest plants to cultivate from seed. Growing and caring for Lavandula angustifolia in your yard can provide you with a pleasant fragrance all year. It has a peaceful and tranquil aroma, which provides therapeutic benefits that…
Anise Hyssop is simple to cultivate and care for in an ornamental or herb garden. Plants self-sow freely, but unwanted seedlings are easily removed. This plant belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae), but its fragrant leaves smell like licorice, especially when you rub them, hence the name anise. Salad dressings, herbal tea mixes, and potpourri…
Purple Giant Hyssop sets soft plumes of the palest purple flowers that top out at 6 feet, soaring above most other plants in the garden. The individual blossoms open over a period of several weeks in the fall. From seed, it is easy to grow, but be mindful that the first blooms will typically appear…
The Spotted Beebalm is an unusual beauty in form and colour, distinguished by its pagoda-like blossoms. It has eye-catching clusters of creamy purple-spotted tubular blooms sitting on pink, lavender, or ivory bracts. Flowering starts in mid-summer and continues into the fall. Spotted Beebalm, a member of the mint family, has a sweet and pleasant scent….
Dense Blazing Star, Liatris spicata, has long-lasting purple wands of packed blooms that face all directions and bloom from the top of the stem down from midsummer to fall. The blooms resemble feather boas held upright on numerous spikes per plant. Although it lacks smell, Dense Blazing Star will please your other senses: the purple…
The Hairy Beardtongue possesses many beneficial characteristics. It is, for example, small and controllable, does not compete or spread widely, has attractive and delicate blooms, and is tough (meaning it is hard to kill). It is a larval host for the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly and is an excellent choice for a butterfly garden or many…
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