Wild Bergamot is an attractive, purple, flowering perennial, which supports many kinds of pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds. Its leaves are edible for tea, and flowers in salads. 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…
The Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier rubra) is a food source for over 40 bird species. Its berries can be utilized to produce jams and pies, offering a flavour reminiscent of those of the Highbush Blueberry. The serviceberry thrives in acidic, moist, and well-drained soils, though it demonstrates adaptability to various soil conditions. In natural habitats, it…
Veronica liwanensis was recognized as the Plant of the Month for February 2025 by the Ottawa Valley Rock Garden and Horticultural Society. Over the past four years, I have cultivated this plant in various locations within my yard, primarily in full sunlight. Some specimens thrive in a relatively dry garden, while others have spread and are…
Lantana plants are low-maintenance and easy to care for with the right materials. Lantanas can grow in any sunny location with well-draining soil. They’re usually planted in the spring once the last frost has passed and the cold has begun to subside. Why grow lantana? Lantana plants are commonly used as an indoor or…
This hardy, ornamental shrub is my plant choice for January as it can be depended upon to deliver vibrant red colour to the winter landscape. At about 5-6’ tall and wide, this particular dogwood (also known as Red-twig) features a number of notable attributes including stunning fall leaf colour, attractive berries for the birds, vibrant…
Fireweed, a member of the willow plant family, is distinguished by its gorgeous magenta flowers. Its common name comes from its sudden appearance after a wildfire. It may be a colourful addition to sunny, damp areas. It grows fast by rhizomes and requires little upkeep once established. It cannot, however, withstand competition; if other species…
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…
Staghorn Sumac puts on a startling display of color in the fall. It is a pleasing sight, especially in the fall, when the leaves turn extremely colourful. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Male and Female Flowers Female flowers produce showy pyramidal fruiting clusters (up to 8″ long), each containing…
The Cup Plant, Silphium perfoliatum, is a beautiful plant native to large areas in the central and eastern US and to Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Its large stature, (6 to 9 feet tall) and wide, tapered leaves are further complemented by an abundance of open yellow flowers. The flowers will re-bloom well into the…
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…
Canada Milk Vetch is great for attracting hummingbirds, birds, butterflies, and bees. The flowers and seed heads are excellent for bouquets, and the leaves have great texture. This is an excellent plant for heavy clay soils. It is deer repellent and spreads via rhizomatous growth. Good for use in restoration gardens and erosion control. Extreme…
Borage is a tall, attractive plant, often grown in flowerbeds with bright blue star-shaped edible flowers. Also known as “starflower,” the borage herb is a beautiful perennial with blue flowers that self-seed. Its flowers are cucumber-flavored, and all parts of the plant, except the roots, have medicinal or culinary uses. This plant is best grown…
Rough-stemmed goldenrod is a herbaceous perennial with rough leaves that can grow up to 2 m (6.6 ft) tall. The majority of its leaves are cauline. Up to 50 stems from a single plant can bear 50–1500 yellow flower heads apiece. It blooms from late summer to early October. It can be distinguished from Solidago…
Solidago squarrosa may be the most distinctive species of the goldenrods. As a perennial herb, it can reach a height of 190 cm (6 ft). It has a branching underground caudex. Egg-shaped leaves up to 20 cm (8 inches) long near the plant’s base and shorter further up the stem. A slender, elongated array of…
Stiff Goldenrod is a good choice for prairie gardens, cottage gardens and pollinator gardens. It is a resilient, self seeds and you might need to control its growth. Compared to most goldenrods, stiff goldenrod has larger, flatter flower clusters. In the fall, the leaves change to lovely colors of red. Plant Stiff Goldenrod alongside other…
Early Goldenrod, also known as Solidago juncea, is a herbaceous perennial wildflower of the family Asteraceae. Once started, it requires little maintenance and grows quickly. It thrives on ordinary, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun, and it can withstand poor, dry soils, especially soil with a lot of clay. It is a tolerant…
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…
Starry False Solomon’s Seal has attractive foilage, flowers, and berries that form a dense groundcover once established. The narrow oval-shaped leaves are about 3-12 cm long (2”-5”) and arranged alternately in 2 rows along the stem. A showy flower with bright white flowers and green, oval-shaped leaves that attract birds. It is paired well with…
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….
Lanceleaf Tickseed is popular and ideal for the garden, outdoor pots and containers. It has bright yellow spring daisy-like blooms that bloom from spring to early summer on thin, upright stalks. This plant grows in grasslands and meadows. It grows quickly and thrives in a sunny, dry setting. Bees, birds and butterflies are drawn to them, all…
Hostas are lush, leafy perennials that generally thrive in shade to part sun. They are sought after for their leaves, and their ability to thrive in shade, although, every year there are new introductions whose flowers are extremely fragrant, adding to the mix. These plants come in tiny form, like Hosta Blue Mouse Ears, or…
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