Tall Ironweed (Vernonia altissima), like the other Ironweed species, has many virtues and is a good plant for the true native plant enthusiast. Which is to say, if you are looking for a plant that delivers a major ornamental punch proportionate to the space it takes up, Ironweed may not be for you. Tall Ironweed …
These are the days of the blooming Susans, members of the genus Rudbeckia. There’s the Black Eyed Susan generally grown as an annual or biennial (Rudbeckia hirta). Then there’s another Black Eyed Susan, a perennial that also goes by the common name Orange Coneflower (R. fulgida) and which has produced the ever popular variety ‘Goldsturm’. …
Recently I got acquainted online with Pat Hill, author of Design Your Natural Midwest Garden. Pat’s book had a big influence on me, and I think it is an important book for any gardener interested in designing with native plants. Pat is a garden writer and designer, and is active in promoting natural landscapes. She …
Why are some plants called “false”? Like the Midwestern native False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), whose common name implies that it is guilty of impersonating a sunflower (Helianthus sp.). This is unfair on so many levels. First of all, who is to say that the sunflowers came first, and that the Heliopsis is the imitation? Even …
The light was so perfect Thursday morning that Judy was inspired to grab her camera on her way out the door and take a few pictures. I know I just did a post on Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), but look how the yellow flowers are luminous in the sun. Here’s the grassy path that separates …
It’s not an Echinacea. It’s not a Rudbeckia. It’s Ratibida pinnata, known by the common names Yellow Coneflower or Grey-Headed Coneflower. There’s a lot to like about this plant. The flowers are nice, especially in a mass. The droopy yellow ray flowers are bright yellow. The prominent cone starts out grey and turns brown as …
This is the third summer that Culver’s Root ‘Inspiration’ (Veronicastrum virginicum) is growing in the sunny driveway border. In my experience it is an excellent plant if you want something vertical with blue color in early to mid-summer. Even my son’s girlfriend, who fervently hopes that my garden obsession is not hereditary, is enthusiastic about …
We got back from the Garden Bloggers’ Fling last night, and found that our own garden has been progressing at breakneck speed: flowers blooming, buds swelling, vines twining, berries ripening, seeds sprouting. I’ll post about these developments shortly, as soon as Judy is able to get out with her camera and take some pictures. In …
The Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus strumosus) in the back garden is no more. It was growing in a little bed I carved out along the brick path to the alley gate that Judy and I built. Woodland Sunflower is one of very few sunflowers that does not need full sun or something close. I was tempted …
This weekend I’ve been implementing a second round of cutting back my perennials. For some reason, whenever I do a lot of pruning or cutting back in my garden, I get a mental image of the Cowardly Lion getting a haircut during the scene from The Wizard of Oz when everybody is singing “Merry Old …
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