Native Plant Sale

Yellow False Indigo, Shooting Star, Tennessee Coneflower, Dwarf Crested Iris, Copper Iris, Blue Vervain and Culver's Root

I went to the Spring Native Plant Sale at the Virginia Living Museum this morning.  It coincided with their Earth Day Activities so it was pretty busy.  I’ve never seen so many people shopping for plants in all the years I’ve been attending.  There was a line to checkout and everyone had their hands full of goodies.  Initially I just intended to just browse and see what they had but of course I couldn’t leave empty handed.  🙂  My favorite  has to be the Copper Iris or Iris fulva.  It needs a wet site, but I’m willing to make a small water garden to have this beauty in my garden.  Here’s a picture of it blooming below that I found at the US Forest Service:

Iris fulva or Copper Iris (photo courtesy of http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/iris/louisiana/iris_fulva.shtml)

Favorite Combo: Salvia and Helenium

 

Salvia 'Mystic Spires' and Helenium autumnale

My new favorite perennial combo in the garden is Salvia ‘Mystic Spires’ and Helenium autumnale.  The little yellow round disks combined with the purple spikes is interesting as well as complimentary.  Here’s some info on both of these great perennials:

Salvia ‘Mystic Spires’:

• fragrant foliage
• blooms summer-fall
• heat & drought tolerant
• Attracts butterflies, bees & hummingbirds
• deer resistant
• Full to Partial Sun
• Hardy in zones 7a-11

Helenium autumnale:

• native to North America
• blooms late summer-fall
• prefers full sun
• attracts bees & butterflies
• hardy 3a-8b
• propogate by division or seed
• Blooms are red, orange, yellow & maroon

Hope everyone has a nice weekend in or out of the garden!  🙂

Bloomin’ Tuesday – Blooms and Berries

(From upper L-R across & down: Beautyberry, Sedum 'Autumn Joy', Viburnum 'Winterthur', 'Black-seeded Simpson' lettuce seedlings, Variegated Lirope, Violas and Hydrangea 'Pinky Winky')

September has brought some cooler morning & evening temperatures.  Along with that comes some of my favorite fall blooms & berries.   Violas, Sedums and Lirope bring color and add interest to the garden.  The purple berries on Beautyberry or Callicarpa americana make a striking combo against the lime green foliage of this native ornamental shrub.  Viburnum ‘Winterthur’ is another native shrub that produces berries that start out a off white color and fade to pink and eventually to a deep blue tone.  This has been a bountiful season for these two shrubs, both are loaded with berries for the birds.  My Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pinky Winky’ is in it’s 3rd season and full of blooms that are maturing to a dusty rose color.  And it wouldn’t be fall without some fall veggies like this great loose-leaf lettuce ‘Black-seeded Simpson’ which I planted with some of those pretty purple Violas.  To see more Bloomin’ Tuesday posts or to join in this week, please visit our gracious host Jean by clicking on the link below:

Fall Bloomers

(From top to bottom L-R: Helenium autumnale aka Helen's Flower, Zephyranthes candida aka Rain/Fairy Lily and Bellacamda aka Blackberry Lily)

Just when you think the season is winding down a few new blooms show up in the garden.  Above are some of my Fall blooming plants.  Two that are new to me this year are the Bellacamda or Blackberry Lily and Helenium autumnale or Helen’s Flower.  I’ve had the yellow blooming variety ‘Hello Yellow’ for years but I added the common orange with black spots earlier this summer.  Helen’s Flower is one of two Heleniums that I added this past May, the other one already bloomed a month or so ago.  These were purchased at the Native Plant Sale at the Virginia Living Museum.  My Rain Lilies are always a dependable bloomer, this year I added pink and yellow blooming varieties.  But this white one has been in my garden for a few years now.  It just gets better every year.  What are some of your favorite fall bloomers?

Wildflower Wednesday ( a day late)

(from upper L-R across & down: Unknown Solidago (background), Pink Chelone, Vernonia or Ironweed and Beautyberry)

  I meant to post this yesterday and got caught up with other stuff,  so it’s a day late.   Well it’s the last full week of August and the garden is starting to push out some early fall bloomers.  This is a great year for my Beautyberry with it’s gorgeous purple berries.   Mine are just starting to change color from green to a pale pinkish purple color.   Another favorite fall bloomer of mine is the Chelone or Turtlehead which is a great shade plant.  Ironweed has been blooming since last week in the garden and it really looks great with my Lantana ‘Miss Huff’.  It’s new to my garden this season and so far I’m very impressed with this native.  Solidagos have been blooming for a couple of weeks now and they are truly a sign of summer coming to a close.   I’m ready for this summer to end, it’s been long, hot & dry in the garden.  Fall will bring some cooler temps and hopefully some rain.    To see more Wildflower Wednesday posts or to join in please visit our gracious host Gail @ Clay and Limestone.  Sorry that I’m late with my post Gail.