A Plant wants What a Plant wants!

As a parent, the natural tendency is to provide the very best you can for your children. Nobody's perfect, but as parents, we have the very best of intentions.

It seems I have transferred a little of this parenting style outside into the garden. 

How I wish this were my own Lavender!

I have always strived to provide my plants with the very best I possibly can. 

I began by amending and improving the soil on our property. 

And then, every spring I add compost, bone meal and manure. To complete the process, I top dress the flowerbeds with mulch to keep the soil moist and weed free.

When summer heats up and rain is scarce, I take pity on my plants and out comes the garden hose. 

I battle red aphids every summer.

When pests line up I strike back (organically of course). I can't tell you how many green worms I have handpicked off my roses or red lily beetles I have swished under foot.

Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia at Edward Gardens in Toronto

I am well aware that plants like different soil types, but for some unknown reason, I haven't paid that as much heed to that as I should. 

Following those parental instincts I reasoned that if I gave my plants the very best soil, they should perform perfectly. Right? 

Wrong! 

A plant wants what a plant wants. If that means poor, sandy soil, it wants poor, sandy soil.  If it needs gravelly soil with really good drainage, then that is just what it wants.

My long line of failures is testament to the truth in this.

Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia at Edward Gardens in Toronto

Russian Sage. You think with the word "Russian" in the common name, it would have no problems overwintering here in Canada, but I kept losing my plants every winter for years. 

Most recently, I put my latest Russian Sage in the sheltered herb bed. It made it through winter all right, but it failed to prosper. 

I gave it protection, but what it really needed was the right soil. Russian Sage is a huge, flamboyant perennial that can grow to 150 cm (3 to 5 feet), yet my sorry specimen is pathetically scrawny. 

This is what I aspire to: Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia at Edward Gardens in Toronto

I think it's finally sinking in: get that soil right or it is never going to perform well. 

Other than heat and sun what it needs most is loamy, loose and airy,well-drained soil.

Ditto on the lavender. 

Right now it is in the same herb bed and it is sulking just as much as the Russian Sage.  The best soil for growing lavender is gritty or sandy loam, so no wonder it is not doing well in the black top soil of the herb garden.

I have done some research and I need to either move it or amend the soil. There is already plenty of organic matter for good soil aeration, but I need to make the soil much more free-draining with fine crushed stone. I think I may also have to add some lime (apparently lavender likes soil with a pH factor between 6.0 and 8.0).

Merlin's Hollow, Aurora Ontario

A closer look at the thyme lawn at Merlin's Hollow

One of my projects for this spring is inspired by the thyme lawn at Merlin's Hollow, David Tomlinson's garden in Aurora, Ontario. 

In my case, it is going to be a thyme walk that runs along the path to the back garden (pictured below). 

Out with the boring grass and in with the fragrant thyme!

Like Russian Sage and Lavender, thyme likes really well-drained soil. I have learned my lesson the hard way and this time I am starting with the soil. 

Thyme likes sandy, dry gritty soil and that is just what I am going to give it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Late Summer at its most Beautiful (Part 1)

As each summer ages, it mellows and becomes golden. Colors seem to become more vibrant, while ornamental grasses and flowers gone-to-seed become soft, billowy clouds. 

We should all aspire to age so gracefully.

Sneezeweed, Helenium 'Feugo' ( Mariachi Series)

Rudbeckia hirta 'Irish Eyes' (Self-seeding Annual)

Mountain Fleeceflower, Persicaria

Ornamental Oregano, Origanum laevigatum 'Herrenhauser' 

Burnet, Sanguisorbia officinallis 'Red Thunder' (Rosaceae)

Agastache 'Blue Boa'

Agastache 'Blue Boa' in the middle distance

Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia

White flowering Nicotiana

Echinacea

Great Blue Lobelia or Cardinal Flower, Lobelia syphilitica and Lobelia syphilitica 'Alba'

Great Blue Lobelia or Cardinal Flower, Lobelia syphilitica and Lobelia syphilitica 'Alba'

White Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet'

Spider Flower, Cleome (Annual) 

Fountain Grass, Pennisetum

These pictures were taken at Edwards Garden and a local area park.

Shades of Grey in the Garden: The Final Chapter

The swirling waves of an Ornamental cabbage 

I have a marathon of images to finish off my grey-themed posts, so I will keep this introduction short and sweet. 

I always learn something in putting these post together. The pictures are bookmarks that reference the important passages in last summer's travels: Note to self: Remember this plant or that planting combination. Even if a plant is as common as dirt, I often see it used in such a way that I find myself thinking: now isn't that a great idea!

So, let's dive right in:

I am pushing it with this first example of grey. I hope you will forgive me, but you don't see this old-fashioned plant as often as you should these days. This is Basket of Gold, Aurinia saxatilis 'Compacta'. Its foliage is greyish-green.

Here it is tumbling down the rocky hillside of a former quarry. (The Rockery at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, ON). Height: 20-30 cm. Spread 20-30 cm. Care: Full sun, average to sandy soil. Drought tolerant when established.

Snow-in-summer, cerastium tomentosum in my garden

My mom always detested this ground cover, but though it can take over in a hurry, it does have some uses. In my garden it holds a sloping bank on the eastern side of the house. In the image below, snow-in-summer cascades down a steep embankment at the RBG in Hamilton.

Snow-in-summer, cerastium tomentosum. Height 15-20 cm. Spread: 60-75 cm. Care: As you can see this plant is a spreader. It is perfect in hot sunny areas with poor soil. Clip it back after flowering to keep it tidy.

Cheddar Pinks, Dianthus Height: 15-30 cm Spread: 20-30 cm Care: Full sun.

I couldn't leave these out. Beautiful grey foliage and a delicious, spicy scent.

A front planting that incorporates a pale, pink dianthus as well as a few grey-blue evergreens. Private Garden in Mississauga, ON.

Sea holly, Eryngium Height: 60-75 cm. Spread: 45-60 cm Care: Full sun

Sea Holly with purple Monkshood in the foreground. Larkwhistle Garden on the Bruce Peninsula.

Yarrow, Achillea taygetea 'Moonshine' has lovely silver foliage. Height: 45-60cm Spread: 50 cm Care: Full sun. Blooms June to September (with deadheading).

I have this silver yarrow in my garden. It is very reliable, quiet and well-behaved (never the class clown). It puts up with any amount of neglect I lavish on it.

Lavender Cotton, Santolina chamaecyparissus Height: 30-45 cm Spread: 30-60cm Care: Requires good drainage. Drought tolerant when established.

This is a plant I saw at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton and knew nothing about. I liked the foliage so much however, I wanted to know more. Lavender Cotton was often used in traditional herb and knot gardens. Its dried leaves are nicely scented and are sometimes used in potpourri.

Artemisia schmidtiana 'Silver Mound' Height: 25 cm Spacing: 35 cm Care: Best in full sun. Makes a nice compact mound of silver. 

I have Artemisia ludoviciana 'Silver King' in my garden. Now, if you are familiar with this cultivar then you are probably questioning my sanity. In researching this plant, I found a reference that described it as "a little aggressive for the average perennial border". 

That's a polite way of saying it spreads like mad!!

I knew 'Silver King' was a spreader, but I thought I could outsmart it...so I planted it in the garden in a pot with a hole cut in the bottom. Foolish, foolish gardener!

'Silver King' laughed in my face and sent out runners that just skipped over the rim of the plastic pot. 

Despite the bad experience, I haven't given up on Artemisia. Look how great it looks in combination with the burgundy Barberry above. I am convinced that I just need to find another cultivar that is better behaved.

Artemisia 'Powis Castle' Height: 75 cm Spread: 45 cm Care: Full sun, well-drained soil. Excellent for hot sunny sites. Hardy zones 6-9.

What is your experience with Artemisia? Do you know a great cultivar we should all try. Here are a couple of options I saw last summer. Any comments?

Edwards Garden in Toronto Artemisia stelleriana 'Boughton Silver' with taller Calamint behind. Height: 15-30 cm Spread: 60-75 cm Care: Compact selection. Full sun. Clip back mid-summer to maintain low mat-like effect.

We had Lamb's Ears in the garden when we first moved in. Over time, the shade of mature trees made it harder and harder for it to prosper. Next summer, I would like to find a new spot and buy some new plants. 

I have to say that I am not fond of Lamb's Ear's in bloom. Stachys byzantina 'Silver Carpet' has dense clumps of soft, velvety silver leaves. Apparently this selection rarely blooms. Height: 10-15 cm Spread: 30-60 cm. 

Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia. Grey foliage makes a nice foil for warm colors such as pink and mauve. It can easily be a best friend for blue and purple.

The Music Garden, Toronto, ON.

Blue-grey evergreens in the Kinanen's backyard garden in Dundas Ontario. The garden's pond is right off the deck. Perfect for watching the fish dart around. Pond by Clearwater Ponds.

Really quickly, I will remind you that evergreens offer some beautiful garden greys.

Korean Fir, Abies koreana 'Siberlocke' You can read more about Koran Fir trees in this post by Alistair who writes the blog Aberdeen Gardening.

Aren't these grey pinecones interesting?

The Harrison Sister's garden in Hamilton, ON

A beautiful story in color and texture.

Here we are looking back the other way in the same garden. The Harrison Sister's garden in Hamilton, ON

Hostas also come in a nice range of grey and blue-grey colors.

Heather Bradley's garden in Mississauga, ON.

Finally, if you want to add grey to your garden next summer, don't forget to consider 

ferns like this Japanese Fern.

Edward's Garden, Toronto, ON.

I end with a mystery. I'm not sure what the name of this grey beauty. (You see, I really do learn from doing these posts.) Any ideas?