Fun, Funky Garden Plants
I have a love for funky, fun and unique garden plants.Here's one to try. It's called Sea Holly, and it'sactually in the thistle family. Sea Holly is a perennialgarden plant, which means you plant it once and itcomes up year after year, somewhat depending on yourclimate.
This plant never did fail to bring attentionAnd comments from people seeing my garden. It growsAbout 3-4 feet high, very branchy and the branches areA brilliant electric blue color. It's stunning!
The only drawback to this lovely plant, in the fall youmust cut it to the ground and burn or compost the plant.Do not let it go longer than that, or it will becasting seeds and you'll soon discover it's familytrait o fbeing a thistle, if you know what I mean. Thefollowing spring, it'll come back again to it's beauty.
It is an easy plant to grow and does best with full sun,or as much sun as is available to you. I live in thePacific Northwest, U.S.A. so we get a lot of rainAnd fairly mild summers and yet it seems to be enoughFor this plant. You can search for Sea Holly seeds inseed catalogs or sometimes you can find it in somenurserys. An internet search would surely find you asource for this lovely plant.
I thought I'd let you know about one of thecoolest, funky plants for outdoors I've ever run across.It's called Evening Scented Stock, it is NOT the commonstock, however.
This is an annual plant, that needs to be sown earlyspring, directly into the soil where it is to bloom andgrow. I recommend planting it nearby windows and doors,porches, etc. This plant really doesn't look like muchin and of itself, it's not a pretty plant per se..butwhen about 5:00 PM rolls around watch it do its stuff!This plant has a VERY powerful fragrance similar tohyacinths or lilacs. At the gentlest breeze it sends awaft of fragrance to die for. This is why it's soexcellent to plant near a window, door or pathway. Whenyou open up your screen in the evening, this will scentyour entire house.
One place that I have found the seeds for this rareplant is at Fragrant Path, PO Box 328, Fort Calhoun, NE68023
Here's another one to try. This one is called AutumnCrocus.In this case you can tell a lot by it's name.You generally purchase it as a bulb, which are usuallyquite large. It does return year after year withoutneeding to re-plant it.
In the spring it shoots up a lot of foliage, this ispreparing the plant for it's autumn blooms, be sure tojust leave this alone. Come about mid June or so, thisfoliage starts looking like it's dying, again justleave it be. In late August/early September, when mostof the flowers are past their prime and the garden isstarting to look sparse, out comes the Autumn Crocus,with their beautiful lilac colored blooms. They bloomfor quite a long time when few things are blooming. Afun plant, give it a try!
This one is an annual (only lives 1 growing season)plant called Love Lies Bleeding. It's as strange asit's name. It is very easy to grow. You just simplydirect seed it in the soil (full sun preferably) whereit is to grow in the spring. It's height seems to varygreatly. I've seen it be as small as about 2 feet high,and reach up to 6 or7 feet high. It's "flowers" arelong, burgandy colored ropes that hang. It is simplystunning. Always gets attention! It will usually re-seeditself so you'll get new plants the following yearwithout doing anything. It's best to try to find thisseed in an unusual type seed catalog. It is in theamaranth family.
Here's the last one. Ever tried the helleborefamily? There are many varieties. They are perennialwhich means they come back year after year. These arebest planted in shady areas, but where they will getsun in the winter, like under leafed trees or somethingof that nature.
What is so unusual about hellebores is that theyBloom somewhere between Dec. and March. There are veryFew plants that do that! One variety is called aChristmas Rose. It's quite striking to see flowers inthe midst sometimes of snow.
These plants usually must be purchased at anursery. Check out your local nursery for this wonderfulfamily of plants.
___________________
By Valerie Garner-Mother, grandmother and candlemaker /owner of Joyful Designs in Soy. She loves to write ona variety of topics with a warm, and engaging style. http://www.joyfuldesignsinsoy.com
This plant never did fail to bring attentionAnd comments from people seeing my garden. It growsAbout 3-4 feet high, very branchy and the branches areA brilliant electric blue color. It's stunning!
The only drawback to this lovely plant, in the fall youmust cut it to the ground and burn or compost the plant.Do not let it go longer than that, or it will becasting seeds and you'll soon discover it's familytrait o fbeing a thistle, if you know what I mean. Thefollowing spring, it'll come back again to it's beauty.
It is an easy plant to grow and does best with full sun,or as much sun as is available to you. I live in thePacific Northwest, U.S.A. so we get a lot of rainAnd fairly mild summers and yet it seems to be enoughFor this plant. You can search for Sea Holly seeds inseed catalogs or sometimes you can find it in somenurserys. An internet search would surely find you asource for this lovely plant.
I thought I'd let you know about one of thecoolest, funky plants for outdoors I've ever run across.It's called Evening Scented Stock, it is NOT the commonstock, however.
This is an annual plant, that needs to be sown earlyspring, directly into the soil where it is to bloom andgrow. I recommend planting it nearby windows and doors,porches, etc. This plant really doesn't look like muchin and of itself, it's not a pretty plant per se..butwhen about 5:00 PM rolls around watch it do its stuff!This plant has a VERY powerful fragrance similar tohyacinths or lilacs. At the gentlest breeze it sends awaft of fragrance to die for. This is why it's soexcellent to plant near a window, door or pathway. Whenyou open up your screen in the evening, this will scentyour entire house.
One place that I have found the seeds for this rareplant is at Fragrant Path, PO Box 328, Fort Calhoun, NE68023
Here's another one to try. This one is called AutumnCrocus.In this case you can tell a lot by it's name.You generally purchase it as a bulb, which are usuallyquite large. It does return year after year withoutneeding to re-plant it.
In the spring it shoots up a lot of foliage, this ispreparing the plant for it's autumn blooms, be sure tojust leave this alone. Come about mid June or so, thisfoliage starts looking like it's dying, again justleave it be. In late August/early September, when mostof the flowers are past their prime and the garden isstarting to look sparse, out comes the Autumn Crocus,with their beautiful lilac colored blooms. They bloomfor quite a long time when few things are blooming. Afun plant, give it a try!
This one is an annual (only lives 1 growing season)plant called Love Lies Bleeding. It's as strange asit's name. It is very easy to grow. You just simplydirect seed it in the soil (full sun preferably) whereit is to grow in the spring. It's height seems to varygreatly. I've seen it be as small as about 2 feet high,and reach up to 6 or7 feet high. It's "flowers" arelong, burgandy colored ropes that hang. It is simplystunning. Always gets attention! It will usually re-seeditself so you'll get new plants the following yearwithout doing anything. It's best to try to find thisseed in an unusual type seed catalog. It is in theamaranth family.
Here's the last one. Ever tried the helleborefamily? There are many varieties. They are perennialwhich means they come back year after year. These arebest planted in shady areas, but where they will getsun in the winter, like under leafed trees or somethingof that nature.
What is so unusual about hellebores is that theyBloom somewhere between Dec. and March. There are veryFew plants that do that! One variety is called aChristmas Rose. It's quite striking to see flowers inthe midst sometimes of snow.
These plants usually must be purchased at anursery. Check out your local nursery for this wonderfulfamily of plants.
___________________
By Valerie Garner-Mother, grandmother and candlemaker /owner of Joyful Designs in Soy. She loves to write ona variety of topics with a warm, and engaging style. http://www.joyfuldesignsinsoy.com
posted by Arno at 8:17 PM
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