Subscribe to the Blog
Montrose Botanic Gardens and Plant Select
If you’re thinking about a summer garden getaway, you might want to spend some time at the Montrose Botanic Gardens in Montrose, Colo.
This beautiful xeric garden was recently honored by the Plant Select program as a demonstration garden partner with the coveted Golden Shovel Award. The garden was recognized for the exceptional educational opportunities it offers visitors.
At 5600 windy feet in elevation, the garden has the San Juan Mountains as its backdrop.
More than one acre (on the almost four acre site) is planted and it features a native plant island and a promenade lined with perennials.
A dedicated group of volunteers called “The Weed Warriors” meets every Wednesday to maintain the garden.
In August the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge will make a scheduled stop at the Montrose Botanic Gardens during the first leg of the race.
For more information about the Gardens, contact Sara Ungrodt or visit the garden’s website.
Great Ghostly Vine for Western Gardening
One of the toughest plants in my landscape is a vine that has a ghostly past.
A few years ago I picked up a ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ honeysuckle at the Plant Select annual meeting and planted it next to an arbor in my sunny backyard and practically forgot about it.
This spring, the hardy perennial vine reminded me why I was attracted to it in the first place. Without any care from me over the winter, it sprung to life late last month.
It’s now one of the loveliest, most reliable plants in my garden.
Scott Skogerboe, a plant propagator with Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery, discovered the vine while driving around the city one day. He liked the looks of this honeysuckle, especially its round, silver-dollar size bracts with small yellow flowers. The bracts resemble eucalyptus and turn from green to silver-white and remain on the plant throughout the summer.
Another Good Shrub for Western Gardening
The silver fountain butterfly bush in the perennial garden is turning into a nice-sized specimen plant.
I wasn’t sure how many of my shrubs would make it through the winter, because the weather was so cold, so dry, and so windy.
It wasn’t clear to me until a few weeks ago what would leaf out and what would be chalked up to winter kill.
I was especially heartened to see my silver fountain butterfly bush (Buddleja alternifolia ‘Argentea’) was going to be blooming again this year.
Even though the shrub had quite a few dead branches that needed to be pruned away, there are still plenty to display the nice lavender flowers that call out to butterflies.
Plant Select recommended this butterfly bush in 1998 because it’s the only one that’s reliably shrubby in most of the U.S. and is good to Zone 4. The Denver Botanic Gardens has one of these shrubs in its xeric garden that’s grown to its full 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide. The purple blooms cascade down the branches for a fabulous display.
Where in the World is WesternGardener?
Spring seems to have sprung without me.
There just aren’t enough hours in a gardening day to keep up this spring. I’m behind on everything.
I waited too long to order some specialty seeds. Then they were gone. The seeds I did have got started too late. The crocus started blooming before I had time to clear the leaf mulch so they could see the sun.
Instead of gardening, I’ve been writing about gardening.
I’ve been writing about how to attract birds to the garden for my Lowe’s Mountain Region Garden Grow Along blog. There was also Lowe’s Creative Ideas Outdoor Living magazine for spring with special regional gardening tips for Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah.
Grow, the Denver Post’s gardening section, is off and running and this is my seventh (seventh!) year writing for it. Last issue’s article was all about the new Plant Select introductions. Next up, vertical gardening.
Plant Select Before and After Gardening Images
The dedication of the new Darlene Radichel Plant Select Garden was part of yesterday’s Celebration of Collaborations hosted by Plant Select and the Denver Botanic Gardens.
I was happy to be included in the Celebration of Collaborations that honored the synergy and cooperation between the green industry and the Plant Select program.
Plant Select members, propagators and green industry representatives met at the Denver Botanic Gardens to recognize the program responsible for “bringing the industry and its customers the best plants for western gardens.”
An important part of the event was the dedication of DBG’s new Plant Select garden. I had the chance to see the garden in June after it was first planted (shown in the image above) and I couldn’t believe how a few short summer months had transformed it.
I’m a big supporter of the Plant Select program and enjoy sharing information about how these plants do in my own xeriscape with other Western gardening enthusiasts.
Xeric Gardening with Red Feathers
Last summer I planted Echium amoenum ‘Red Feathers’ and here’s a current update of how it’s growing in my xeric garden.
At the Plant Select annual meeting last year, I purchased several of the 2010 recommendations to test in my landscape.
After seeing how well ‘Red Feathers’ grew, I can say it’s a favorite new perennial for my xeriscape.
I planted two Echium amoenum ‘Red Feathers’ in different parts of the yard.
The one planted in the hottest, driest spot was well-established by fall. It grew a large mound of dark green leaves, but didn’t bloom.
The other was planted in another perennial bed in a spot that receives moderate amounts of sunshine and water. By the fall, it was still a small mound of green leaves, so I transferred it to the other bed.
Winter 2009 was an especially wet one and there were times when this bed was covered with a thick snow cover. In fact, it was such a wet winter, I didn’t have to do any supplemental watering at all.
The Ghost of Kintzley Haunts Western Gardens
Thursday’s Name That Plant contest featured Lonicera reticulata ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ a hardy honeysuckle with unusual-looking flowers.
A few years ago I picked up a ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ honeysuckle at the Plant Select annual meeting and planted it next to an arbor in my sunny backyard and practically forgot about it.
This spring, the hardy perennial vine reminded me why I was attracted to it in the first place. Without any care from me over the winter, it sprung to life late last month.
It’s now one of the loveliest, most reliable plants in my garden.
Scott Skogerboe, a plant propagator with Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery, discovered the vine while driving around the city one day. He liked the looks of this honeysuckle, especially its round, silver-dollar size bracts with small yellow flowers. The bracts resemble eucalyptus and turn from green to silver-white and remain on the plant throughout the summer.
Redleaf Rose a 2010 Plant Select Introduction
The mystery plant featured in yesterday’s Name That Plant contest is a Redleaf rose (Rosa glauca, R. rubrifolia) and one of Plant Select’s 2010 introductions.
The Redleaf rose I planted in my landscape last year is just a baby compared to this beautiful specimen on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
I’m hoping this is what my little Rosa glauca will look like when it grows to more than 6 feet tall and is loaded with pink blossoms every June.
The plants in the Plant Select program undergo a rigorous trialing process before they’re released for gardeners to plant in their own yards.
The new introductions should be available at nurseries, garden centers and plant sales starting…right… now.
In addition to the Redleaf rose, there are these 6 additions to the program:
- Calylophus serrulatus ’Prairie Lode’ (Prairie Lode Sundrops)
- Echium amoenum (Red Feathers)
- Eriogonum wrightii var. wrightii (Snow Mesa buckwheat)
Name the Mystery Plant Gardening Contest
Welcome to Name That Plant–a weekly feature during the May Blogathon. Read the description, look for the clues and make your guess to be entered in a drawing to win a cool prize. The winner will be selected at random from the correct entries. Check back tomorrow when the plant’s identity will be revealed.
I planted this perennial shrub in my Zone 5 yard last summer and it’s now about 2 feet tall.
At maturity it will reach a height of 6 to 8 feet and will be 4 to 6 feet wide. Most gardeners grow this plant for its dark purple foliage and beautiful red hips that remain on the bush through fall and winter.
This hardy shrub will bloom May through June with pastel pink to white single, star-shaped blossoms. The delicate flowers are produced in clusters of two to five.
Reader Question: Where to find plants?
Independent garden centers, like Perennial Favorites in Rye, stock hardy native perennial plants, but mailorder provides another good option.
Yesterday I heard from a reader who let me know she was having trouble finding the plants I describe on this blog.
She wrote, “I make little notes and carry them with me to the garden centers, but haven’t had luck finding the plants you recommend.”
I had similar problems finding hardy native perennials when I started my Xeriscape in 2001. Fortunately a lot has changed in the green industry over the years and more native plants are available now than ever before.
One way to find natives is to ask at your favorite independent garden center. Retailers will be more willing to stock hardy perennials if they know their customers will buy them. Let your garden center owner or manager know what you’re looking for and ask for help finding it.
If you’re thinking about a summer garden getaway, you might want to spend some time at the Montrose Botanic Gardens in Montrose, Colo.
One of the toughest plants in my landscape is a vine that has a ghostly past.
A few years ago I picked up a ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ honeysuckle at the Plant Select annual meeting and planted it next to an arbor in my sunny backyard and practically forgot about it.
This spring, the hardy perennial vine reminded me why I was attracted to it in the first place. Without any care from me over the winter, it sprung to life late last month.
It’s now one of the loveliest, most reliable plants in my garden.
Scott Skogerboe, a plant propagator with Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery, discovered the vine while driving around the city one day. He liked the looks of this honeysuckle, especially its round, silver-dollar size bracts with small yellow flowers. The bracts resemble eucalyptus and turn from green to silver-white and remain on the plant throughout the summer.
Another Good Shrub for Western Gardening
The silver fountain butterfly bush in the perennial garden is turning into a nice-sized specimen plant.
I wasn’t sure how many of my shrubs would make it through the winter, because the weather was so cold, so dry, and so windy.
It wasn’t clear to me until a few weeks ago what would leaf out and what would be chalked up to winter kill.
I was especially heartened to see my silver fountain butterfly bush (Buddleja alternifolia ‘Argentea’) was going to be blooming again this year.
Even though the shrub had quite a few dead branches that needed to be pruned away, there are still plenty to display the nice lavender flowers that call out to butterflies.
Plant Select recommended this butterfly bush in 1998 because it’s the only one that’s reliably shrubby in most of the U.S. and is good to Zone 4. The Denver Botanic Gardens has one of these shrubs in its xeric garden that’s grown to its full 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide. The purple blooms cascade down the branches for a fabulous display.
Where in the World is WesternGardener?
Spring seems to have sprung without me.
There just aren’t enough hours in a gardening day to keep up this spring. I’m behind on everything.
I waited too long to order some specialty seeds. Then they were gone. The seeds I did have got started too late. The crocus started blooming before I had time to clear the leaf mulch so they could see the sun.
Instead of gardening, I’ve been writing about gardening.
I’ve been writing about how to attract birds to the garden for my Lowe’s Mountain Region Garden Grow Along blog. There was also Lowe’s Creative Ideas Outdoor Living magazine for spring with special regional gardening tips for Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah.
Grow, the Denver Post’s gardening section, is off and running and this is my seventh (seventh!) year writing for it. Last issue’s article was all about the new Plant Select introductions. Next up, vertical gardening.
Plant Select Before and After Gardening Images
The dedication of the new Darlene Radichel Plant Select Garden was part of yesterday’s Celebration of Collaborations hosted by Plant Select and the Denver Botanic Gardens.
I was happy to be included in the Celebration of Collaborations that honored the synergy and cooperation between the green industry and the Plant Select program.
Plant Select members, propagators and green industry representatives met at the Denver Botanic Gardens to recognize the program responsible for “bringing the industry and its customers the best plants for western gardens.”
An important part of the event was the dedication of DBG’s new Plant Select garden. I had the chance to see the garden in June after it was first planted (shown in the image above) and I couldn’t believe how a few short summer months had transformed it.
I’m a big supporter of the Plant Select program and enjoy sharing information about how these plants do in my own xeriscape with other Western gardening enthusiasts.
Xeric Gardening with Red Feathers
Last summer I planted Echium amoenum ‘Red Feathers’ and here’s a current update of how it’s growing in my xeric garden.
At the Plant Select annual meeting last year, I purchased several of the 2010 recommendations to test in my landscape.
After seeing how well ‘Red Feathers’ grew, I can say it’s a favorite new perennial for my xeriscape.
I planted two Echium amoenum ‘Red Feathers’ in different parts of the yard.
The one planted in the hottest, driest spot was well-established by fall. It grew a large mound of dark green leaves, but didn’t bloom.
The other was planted in another perennial bed in a spot that receives moderate amounts of sunshine and water. By the fall, it was still a small mound of green leaves, so I transferred it to the other bed.
Winter 2009 was an especially wet one and there were times when this bed was covered with a thick snow cover. In fact, it was such a wet winter, I didn’t have to do any supplemental watering at all.
The Ghost of Kintzley Haunts Western Gardens
Thursday’s Name That Plant contest featured Lonicera reticulata ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ a hardy honeysuckle with unusual-looking flowers.
A few years ago I picked up a ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ honeysuckle at the Plant Select annual meeting and planted it next to an arbor in my sunny backyard and practically forgot about it.
This spring, the hardy perennial vine reminded me why I was attracted to it in the first place. Without any care from me over the winter, it sprung to life late last month.
It’s now one of the loveliest, most reliable plants in my garden.
Scott Skogerboe, a plant propagator with Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery, discovered the vine while driving around the city one day. He liked the looks of this honeysuckle, especially its round, silver-dollar size bracts with small yellow flowers. The bracts resemble eucalyptus and turn from green to silver-white and remain on the plant throughout the summer.
Redleaf Rose a 2010 Plant Select Introduction
The mystery plant featured in yesterday’s Name That Plant contest is a Redleaf rose (Rosa glauca, R. rubrifolia) and one of Plant Select’s 2010 introductions.
The Redleaf rose I planted in my landscape last year is just a baby compared to this beautiful specimen on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
I’m hoping this is what my little Rosa glauca will look like when it grows to more than 6 feet tall and is loaded with pink blossoms every June.
The plants in the Plant Select program undergo a rigorous trialing process before they’re released for gardeners to plant in their own yards.
The new introductions should be available at nurseries, garden centers and plant sales starting…right… now.
In addition to the Redleaf rose, there are these 6 additions to the program:
- Calylophus serrulatus ’Prairie Lode’ (Prairie Lode Sundrops)
- Echium amoenum (Red Feathers)
- Eriogonum wrightii var. wrightii (Snow Mesa buckwheat)
Name the Mystery Plant Gardening Contest
Welcome to Name That Plant–a weekly feature during the May Blogathon. Read the description, look for the clues and make your guess to be entered in a drawing to win a cool prize. The winner will be selected at random from the correct entries. Check back tomorrow when the plant’s identity will be revealed.
I planted this perennial shrub in my Zone 5 yard last summer and it’s now about 2 feet tall.
At maturity it will reach a height of 6 to 8 feet and will be 4 to 6 feet wide. Most gardeners grow this plant for its dark purple foliage and beautiful red hips that remain on the bush through fall and winter.
This hardy shrub will bloom May through June with pastel pink to white single, star-shaped blossoms. The delicate flowers are produced in clusters of two to five.
Reader Question: Where to find plants?
Independent garden centers, like Perennial Favorites in Rye, stock hardy native perennial plants, but mailorder provides another good option.
Yesterday I heard from a reader who let me know she was having trouble finding the plants I describe on this blog.
She wrote, “I make little notes and carry them with me to the garden centers, but haven’t had luck finding the plants you recommend.”
I had similar problems finding hardy native perennials when I started my Xeriscape in 2001. Fortunately a lot has changed in the green industry over the years and more native plants are available now than ever before.
One way to find natives is to ask at your favorite independent garden center. Retailers will be more willing to stock hardy perennials if they know their customers will buy them. Let your garden center owner or manager know what you’re looking for and ask for help finding it.
The silver fountain butterfly bush in the perennial garden is turning into a nice-sized specimen plant.
I wasn’t sure how many of my shrubs would make it through the winter, because the weather was so cold, so dry, and so windy.
Spring seems to have sprung without me.
There just aren’t enough hours in a gardening day to keep up this spring. I’m behind on everything.
I waited too long to order some specialty seeds. Then they were gone. The seeds I did have got started too late. The crocus started blooming before I had time to clear the leaf mulch so they could see the sun.
Instead of gardening, I’ve been writing about gardening.
I’ve been writing about how to attract birds to the garden for my Lowe’s Mountain Region Garden Grow Along blog. There was also Lowe’s Creative Ideas Outdoor Living magazine for spring with special regional gardening tips for Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah.
Grow, the Denver Post’s gardening section, is off and running and this is my seventh (seventh!) year writing for it. Last issue’s article was all about the new Plant Select introductions. Next up, vertical gardening.
Plant Select Before and After Gardening Images
The dedication of the new Darlene Radichel Plant Select Garden was part of yesterday’s Celebration of Collaborations hosted by Plant Select and the Denver Botanic Gardens.
I was happy to be included in the Celebration of Collaborations that honored the synergy and cooperation between the green industry and the Plant Select program.
Plant Select members, propagators and green industry representatives met at the Denver Botanic Gardens to recognize the program responsible for “bringing the industry and its customers the best plants for western gardens.”
An important part of the event was the dedication of DBG’s new Plant Select garden. I had the chance to see the garden in June after it was first planted (shown in the image above) and I couldn’t believe how a few short summer months had transformed it.
I’m a big supporter of the Plant Select program and enjoy sharing information about how these plants do in my own xeriscape with other Western gardening enthusiasts.
Xeric Gardening with Red Feathers
Last summer I planted Echium amoenum ‘Red Feathers’ and here’s a current update of how it’s growing in my xeric garden.
At the Plant Select annual meeting last year, I purchased several of the 2010 recommendations to test in my landscape.
After seeing how well ‘Red Feathers’ grew, I can say it’s a favorite new perennial for my xeriscape.
I planted two Echium amoenum ‘Red Feathers’ in different parts of the yard.
The one planted in the hottest, driest spot was well-established by fall. It grew a large mound of dark green leaves, but didn’t bloom.
The other was planted in another perennial bed in a spot that receives moderate amounts of sunshine and water. By the fall, it was still a small mound of green leaves, so I transferred it to the other bed.
Winter 2009 was an especially wet one and there were times when this bed was covered with a thick snow cover. In fact, it was such a wet winter, I didn’t have to do any supplemental watering at all.
The Ghost of Kintzley Haunts Western Gardens
Thursday’s Name That Plant contest featured Lonicera reticulata ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ a hardy honeysuckle with unusual-looking flowers.
A few years ago I picked up a ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ honeysuckle at the Plant Select annual meeting and planted it next to an arbor in my sunny backyard and practically forgot about it.
This spring, the hardy perennial vine reminded me why I was attracted to it in the first place. Without any care from me over the winter, it sprung to life late last month.
It’s now one of the loveliest, most reliable plants in my garden.
Scott Skogerboe, a plant propagator with Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery, discovered the vine while driving around the city one day. He liked the looks of this honeysuckle, especially its round, silver-dollar size bracts with small yellow flowers. The bracts resemble eucalyptus and turn from green to silver-white and remain on the plant throughout the summer.
Redleaf Rose a 2010 Plant Select Introduction
The mystery plant featured in yesterday’s Name That Plant contest is a Redleaf rose (Rosa glauca, R. rubrifolia) and one of Plant Select’s 2010 introductions.
The Redleaf rose I planted in my landscape last year is just a baby compared to this beautiful specimen on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
I’m hoping this is what my little Rosa glauca will look like when it grows to more than 6 feet tall and is loaded with pink blossoms every June.
The plants in the Plant Select program undergo a rigorous trialing process before they’re released for gardeners to plant in their own yards.
The new introductions should be available at nurseries, garden centers and plant sales starting…right… now.
In addition to the Redleaf rose, there are these 6 additions to the program:
- Calylophus serrulatus ’Prairie Lode’ (Prairie Lode Sundrops)
- Echium amoenum (Red Feathers)
- Eriogonum wrightii var. wrightii (Snow Mesa buckwheat)
Name the Mystery Plant Gardening Contest
Welcome to Name That Plant–a weekly feature during the May Blogathon. Read the description, look for the clues and make your guess to be entered in a drawing to win a cool prize. The winner will be selected at random from the correct entries. Check back tomorrow when the plant’s identity will be revealed.
I planted this perennial shrub in my Zone 5 yard last summer and it’s now about 2 feet tall.
At maturity it will reach a height of 6 to 8 feet and will be 4 to 6 feet wide. Most gardeners grow this plant for its dark purple foliage and beautiful red hips that remain on the bush through fall and winter.
This hardy shrub will bloom May through June with pastel pink to white single, star-shaped blossoms. The delicate flowers are produced in clusters of two to five.
Reader Question: Where to find plants?
Independent garden centers, like Perennial Favorites in Rye, stock hardy native perennial plants, but mailorder provides another good option.
Yesterday I heard from a reader who let me know she was having trouble finding the plants I describe on this blog.
She wrote, “I make little notes and carry them with me to the garden centers, but haven’t had luck finding the plants you recommend.”
I had similar problems finding hardy native perennials when I started my Xeriscape in 2001. Fortunately a lot has changed in the green industry over the years and more native plants are available now than ever before.
One way to find natives is to ask at your favorite independent garden center. Retailers will be more willing to stock hardy perennials if they know their customers will buy them. Let your garden center owner or manager know what you’re looking for and ask for help finding it.
The dedication of the new Darlene Radichel Plant Select Garden was part of yesterday’s Celebration of Collaborations hosted by Plant Select and the Denver Botanic Gardens.
I was happy to be included in the Celebration of Collaborations that honored the synergy and cooperation between the green industry and the Plant Select program.
Last summer I planted Echium amoenum ‘Red Feathers’ and here’s a current update of how it’s growing in my xeric garden.
At the Plant Select annual meeting last year, I purchased several of the 2010 recommendations to test in my landscape.
After seeing how well ‘Red Feathers’ grew, I can say it’s a favorite new perennial for my xeriscape.
I planted two Echium amoenum ‘Red Feathers’ in different parts of the yard.
The one planted in the hottest, driest spot was well-established by fall. It grew a large mound of dark green leaves, but didn’t bloom.
The other was planted in another perennial bed in a spot that receives moderate amounts of sunshine and water. By the fall, it was still a small mound of green leaves, so I transferred it to the other bed.
Winter 2009 was an especially wet one and there were times when this bed was covered with a thick snow cover. In fact, it was such a wet winter, I didn’t have to do any supplemental watering at all.
The Ghost of Kintzley Haunts Western Gardens
Thursday’s Name That Plant contest featured Lonicera reticulata ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ a hardy honeysuckle with unusual-looking flowers.
A few years ago I picked up a ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ honeysuckle at the Plant Select annual meeting and planted it next to an arbor in my sunny backyard and practically forgot about it.
This spring, the hardy perennial vine reminded me why I was attracted to it in the first place. Without any care from me over the winter, it sprung to life late last month.
It’s now one of the loveliest, most reliable plants in my garden.
Scott Skogerboe, a plant propagator with Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery, discovered the vine while driving around the city one day. He liked the looks of this honeysuckle, especially its round, silver-dollar size bracts with small yellow flowers. The bracts resemble eucalyptus and turn from green to silver-white and remain on the plant throughout the summer.
Redleaf Rose a 2010 Plant Select Introduction
The mystery plant featured in yesterday’s Name That Plant contest is a Redleaf rose (Rosa glauca, R. rubrifolia) and one of Plant Select’s 2010 introductions.
The Redleaf rose I planted in my landscape last year is just a baby compared to this beautiful specimen on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
I’m hoping this is what my little Rosa glauca will look like when it grows to more than 6 feet tall and is loaded with pink blossoms every June.
The plants in the Plant Select program undergo a rigorous trialing process before they’re released for gardeners to plant in their own yards.
The new introductions should be available at nurseries, garden centers and plant sales starting…right… now.
In addition to the Redleaf rose, there are these 6 additions to the program:
- Calylophus serrulatus ’Prairie Lode’ (Prairie Lode Sundrops)
- Echium amoenum (Red Feathers)
- Eriogonum wrightii var. wrightii (Snow Mesa buckwheat)
Name the Mystery Plant Gardening Contest
Welcome to Name That Plant–a weekly feature during the May Blogathon. Read the description, look for the clues and make your guess to be entered in a drawing to win a cool prize. The winner will be selected at random from the correct entries. Check back tomorrow when the plant’s identity will be revealed.
I planted this perennial shrub in my Zone 5 yard last summer and it’s now about 2 feet tall.
At maturity it will reach a height of 6 to 8 feet and will be 4 to 6 feet wide. Most gardeners grow this plant for its dark purple foliage and beautiful red hips that remain on the bush through fall and winter.
This hardy shrub will bloom May through June with pastel pink to white single, star-shaped blossoms. The delicate flowers are produced in clusters of two to five.
Reader Question: Where to find plants?
Independent garden centers, like Perennial Favorites in Rye, stock hardy native perennial plants, but mailorder provides another good option.
Yesterday I heard from a reader who let me know she was having trouble finding the plants I describe on this blog.
She wrote, “I make little notes and carry them with me to the garden centers, but haven’t had luck finding the plants you recommend.”
I had similar problems finding hardy native perennials when I started my Xeriscape in 2001. Fortunately a lot has changed in the green industry over the years and more native plants are available now than ever before.
One way to find natives is to ask at your favorite independent garden center. Retailers will be more willing to stock hardy perennials if they know their customers will buy them. Let your garden center owner or manager know what you’re looking for and ask for help finding it.
Thursday’s Name That Plant contest featured Lonicera reticulata ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ a hardy honeysuckle with unusual-looking flowers.
A few years ago I picked up a ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’ honeysuckle at the Plant Select annual meeting and planted it next to an arbor in my sunny backyard and practically forgot about it.
The mystery plant featured in yesterday’s Name That Plant contest is a Redleaf rose (Rosa glauca, R. rubrifolia) and one of Plant Select’s 2010 introductions.
The Redleaf rose I planted in my landscape last year is just a baby compared to this beautiful specimen on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens.
I’m hoping this is what my little Rosa glauca will look like when it grows to more than 6 feet tall and is loaded with pink blossoms every June.
The plants in the Plant Select program undergo a rigorous trialing process before they’re released for gardeners to plant in their own yards.
The new introductions should be available at nurseries, garden centers and plant sales starting…right… now.
In addition to the Redleaf rose, there are these 6 additions to the program:
- Calylophus serrulatus ’Prairie Lode’ (Prairie Lode Sundrops)
- Echium amoenum (Red Feathers)
- Eriogonum wrightii var. wrightii (Snow Mesa buckwheat)
Name the Mystery Plant Gardening Contest
Welcome to Name That Plant–a weekly feature during the May Blogathon. Read the description, look for the clues and make your guess to be entered in a drawing to win a cool prize. The winner will be selected at random from the correct entries. Check back tomorrow when the plant’s identity will be revealed.
I planted this perennial shrub in my Zone 5 yard last summer and it’s now about 2 feet tall.
At maturity it will reach a height of 6 to 8 feet and will be 4 to 6 feet wide. Most gardeners grow this plant for its dark purple foliage and beautiful red hips that remain on the bush through fall and winter.
This hardy shrub will bloom May through June with pastel pink to white single, star-shaped blossoms. The delicate flowers are produced in clusters of two to five.
Reader Question: Where to find plants?
Independent garden centers, like Perennial Favorites in Rye, stock hardy native perennial plants, but mailorder provides another good option.
Yesterday I heard from a reader who let me know she was having trouble finding the plants I describe on this blog.
She wrote, “I make little notes and carry them with me to the garden centers, but haven’t had luck finding the plants you recommend.”
I had similar problems finding hardy native perennials when I started my Xeriscape in 2001. Fortunately a lot has changed in the green industry over the years and more native plants are available now than ever before.
One way to find natives is to ask at your favorite independent garden center. Retailers will be more willing to stock hardy perennials if they know their customers will buy them. Let your garden center owner or manager know what you’re looking for and ask for help finding it.
Welcome to Name That Plant–a weekly feature during the May Blogathon. Read the description, look for the clues and make your guess to be entered in a drawing to win a cool prize. The winner will be selected at random from the correct entries. Check back tomorrow when the plant’s identity will be revealed.
I planted this perennial shrub in my Zone 5 yard last summer and it’s now about 2 feet tall.
Independent garden centers, like Perennial Favorites in Rye, stock hardy native perennial plants, but mailorder provides another good option.
Yesterday I heard from a reader who let me know she was having trouble finding the plants I describe on this blog.
She wrote, “I make little notes and carry them with me to the garden centers, but haven’t had luck finding the plants you recommend.”
I had similar problems finding hardy native perennials when I started my Xeriscape in 2001. Fortunately a lot has changed in the green industry over the years and more native plants are available now than ever before.
One way to find natives is to ask at your favorite independent garden center. Retailers will be more willing to stock hardy perennials if they know their customers will buy them. Let your garden center owner or manager know what you’re looking for and ask for help finding it.
