NEW PLANTS!

It was a dark and stormy night (actually, it’s a dark and stormy afternoon, but I’ve always wanted to use that line!).  A perfect day to tell you about the new plants I couldn’t resist and had to bring home from Hasting Plants:

New plant #1

“Little Lamb” is the cutest lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantine) you’ll ever see!  It’s so cute, I bought two!  Its soft, fuzzy, grey-green leaves and tiny purple flowers are miniatures compared to a regular lamb’s ear.  Now, all I have to do is figure out where to plant them.

#2: Japanese Iris

The Japanese iris (Iris ensata / Dinner Plate ^TM “Harlequinesque”) was utterly irresistible! I showed a customer the photo on the plant ID tag, and he bought one immediately, exclaiming, “Ohh, I gotta have this!”  I made sure I got one before we ran out of them. My wonderful Husband isn’t an iris fan, always saying they don’t bloom long enough, but I don’t care…I love them all!

Several new Plants

I bought five new Japanese Forest Grass plants (Hakonechloa macra / Aureola) (Photo 3). They are hardy from Zones 4 through 9. They do very well in shade, spread nicely but not aggressively, and have a graceful arching growth habit. Plus, they can be easily divided. I’ve planted them along borders where the bright yellow and green colors of their leaves can lead the eye from one area to another. Even better, the deer, rabbits, and voles don’t seem interested in them.

I absolutely love ferns and have a small collection. Don’t think I purposely set out to have a fern collection; I’m not that organized or disciplined.  It just happened because I can’t resist them, and they do very, very well in the shade.  So, I bought two Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris), which are native to North America and can reach four feet tall.  Hardy from Zones 3 through 7, I was hoping for a large, impressive fern installation by summer’s end.  Unfortunately, the only thing left of them is the plant ID tags I stuck in the ground beside where I planted them.  Something wanted them more than I did – or maybe they travelled to another dimension.  Who knows?

Ferns

The three Autumn ferns (Dryopteris erythrosora) have fared far better. They appear to be happily planted along a shady stone footpath. These ferns are native to Japan but not invasive. They are hardy in Zones 5 to 9 and don’t seem to be bothered by critters. They go dormant in winter, but they can be grown as indoor houseplants. The foliage changes color, though. It’s something I plan on trying.

An asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus) rounds out the list, but it really isn’t a fern at all. It’s related to the Foxtail fern and can be left outside in Zones 9 through 11. I’ll pot this one up in a pretty container and bring it inside this winter. 

Enjoy your summer and as always, Stay Green, Good Friends!