Focus on Flowers

One of our best-known flowering perennials is Echinacea purpurea, which is native to open woodlands and prairies from Georgia to Oklahoma, as far north as Michigan and south to Louisiana.

Native Coneflower Coneflowers bloom from mid-summer to early fall and combine well with most other flowering perennials.

There's a lot of folklore associated with an easy-going plant that we're talking about today. It has the common name of "honesty," and it's also known as money plant. I read in a book by Alice Coats that there are many other colorful names for this plant, such as two-pennies-in-a-purse and money-in-both-pockets.

Honesty Is Only One Of This Plant's Common Names This biennial plant has been and remains popular in gardens over many generations.

By the 20th century in Europe and North America, dahlias were described as vulgar and old fashioned... Too big, blowsy, and showy for sophisticated gardeners.

Mexican Transplants English Lord Holland wrote a poem about his wife who got dahlia seeds from Madrid (via the New World): “The dahlias you brought to our isle, your praises forever shall speak; mid gardens as sweet as your smile, and color as bright as your cheek."

Sunflowers to the Rescue! Did you know this bright, cheerful flower can make lead-contaminated soil safe for gardening? Learn more!

Freesias have an unforgettable scent, and we would all love to grow them, but if a greenhouse is not available, it's hard for those gardeners who experience cold winters to grow plants that are native to South Africa.

Fragrant Freesias In the Midwest, freesias are almost impossible to grow without a greenhouse.

By the 1800s, geraniums had transformed European gardens, and, as many are fragrant, their essential oils became popular with chefs and cosmetic companies. Worldwide, gardeners still delight in growing these annual plants, and they are easy to winter over in a cool basement, or windowsill, or porch.

Cranes, Herons & Storks Each of these three types of geraniums is associated with long-billed wading birds.

"...Down the central path goes an avenue of white climbing roses, straggling up old almond trees. Later on, there will be white Japanese anemones and some white dahlias; but I do not like to think of later on. It is bad enough to have turned over into July, with the freshness of another May and June gone forever." -VSW

Vita's White Garden Vita Sackville West's white garden at Sissinghurst Castle in England is world famous. Here's a quotation, describing it in her own words.

When we research modern flowers and their antecedents, we frequently run across the name John Gerard, who was one of the very first Englishmen to write about plants.

John Gerard Gerard's Herball is one of a kind and provides a unique insight into which plants were grown in the 16th century in England.

Gaillardias, also called blanket flowers, are north American natives. They are not reliably hardy in perennial gardens if they have wet feet in winter, or if winters are really cold.

Blanket Flowers These flowers grow wild, creating deep velvet-red carpets in Nebraskan pastures.

Most of us enjoy watching the butterflies in our gardens, and it can be a magical experience for us and for our children.

Butterflies in the Garden Many butterflies that visit zone 6 gardens can also be found as far north as Canada and as far south as Mexico. It is amazing that a monarch butterfly, for example, looks so delicate but can fly from here to Mexico and back.

I'm not crazy about freckled flowers, but toad lilies, ironically, since they thrive in shade, seem to have a lot of freckles.

Isn’t Tricyrtis A More Pleasant Name Than Toad Lily? Toad lilies are not plants that I’ve been drawn to because the common name is so unappealing.

Almost all species of songbirds are allies for gardeners in the battle to control insects. When our gardens provide a welcoming habitat, they will be a haven for many migratory as well as resident birds.

A Birder’s Garden A suitable habitat for birds includes predictable water sources, an open area of lawn, some dense shrubs for cover, some tall trees, plants with berries, and nesting places for ground birds.

The ancients brooded a tea from the flowers of feverfew, mixed it with wine and nutmeg, and drank it throughout the day to treat colds, expel worms, and help women become pregnant. Fortunately, I don't need it for any of those things, but I love the little flowers, which are like daisies with short white petals surrounding a yellow disc.

Chrysanthemum parthenium The botanical name for feverfew is Chrysanthemum parthenium because according to Plutarch a worker fell during the construction of the Greek parthenon, and his life was saved by this plant’s medicinal properties. The common name of feverfew is because it is used to reduce fevers.

There are always new varieties of flowers being marketed, and the photos of some of the newest flowering plants are mouth-watering!

However, as I look at my garden, my eye invariably goes to a few plants that I have had for years that I feel I could not live without. I'm sure that you, too, have favorite plants with a timeless quality that the newbies lack.

Timeless Wonders As I look at my garden, my eye goes to a few plants that I've had for years and feel I could not live without.

Powdery mildew likes warmth and humidity, but rarely kills a plant, though it is disfiguring and needs to be addressed.

Powdery Mildew This fungus appears white on leaves. Some plants are more susceptible than others and some varieties have more resistance to this disease than others.

The “patent police” regularly visit businesses that sell plants to check that each patented plant has a tag certifying the patent has been paid. So, don't ever remove the tag from a plant you are examining in a nursery before purchasing it!

Patents In 1995, the patents’ length of time was extended, so that now breeders can collect royalties on a plant for 20 years.

Agastaches belong to the mint family, and, as a result, they all have square stems. They also have aromatic leaves and clusters of small flowers.

Hummingbird Mint These are good plants for an informal, colorful, easy-care planting that will show up well from a distance.

The common name for campanula is bellflower, and both names are as pretty as the flowers.

Campanulas, a.k.a. Bellflowers There are about 250 species of these showy herbaceous plants and nearly all are perennial and native to temperate parts of the northern hemisphere.

The name gladioli comes from the Latin word meaning sword because of the shape of the stiff sword-like leaves of the plant.

Glorious Glads The yellow and orange colors of the glads we have today came from the genetic legacy of a variety called Gladiolus primulinus.

George Ellwanger in 1889 wrote, "So extensive and beautiful is the genus Lilium, so varied in form, color and periods of blossoming, that, like the daffodil, a garden might be composed of it alone." There are even more types of lilies available today.

Lilium Genus So many varieties of these gorgeous flowers have travelled here from far-away lands to sweeten the air in our gardens.

As we're visiting nurseries this spring, instead of just grabbing plants that will give immediate gratification, think ahead to some fall bloomers.

Looking Ahead Spring is a wonderful season for gardeners. The weather is pleasant outdoors and visiting nurseries is such fun, but as well as popping into the ground plants that will give immediate gratification, also try to plant some fall bloomers.

Arabis is another great low-growing spring bloomer. Its common name is rock cress, and it has grey-green foliage and white flowers in zones 4 to 8.

Low Growers Low growers are like the glue in garden beds, holding things together and making the garden look cohesive.

"Tenderly, gently, the soft rain, dripping
With a hushed shimmer of sound,
Fell from leaf to leaf, and ran slipping
Down wet tree trunks to the ground..."

Rain in the Garden A poem about rain in the garden by J. Redwood Anderson.

This florist has created Indy 500 wreaths for more than 30 years Among the annual traditions at the Indianapolis 500 is a Victory Lane flower wreath for the winning driver. And for more than 30 years, Julie Harman Vance of Yorktown has spent the annual seven assembly hours and many more planning hours to create the 30-pound wreath.