Bergamot, Deciduous Perennial Of The Day

Monarda didyma 'Blue Stocking'     

syn. Monarda coccinea
    Bee Balm,  Bergamot,  Horsemint,  Oswego Tea

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    4B to 10A
Height    36" to 5' / 90cm to 1.60m
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    Purple
Bloom Time    Summer

The flowers are fragrant and suitable for cut flowers.

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green
This plant has fragrant foliage.

Culture Notes
These plants can be easily divided in the spring.  Cultivars will not come true from seed.  Monarda should be planted in areas with good air circulation in the full sun.  Attracts pollinators.  In the spring, remove dead foliage only. In the fall, cut back to 6", and deadhead spent flowers after blooming is done.  The blossoms and foliage of this fragrant plant can be used either fresh or dried in salads, wines and fruit drinks.  Other possible uses include pot pourris and, as a purported calming element, Bergamot tea or milk.

This plant is often infected with mildew after flowering.  If so, cut down to new foliage.

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Calico Bush, Evergreen Shrub, woody plant Of The Day

Kalmia latifolia 'Bullseye'
    Mountain Laurel,  Calico Bush,  Ivy

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    4A to 8A
Height    6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Spread    6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Oval
Exposure    Full shade to full sun
Persistence    Evergreen

Bloom Color    Purple and white
Bloom Time    Spring

The flowers are very showy.

Environment
This plant tolerates some drought.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to neutral (less than 6.8 to 7.2) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    No change in fall color

Culture Notes
Mountain Laurel does best on moist, acid soils of moderate fertility and drainage and can tolerate sunny locations, if provided with sufficient moisture and not allowed to dry out. Plants in a sunny spot flower better. Mountain Laurel is not salt tolerant.  Mountain Laurel is ideally suited to natural landscapes and other low-maintenance gardens where it can be allowed to grow to its natural form and size, with pruning only to remove spent flower heads and dead branches. Provide good drainage or plants die. Like many shrubs, amending the entire planting bed, not just the planting hole, with organic matter such as pine bark or peat improves root and shoot growth. Buds on this cultivar are deep purplish-blue and new growth is reddish.

All parts of the plant are poisonous causing watering of the eyes, nose and mouth followed by vomiting, abdominal pain, and low blood pressure. Plants perform poorly in zone 8B and south. Young plants in 3 gallon containers can be forced to produce flowers in spring with spray applications of certain growth regulators. In spring or early summer, all plant surfaces need to be covered with the spray in order to be effective.  No shoot growth takes place in the growing season they are sprayed so perform any necessary pruning well before application.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

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Butterfly Lily Ginger, Perennial Of The Day

Hedychium chrysoleucum     syn. Hedychium coronarium var. chrysoleucum
    Butterfly Lily Ginger,  Yellow Spot

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    8B to 11
Height    36" to 5' / 90cm to 1.60m
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color    White
Bloom Time    Summer and Fall

The flowers are fragrant and showy.

Environment
This plant tolerates some salt.
This plant will grow in moist to wet soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green

Culture Notes
Hedychiums are rhizomatous perennials grown primarily for their showy, fragrant blossoms.

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Autumn Joy, Deciduous Perennial Of The Day

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' 

Sedum, Live Forever, Rose Carpet, Showy Stonecrop Sedum, Stonecrop

Type Perennial, succulent

Hardy range 4A to 9A

Height 18" to 30" / 45cm to 75cm

Spread 18" to 30" / 45cm to 75cm

Growth rate Average

Form Rounded and upright or erect

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Deciduous

Bloom Color Pink, rust/bronze and red

Bloom Time Summer and Fall

Environment This plant tolerates drought. This plant will grow in dry to moist soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy. The pH preference is a neutral soil.

Leaf Color Green and silver This plant has attractive foliage

The flowers are suitable for dried flowers

Culture Notes Rose-pink flowers turn a deep red and then to bronze as the plant ages. This Sedum is one of the most hardy perennials and will bloom until frost. The clump can be dug and divided in the spring and cuttings can be rooted in the summer. Even in the winter, the dried flower clusters are ornamental. Plants serve as butterfly nectar sources.

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Loraine Sunshine, Deciduous Perennial Of The Day

Heliopsis helianthoides 'Loraine Sunshine'
Ox Eye, Sunflower Heliopsis, False Sunflower, Orange Sunflower, Hardy Zinnia

Type Perennial
Hardy range 4A to 8A
Height 24" to 30" / 60cm to 75cm
Spread 24" to 36" / 60cm to 90cm
Growth rate Fast
Form Upright or erect
Exposure Full sun
Persistence Deciduous
Bloom Color Yellow

Bloom Time Summer and Fall

Environment

This plant tolerates drought. This plant will grow in dry to moist soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy. The pH preference is a neutral soil.


Leaf Color Green and variegated

This plant has attractive foliage. The flowers are showy, suitable for cut flowers and suitable for dried flowers.

Culture Notes Closely resembling the true sunflower, Heliopsis frequently needs staking. However, 'Loraine Sunshine' has sturdy stems and, generally, does not need this added support. Removal of spent flowers is needed to extend the blooming period, since spent flowers normally remain attached to the plant. Division can be done in the spring, but it will be slow to reestablish this plant. Seed can be gathered in the fall. It is normally found growing in open woods, scrub, and on dry hillsides.

'Lorraine Sunshine' has gorgeous green and white variegated foliage, which provides an excellent backdrop to its large, golden-yellow daisies.

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