Monday, May 19, 2014

'Victoria Blue' Forget-me-not: Featured Plant of The Day

Myosotis sylvatica 'Victoria Blue' 
Forget-me-not,  Scorpion Grass


Type    Biennial, perennial
Hardy range    4A to 8A
Height    6" to 8" / 15cm to 20cm
Spread    4" to 6" / 10cm to 15cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color    Blue
Bloom Time    Spring and Summer

The flowers are fragrant.

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


Leaf Color    Green

Culture Notes
There are about 50 sorts of Myosotis known, the majority originating in Europe and North America. The small, round plants have spiral forming, long leaves and flowers borne on small heads or spikes. The blue variant M. sylvatica is far and away the most common and is used most frequently in breeding, but white and pink sorts are also known. Myosotis is a real biennial. Sown in the summer, it flowers in the spring, normally slightly later than Pansies and Bellis.

The gardener can of course buy Myosotis in the garden center where it is in plentiful supply, but raising it from seed is still more fun. It should be sown in June/July under glass onto damp soil. After germination the seedlings grow best at 18° C in a light and airy environment. In September, the young plants can be planted outside in a lightly shaded or sunny spot in the garden spaced at approximately 25 cm. The plants are hardy, but in extremely cold conditions a light covering is recommended. Myosotis likes a well-drained soil.

Planted in pots or containers, or in the full ground, they give an extra dimension to the spring.