Spiderwort 'Little Doll': Featured Plant of The Day

Tradescantia x 'Little Doll'
    Spiderwort

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    3A to 9A
Height    8" to 10" / 20cm to 25cm
Spread    18" to 24" / 45cm to 60cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun 

Bloom Color    Blue
Bloom Time    Spring through Fall

 Environment
This plant tolerates occasional wetness.
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
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
Although this plant's blooms last for only a day, they do not need to be deadheaded as one should do with the daylily.  However, cutting back its stems in mid summer makes its grass-like foliage neater in appearance and encourages reblooming in the fall.  Flowers will close in the evening.  Division can be done in the spring and stem cuttings can be taken and rooted in the summer.  Seed can be allowed to drop to form new plants.  'Little Doll' makes an excellent edging plant, due to its compactness.

Normally all buds are closed by late afternoon. Divide to control the spread of this plant in early spring or autumn.

Snowdrop Anemone: Featured Plant of The Day

Anemone sylvestris
    Snowdrop Anemone,  Snowdrop Windflower

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    4A to 9A
Height    6" to 18" / 15cm to 45cm
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    White
Bloom Time    Spring and Summer

The flowers are fragrant, showy and suitable for cut flowers.

Environment
This plant tolerates some 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
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
This plant is found natively in meadows and light open woodlands.  It spreads quickly and prefers a gritty, well-drained soil with lots of organic matter.  Cut back to basal foliage after blooming.  Divide as necessary to keep plant in its place. This plant will tolerate dry conditions during the summer months, with some protection from the hot summer sun. The parsley-like leaves of these plants are quite attractive, and the ornate parts of their daisy-like blossoms are actually sepals.

Tussock Bellfower: Featured Plant of The Day

Campanula carpatica 'Blue Clips'

Tussock Bellfower, Carpathian Bellflower, Carpathian Harebell

Type Perennial

Hardy range 3B to 8B

Height 6" to 9" / 15cm to 23cm

Spread 10" to 12" / 25cm to 30cm

Growth rate Slow

Form Spreading or horizontal

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color Blue

Bloom Time Summer and Fall


Leaf Color
Green
This plant has attractive foliage.
The flowers are showy and suitable for cut flowers.

Environment

This plant will grow in moist soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy. The pH preference is a neutral to slightly alkaline (6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Culture Notes 
Campanula will not do well in dry or wet soils or if humidity is high. As long as there is adequate drainage, this herbaceous plant will easily spread to show off its numerous bell-shaped flowers. It's a good idea to remove spent flower heads for continuous blooming. Shear lightly after blooming. In the fall OR spring, cut to basal foliage; cut in the fall if foliage is poor - this will improve the plant's appearance.

Baby Blue Eyes, Featured Plant of The Day

Nemophila menziesii     syn. Nemophila insignis
    Baby Blue Eyes

Type    Annual
Height    6" to 10" / 15cm to 25cm
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Spreading or horizontal
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color    Blue
Bloom Time    Spring

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 attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
Plant in an area sheltered from the winds sow the seeds in situ.

'French Lace' Old Fashioned Weigela, Featured Plant of The Day

Weigela florida 'Brigela (French Lace™)'

Old Fashioned Weigela,  Rose Weigela

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    4B to 8A
Height    24" to 4' / 60cm to 1.20m
Spread    24" to 4' / 60cm to 1.20m
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Rounded, upright or erect and vase shaped
Exposure    Full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    Red
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, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color    Green, variegated and yellow
Fall Color    No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
Weigela grows best in a sunny location and moist soil.  Shaded plants are straggly.  Weigela also dislikes crowding.  The growth rate is moderate and the shrub transplants well, reaching a mature height and spread of only 2 to 4 feet.  Some annual dieback and winter injury make annual pruning necessary. It is best to perform any needed pruning immediately after they have flowered. Canadian cultivars (the so called Dance cultivars) are the most cold hardy. Plants suffer in the deep south eastern part of the US. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

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.