Growing Wise : butterfly gardening

A Bit of Black

Elisabeth — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:18:00 GMT

Sedum are staples of the garden--especially the fall garden. There are many great species and varieties, from the tall favorite, 'Autumn Joy', to smaller, ground covering types. All are easy to grow in full sun and well-drained soil, and all attract butterflies.

My new favorite sedums are the ones with leaves so dark that they look black from even a short distance. Two years ago I installed 'Black Jack', which is tall, like 'Autumn Joy', but sports fleshy, dark purple stems and nearly black leaves. The blooms are rose-pink and lovely, but it is the black foliage that really generates excitement in the garden. 'Black Jack' stands out in the sea of green and catches your eye.

'Purple Emperor' is another black-leafed sedum that is more compact than 'Black Jack' (fifteen inches tall versus twenty four inches). Well suited to container culture, 'Purple Emporor' also has vibrant pink flowerheads that are great for drying.

So try planting a clump of black-leafed sedum, either on their own, or mixed among the green-leafed varieties. Either way, they add spice to the garden mix.

What's That Butterfly?

Elisabeth — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:48:00 GMT

All over the country, people are cultivating butterfly gardens. This is a great thing because butterflies are threatened from all sides. Habitat destruction, pollution and pesticides have all played a role in the reduction in the butterfly population.

But once you have your butterfly garden, what do you do (aside from weeding)? It is great fun and a terrific education to keep track of the butterflies that come to sip nectar from your flowers, lay eggs on host plants or simply rest from the task of flying around in search of food. This is also a good activity to pursue with children or grandchildren.

But what if you don't know a swallowtail from a skipper?

There are many information sources, but probably the best is a good butterfly guidebook. I like The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies (Knopf Publishing Group, 1981). It is comprehensive, easy to use and inexpensive. There are also butterfly-related websites, including that of the North American Butterfly Association (www.naba.org). The NABA site also has a great "links" tab that can connect you to butterfly groups in your state or area. The Xerxes Society (www.xerxes.org) advocates for all kinds of pollinating insects, including butterflies. Its website is full of interesting information.

So take the time to learn a little something about butterflies. It will make your butterfly garden even more satisfying.

Joe Pye Weed

Elisabeth — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:33:00 GMT

A couple of days ago I was out for a walk and I saw a tremendously tall plant--probably about six feet--looming over a neighbor's fence. Even from a distance I could recognize Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum), an American native that bursts into bloom at this time of the year.

The story goes that Joe Pye weed gets its unusual name from a real person, possibly a Native American herbalist, who used decoctions made from the plant's roots to cure typhus. Certainly Joe Pye weed is easy to come by. If you have ever traveled through rural areas in the eastern two thirds of the United States in midsummer, you have probably passed fields full of this tenacious plant.

The flowers are dusty purple and clustered into domed flowerheads at the tops of the stalks. The tall, hollow stalks support leaves that are a bit rough looking--oval shaped and slightly toothed. It's safe to say that nobody buys Joe Pye weed for the leaves. Butterflies flock to the flowers, which makes the species a natural for the butterfly garden.

If you buy common Joe Pye weed, you can keep it a little more compact by pinching back the stems in May and June. I do this and my tall plants top out at four feet rather than six. There are also dwarf varieties, including 'Gateway' and 'Little Joe', that stop at four feet. With pinching you might be able to make them even shorter. Both could be grown in large containers.

Joe Pye weed likes sun and a reasonable amount of moisture. Some sources recommend alkaline soil, but mine grows just fine in acid soil.

Like so many things with strange names, Joe Pye weed is worth a second look and worthy of a spot in the garden.

Phlox

Elisabeth — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:55:00 GMT

I am a happy gardener today because the tall white-flowered phlox (Phlox paniculata) in my back bed is finally blooming. Many people might find this event unremarkable because they have had wonderful results with phlox year after year. Not I. Though I have had good luck with moss pinks (Phlox subulata), I have killed several perfectly good tall phlox plants over the years and had just about given up hope. Finally last year I installed yet another tall phlox, but this time in a different place. Low and behold, it didn't get mildew, it grew to be about four feet tall, and now it has produced a crop of lovely white flowers.

Phlox paniculata are old-fashioned garden favorites that are native to the eastern United States. The Native Americans used them for medicinal purposes; in more recent times they have simply gladdened the hearts of gardeners, butterflies and hummingbirds. The stems are tall and straight, and the leaves, which appear opposite each other on the stems, are long and narrow. Native phlox are likely to be purplish pink, but hybridizers have created a number of colorful varieties, with white, pink, purple, red or bi-colored blossoms.

The great enemy of garden phlox is powdery mildew, which appears as a white coating on the leaves and weakens the plants. Some varieties are more prone to mildew than others, but all can benefit from good air circulation, which deters the fungal disease. Newer phlox hybrids are more resistant to mildew than older types.

Phlox lovers who garden in containers can grow colorful modern hybrids that reach only eighteen inches in height. Fortunately short stature doesn't deter the butterflies.

Every day now I go out to gaze in awe and wonder at my healthy phlox. I may even cut some for the house. A baseball loving friend assures me that if the Red Sox can win the World Series, I can grow phlox successfully. Maybe he's right.

Salvia

Elisabeth — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:21:00 GMT

Whenever I think of salvia, I am reminded of the word "salvation", because in my garden salvia equals salvation. Salvias have a wide range of good qualities and I can't imagine having a garden without them.

There are a huge number of annual and perennial salvias or sages to choose from and they are pretty much varmint-resistant. Not only will deer generally turn away, but so will various rodents. Perennial salvia will bloom repeatedly if you sheer it after the blossoms fade and annual salvia just goes on and on. Culinary salvia (Salvia officinalis) is in a class by itself. Not only are the aromatic leaves a godsend in cooking, but the blue flowers are lovely as well.

My front border is home to 'Snow Hill' (Salvia nemerosa 'Snow Hill'), a white-flowered salvia cultivar. It requires minimal care and water and, best of all, it draws butterflies all season long. I also grow another tried and true ornamental salvia, 'May Night' (Salvia nemerosa 'May Night'), sometimes known by its original German name, 'Mainacht'. 'May Night' doesn't usually bloom in May in this part of the world, but puts on a great show in summer. The flowers are a vibrant blue-purple and have the same butterfly attracting properties as 'Snow Hill'.

Plant breeders have been busy with ornamental salvia, so there are many varieties to choose from, Most will also work in container plantings as well.

Whether you equate salvia with garden salvation or simply believe that sage gardeners always plant sage, ornamental and culinary salvias are great garden investments.