Moya Andrews talks about bellflowers.Campanulas, or bellflowers to use their common name, are plants with bell-shaped blue or white blooms, and they range in height from ground-hugging dwarfs to plants that grow to 6 feet. A gardener who plants a number of different types can have bloom for most of the summer. Varieties and Growing HabitsThey need a moderately rich well-drained soil and full or partial sun. C.persicifolia is the popular blue peach leaf, and the white equivalent is ‘alba’. These are best for humid southern summers. Cut bellflowers last well in a vase, which is a big asset, as far as I am concerned. C. ‘Telham Beauty’ has three inch lavender blue flowers on 3 foot stalks and mixes well with astilbe, either in a bed or in a vase. It will naturalize in woodland settings in light shade. The new campanula punctata ‘Cherry Bells’ is quite a departure from the older varieties because it has red tubular flowers edged in white so provides an early summer treat for hummingbirds. An old standby that has stood the test of time is the clustered bellflower C. glomerata, which is hardy zones 3-8 and has upward facing violet bells on 1-2 ft plants. This is a very reliable plant. The newer gold leaf Adriatic bellflower ‘Dickson’s Gold’ is a short variety which provides a striking contrast of blue flowers against gold foliage that looks wonderful spilling over walls or used as a groundcover.This episode originally aired July 22, 2010.
--------
2:00
--------
2:00
Stalwart Salvias
There are roughly 900 species of salvia, which is the largest genus in the mint family. The common name is sage, and the genus includes annuals, perennials, and sub-shrubs. Remember that sub-shrubs have the woody base of a shrub and soft top growth. When pruning a sub-shrub such as sage or lavender, do not cut into or injure that woody base.Salvias have tubular flowers with two lips and are ancient plants, which were probably taken to England by the Roman legions, as the name is derived from the Latin salveo, meaning “I am well.”There is an old Arabic proverb: “How shall a man die that has sage in his garden?” That hints at the plants links with immortality. It was said to have the most power medicinally in May, just before the appearance of the blooms.Of Mediterranean origins, salvias like full sun and good drainage. The flowers can be most colors but are rarely yellow. The blues, purples, and reds are most admired. Culinary sage is named Salvia officinalis and is a short-lived perennial with grey-green leaves and purple flowers in summer.In your flowerbeds, try two to three feet tall hybrids sylvestris ‘May Night’ or ‘Blue Queen’. ‘East Friesland’ is also pretty but shorter. All have violet-blue spires on neat green clumps in zones 4 – 9.This episode originally aired June 1, 2017.
--------
2:00
--------
2:00
A Reformed Snob
Moya Andrews talks about marigolds.I used to be quite a snob about flowers that grow so easily that they seem to be growing everywhere. For instance, I used to be quite dismissive about marigolds, as I disliked the smell. It took me years to realize that many commonly grown flowers, in addition to being pretty, possess other reliable characteristics, such as drought and heat tolerance and resistance to pests. After failing with zillions of more finicky plants that died as soon as a heat wave or drought struck, I finally decided that marigolds are actually quite appealing. When deer began to frequent my yard, I actually fell in love with marigolds. Now when people ask me about my favorite flowers, I rattle off a list that includes only deer resistant species. The defining attribute for any plant to win my popularity contest, is that it is not popular with deer. Of course deer will eat anything if they are hungry enough. One year I noticed that they did not eat my butterfly weed, so I didn’t bother to spray it. Since I sprayed everything else, guess what they then gobbled up? Adversity, (and that for me is currently spelled D-E-E-R), is a great teacher. It has taught a gardener like me to cherish every flower that blooms, no matter what its color or its smell. Because, of course, we eventually come to realize that at different times and in different places in our gardens, any type of flower may suddenly seem to be just perfect. This episode originally aired June 13, 2013.
--------
2:00
--------
2:00
Nasturtiums
Moya Andrews talks about nasturtiums.Nasturtiums are annuals that grow well from seed. The genus is Tropaeolum (trop EYE oh lum), which is from a Greek word meaning “to twine,” as some nasturtiums will climb on a support.Tropaeolum minor was first found growing in Mexico and Peru and introduced to England in 1574. The English called the plant Indian Cress because the leaves tasted sharp. The peppery taste and characteristic scent led to the name “nasturtium,” which is from the Latin word meaning “nose twister.” Sailors once ate the pickled seeds of this plant, which were similar to capers, to help prevent scurvy during long sea voyages, and all parts of the plant are edible. The flowers and leaves are eaten raw in salads and are also used as garnishes. The flowers have five petals and are spurred and come in cheerful reds, yellows, oranges and creams. The leaves are round with radial veins like fairy umbrellas. Nasturtiums survive in warm regions for several years and often self seed but are only reliably hardy in zones 8-11.They are good in containers and withstand drought better than most annuals but do best in moist well-drained soil in full to part sun. If the soil is too rich they produce mainly leaves instead of flowers. They are susceptible to aphids, and cabbage moth caterpillars like them. A bouquet of nasturtium flowers in a short vase is enhanced by the addition of a few of the round leaves, and these unprepossessing flowers last in water about 4-5 days.
--------
2:11
--------
2:11
Balloon Flowers
Moya Andrews talks about balloon flowers.Balloon flowers have unique buds that look round and full of air just like a balloon and so their common name is descriptive. The genus name comes from 2 Greek words “platys” meaning broad and “kodon” meaning bell, and members of the Platycodon genus usually have blue flowers, but there are some varieties that are white or pink. Balloon flowers belong to the Campanula family because when the blooms open the petals flare out so that the bottom of the flower is broader than the top and shaped like a bell. Plants usually grow about 20 inches tall, but there are some dwarf varieties. Balloon flowers enjoy sandy, well drained soil in full sun or partial shade and after planting they do not like to be disturbed, so cannot be divided. Seeds can be sown in the spring, but most gardeners buy young plants from garden centers so that they will bloom the first summer they are planted. Perennial balloon flowers make good cut flowers if they are picked late in the afternoon or early evening and immediately plunged into deep water. Strip off the leaves and re-cut the stems the next day. These flowers are native to China where they were used extensively for culinary and medicinal purposes. They also grow very well in Japan so I have been told.Originally aired May 27, 2010.
New Zealand