Choosing Voluntary Simplicity » Old-Fashioned Perennials

Alpine Columbine (Aquilegia alpina)

Shirley — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:17:18 +0000

My alpine columbines have mostly double flowers... something I find interesting because all the plants I have now originated from one alpine columbine plant that had single flowers. Each year as the columbines have self-seeded, more and more of the new seedlings have shown the larger double flowers. I wonder if future seedlings will ever revert back to mostly single flowers.

Leopard’s Bane (Doronicum orientale)

Shirley — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:41:27 +0000

Leopard's bane (Doronicum orientale) is a flowering perennial that has been growing in gardens for hundreds of years. This plant has a long history that goes all the way back to the woodlands and meadows of Eurasia. There are thirty-five species of Doronicum, but only a few of those are available in today's nurseries. I have the cultivars 'Magnificum' and 'Finesse.' They look very much alike. Magnificum has fewer petals and slightly wider petals and a darker center. Finesse's petals are slightly narrower with a tendency to curl under a little at the tips, and it has a center ball that is almost the same color as its petals.

Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata hortensia)

Shirley — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:50:58 +0000

The Golden Glow are in full bloom right now, and they are a really impressive sight with their masses of bright yellow flowers. Normally the clumps will be five or six feet tall... this year with all the rain we've had, they are even taller than usual... probably very close to eight feet. This plant has a tendency to flop over under the weight of its flowers... it's the one thing about it that I don't like, especially since I have too many of them to stake. So far this year though, all my Golden Glow are still standing tall... I'm wondering if all the moisture we've had has perhaps made the stalks more sturdy.

What Do Bleeding Heart Seeds Look Like?

Shirley — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:33:55 +0000

Reader question... "In your article about bleeding hearts, you mentioned seed pods and baby plants. Is it possible to collect and plant bleeding heart seeds? I know the seed pods must come after the flowers, but I have never seen any on my bleeding hearts. Could you tell me what they look like?" --Pat K.

Pulmonaria — Lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata)

Shirley — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:59:06 +0000

Pulmonaria saccharata, or lungwort, gets its name from pulmo, the Latin word for lung. The name comes from its green spotted leaves, which supposedly look like diseased lungs. There are more than a dozen species of this woodland perennial.

Still Loving My Hollyhocks

Shirley — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:40:58 +0000

I love my hollyhocks! Especially now, when most of the other plants in the garden have shut down and are getting ready for the long winter ahead, and the hollyhock stalks are still full of blooms. I grow the single variety because I used to have problems with hollyhocks living through our sometimes forty below [...]

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)

Shirley — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:30:23 +0000

Spiderwort likes moist, fertile soil and light shade and is an extremely easy plant to grow. It grows to a height of two to three feet and forms a dense cluster of ornamental foliage. Plants will spread rapidly if you don't keep them in check (don't ask me how I know!), but if you want even more plants than increase naturally, spiderwort can be divided in spring or early fall.

Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

Shirley — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:58:47 +0000

Joe Pye Weed is a native perennial that grows readily in moist areas and forms clumps of tall sturdy plants that can grow up to six feet tall. In August the flowers start to open, the clumps become a mass of color, and the sweet fragrance of the flowers becomes a great attraction for bees [...]

Bee Balm / Begamot / Monarda didyma (Labiateae)

Shirley — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:13:07 +0000

Monarda, also commonly called bee balm or bergamot, is also known by the names oswego tea and horsemint. A member of the mint family, this hearty native American perennial grows up to four feet tall and has thick square stems with lance-like, toothed leaves that grow opposite each other.

Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale)

Shirley — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:20:00 +0000

The Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale) is an old-fashioned perennial that flourishes in a sunny location. The foliage is medium green, hairy, and fern-like, and the brilliant scarlet orange flowers really stand out. Often each flower can be up to ten inches across and the black center combined with the bright scarlet orange flowers is amazingly [...]