Plant of the Week

• Light Requirements: Part to full sun.
• Water Requirements: Dianthus won’t tolerate overly wet soil and needs a well draining location.
• Characteristics: Growing 4 inches to 3 feet, Dianthus can be annual, biennial or perennial. Flower color ranges from white, yellow, pink, coral, red and purple.
• Uses: Depending on the variety you choose, they can be used as a border plant, in rock gardens, grouped in garden beds. They make great additions to cottage gardens, cutting gardens and in containers.
• Interesting Facts: The common name pink comes from the fringed edges of the petals that look like they were trimmed with pinking shears.
• Varieties:
  • ‘Yellow Bling Bling’ has beautiful double yellow, scented blooms and grows 10 to 12 inches tall.
  • Perennial ‘Coral Reef’ is an evergreen perennial with deep coral double flowers that have white edges and a spicy fragrance. 8 to 10 inches.
  • ‘Sweetie Pie’ produces loads of semi double pink flowers with a darker eye. Mounding foliage, 12 to 14 inches.

• Light Requirements: It blooms best in full sun but will tolerate light shade.
• Water Requirements: Creeping phlox needs well draining soil and has low water requirements. Once established, it has a good drought tolerance.
• Characteristics: It is mat forming with soft needle like foliage. It forms a dense carpet that is 2 to 6 inches tall and can spread about 2 feet. Star shaped flowers in spring are white, pink, purple or blue. Plants will tolerate sandy or gravelly soils and hot drier exposures. It is seldom browsed by rabbits or deer.
• Uses: Because of its ground covering nature, it makes a great plant for the front of a border, rock gardens or erosion control on a hillside. It has a high tolerance for air pollution, making it a good choice between the sidewalk and roadway.
• Interesting Facts: Creeping phlox is used as a component on green roofs.
• Varieties:
  • ‘Snowflake’ becomes a mound of snowy white flowers for several weeks with a height of 2 to 4 inches.
  • ‘Emerald Blue’ forms a pretty carpet of lavender blue flowers and reaches 4 to 6 inches tall.
  • ‘Purple Beauty’ is similar to ‘Emerald Blue’ but has a darker purple hue.

• Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Aim for partial shade in warmer climates.
• Water Requirements: Pansies prefer evenly moist soil. Be sure to have drain holes if your pansies are planted in a container, or well draining soil if they are planted in the ground.
• Characteristics: Pansies are characterized by their five petal formation. Some varieties are characterized by a darker blotch, or “face”, at the center of the flower. Pansies can range in shades of red, blue, purple, yellow, and white.
• Uses: Pansies are a great addition to containers and flower beds in early spring and early fall. Their variety of colors allows them to be versatile to compliment any additional plants in the landscape.
• Interesting Facts: The name pansy comes from the French pensée and reflects the meaning of ‘remembrance’ or ‘thought’ in the 19th century language of flowers.
• Varieties:
  • Matrix Series: This series features flowers that are 3” – 3.5” on a short, strong stem to support the flower.
  • Cool Wave: has a prostrate habit that fills in landscapes and containers. It has superior overwintering capabilities and is one of earliest to re-emerge in spring.
  • Frizzle Sizzle: offers a frilly flower form with unique and bold colors

• Light Requirements: They prefer light to moderate shade, especially in the afternoon.
• Water Requirements: They prefer moist but not water logged soil, especially the first growing season. Mature plants are somewhat drought tolerant but will benefit from watering during prolonged periods without rain.
• Characteristics: Columbine have delicate, airy foliage and graceful, nodding flowers.  The flower colors include blue, yellow, red, pink and white, many having bicolored or multicolored blooms. They are a clump forming perennial that reach 1 to 3 feet in height. While they are mostly deer and rabbit resistant, they are attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
• Uses: Columbine are so versatile that they can be incorporated into cottage gardens, woodland gardens, pollinator gardens, mixed borders and containers.
• Interesting Facts: Columbines are distinctive for their five petaled flowers that have long backward extending spurs that contain little pockets of nectar. The genus name derives from the Latin aquila (eagle) and lego (together), suggesting that the curved nectaries or spurs resemble the closing talons of an eagle.
• Varieties:
  • Aquilegia canadensis: (Eastern Red Columbine) is native to North America. This species has red and yellow tubular flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds. It is more tolerant of heat and humidity than other varieties.
  • Aquilegia canadensis: ‘Little Lanterns’ is a dwarf version of the native species, reaching only 8 to 10 inches tall.
  • Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Winky’ Series: The Winky Series produces loads of more upward facing blooms. The series features a wide range of bicolored combinations.
  • Aquilegia x. Hybrida ‘Earlybird’ Series: This mixture was bred for vibrant colors and unusual color combinations. They feature a neat, rounded habit growing 10 to 12 inches.

• Light Requirements: Eastern Redbuds can tolerate full sun to partial shade conditions. It is important to note – if your redbud is in full sun it will require more frequent watering. (It prefers some shade in this area in the heat of the summer.)
• Water Requirements: Water regularly for freshly planted trees until the roots are established, about the 1st year. You can check the soil, about 2” in depth, to check if water is needed.
• Characteristics: Redbuds are most known for their showy buds in early spring. Their leaves are typically green throughout late spring to late summer, and then shift to a golden coloring in the fall.
• Uses: Redbuds work as a great understory tree due to their mature size of 20 – 30 ft tall by 15 – 25 ft wide. If space permits, they also work well with multiple redbuds planted in a grouping.
• Interesting Facts: The flowers can be eaten fresh or fried. The blossoms are also edible and can add a bright, citrusy taste to salads. The unopened buds can also be pickled and used as a caper substitute.
• Varieties:
  • Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ is one of the most popular cultivars, with deep purple foliage and rose-colored flowers.
  • Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’ is an excellent redbud for small spaces. Its weeping habit, red-purple flowers and heart-shaped leaves will bring elegance to any garden.
  • Cercis canadensis ‘Flame Thrower’ is a Himmel’s favorite! Leaves emerge purple and quickly turn to red as they expand. As an individual leaf matures, it transitions from purple to red to reddish-bronze and ultimately yellow-green. Because all leaves are in different stages of development at any particular point in time, the tree displays a brilliant array of colors, especially during stages of active growth.

• Light Requirements: Part to full shade
• Water Requirements: Prefers drier soils if planted with rich organic matter
• Characteristics: Hellebores are a mostly evergreen perennial with an attractive, bushy growth habit, typically 12 to 24 inches. They are noted for flowering in late winter or early spring. Flowers are in muted shades of white, green, pink, purple and near black.
• Uses: Because they tolerate dry, heavy shade, they don’t need to compete for water like other perennials do. That makes them excellent plants for under trees in woodland gardens, as shady borders or groundcovers. They also perform well in containers with plants that have similar needs.
• Interesting Facts: Hellebores make great cut flowers and because of their early blooming nature and delicate flowers, they are sought after for bridal bouquets, centerpieces and other arrangements for winter weddings. In medieval Europe, the flowers were often used to decorate wreaths or garlands during the Christmas season.
• Varieties:
  • Helleborus x. ‘Anna’s Red’ (FrostKiss Series) has rosy red flowers which fade to burgundy and lush marbled foliage.
  • Helleborus x. nigercors ‘Honeyhill Joy’ has large, outfacing creamy colored flowers over shiny, blue tinged foliage.
  • Helleborus x. ‘Pippa’s Purple’ (FrostKiss Series) has smoky pink flowers with burgundy flecks. The soft green foliage has a unique marbling.

• Light Requirements: Full to part sun
• Water Requirements: They prefer loose, well drained soil. They will tolerate poor soil and will be fairly drought resistant once established.
• Characteristics: Depending on the cultivar, they grow from 3 feet to 12 feet tall and wide. Profuse yellow flowers appear on long arching stems and open before leaves emerge, usually in March. Forsythias bloom on old wood so do any pruning right after blooming to avoid cutting off next year’s buds. Remove one-fourth to one-third of the oldest (largest) stems at ground level every other year once they are established.
• Uses: Forsythia can be used as a specimen, in a mixed border or as a background in a perennial bed. They make a great living hedge and are great for hillsides to help with erosion issues.
• Interesting Facts: When it rains, their flowers tip downward to protect their pollen.
• Varieties:
  • Forsythia x. intermedia ‘Lynwood’ has larger yellow flowers than other cultivars. They also have better fall foliage that turns an attractive yellow.
  • Forsythia x. intermedia ‘Show Off’ is smaller and compact, growing 5 to 6 feet. It is also full of flowers from the ground to the end of the stems.

• Light Requirements: Snake plants can tolerate a range of light from bright indirect light to low light conditions.
• Water Requirements: Allow the soil to become just dry before watering, then water deeply. Be careful not to overwater the snake plant, or let it sit in water. This can lead to root rot. Yellowing leaves are a sign of overwatering.
• Characteristics: Snake plants are easily recognizable due to their sword shaped leaves. Leaves can be green, striped, or outlined in yellow.
• Uses: Along with many other houseplants, snake plants contribute to cleaning the air in their environment.
• Interesting Facts: This plant is visible on the porch in Grant Wood’s 1930 painting, American Gothic
• Varieties:
  • Dracaena trifasciata ‘Hahnii’: Also called bird’s nest snake plant, ‘Hahnii” grows to just six inches tall.
  • Dracaena trifasciata ‘Laurentii’: This variegated cultivar has creamy yellow leaf margins.
  • Dracaena trifasciata ‘Twisted Sister’: Twisting leaves bear horizontal stripes with yellow variegated edges. It grows to 15 inches tall.
  • Dracaena Trifasciata ‘Golden Flame’: ‘Gold’ or ‘Golden Flame’ cultivar sports gray-green foliage that has yellow-gold patternation.

• Light Requirements: Full to part sun, best flowering in full sun locations.
• Water Requirements: Prefers moist but well draining soil.
• Characteristics: Witch hazels grow 8 to 20 feet depending on the cultivar. Fragrant ribbon shaped flowers in yellow to orange to red appear along the branches in winter or early spring. Fall leaf color is yellow to red depending on the cultivar.
• Uses: The somewhat zigzagging branches offer interesting form as a specimen plant, and its upright nature lends itself to an opportunity for under-planting with bulbs or small perennials. It is a valuable shrub for a naturalized border or in a woodland, wildlife or winter garden.  Flowers are pollinated by nocturnal moths. Wild turkeys eat the seeds and small mammals and birds eat the fruit.
• Interesting Facts: Witch hazel has several medicinal properties including use as an astringent and an anti-inflammatory. In fact, it is one of the very few American medicinal plants approved as an ingredient in non-prescription drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The common name refers to the use of the forked twigs for “water-witching” or as divining rods to locate water sources.

Varieties:

• Hamamelis virginiana is the common witch hazel. It is native to eastern North America and is found along stream banks from Canada to Mexico and can tolerate clay soils.  The common witch hazel is noted yellow, slightly fragrant flowers which open from October through December. Fall foliage is a bright yellow.
• Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold’s Promise’ is a cross between the chinese and japanese varieties. It is an upright, vase shaped variety noted for its sweetly fragrant yellow flowers that bloom later than other cultivars, February to March.
• Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ is a cross between the chinese and japanese varieties. It grows 8 to 12 feet and is noted for its coppery red blooms from January to March. The foliage turns attractive shades of yellow, orange and red in fall.

• Light Requirements: They prefer bright but indirect light. Direct sun will cause the leaves to burn and the colors will bleach out.
• Water Requirements: Keep the soil moist but avoid over watering. Calatheas do better with small frequent waterings. Rainwater or distilled water is best because they are sensitive to chlorine and fluoride in tap water.
• Characteristics: Calatheas offer a wide range of leaf shapes and vivid color patterns and variegations. Even the underside of the leaves can provide a pop of color.
• Interesting Facts: These plants have been called prayer plants because of the daily movement of the plant’s leaves, known as nyctinasty. Some plants in this family move their leaves up at night and lower them during the day. Botanists believe this allows the leaves to follow the sun’s movement and maximize the amount of light the leaves absorb.
• Varieties:
  • Calathea lancifolia is commonly called rattlesnake plant. The long leaves have wavy edges and purple undersides. The tops of the leaves have alternating dark green blotches.
  • Calathea orbifolia features bright green, oblong leaves with subtle silver stripes.
  • Calathea leopardina has bright, almost lime green leaves with dark green stripes that start at the midrib and extend almost to the edge of the leaf.