Focus on Flowers

A good plant for shade that deer don’t usually like is black bugbane. The name is not attractive, but the plant is. 

It has dark foliage that contrasts well with its spikes of fluffy white flowers that are shaped like bottle brushes. It prefers woodland-type locations in shade or part shade, with some moisture in the soil. It grows in zones 3-9 and naturally repels insects. Plant it en masse and enjoy its fragrance in mid to late summer when it blooms. 

This plant grows slowly, though will eventually get to between 24-48 inches wide, so it makes a statement since it can attain a height of 48-70 inches as well. The flowers can be used in bouquets. 

This is also a plant that is useful if you have a rain garden or an area that stays wet a lot of the time. Plant it so the top of its root is 1 inch below the soil surface. 

Some parts of this plant are poisonous if eaten, which is why it is deer resistant, so wash your hands after handling it or be sure to wear gloves. 

If you have a problematic bed in deep shade this plant will still thrive. Its botanical name is Actea simplex or cimicifugia, but most people just call it bugbane. Not a pretty name for such an attractive plant.

A plant that attracts butterflies to our garden is the pincushion flower. The botanical name is Scabiosa, and these plants usually have blue, white, or pink flowers. As their common name suggests, the shape of the flower resembles a pincushion as the central florets form a rounded shape.

There are approximately 80 species in the genus, and some are annuals as well as biennials and perennials. These plants hate wet feet in the winter and thrive in full sun and well-drained, neutral-to-alkaline soil. Deadhead frequently to keep them blooming and divide them in the spring. If you do remember to consistently deadhead these plants in the summer, you will encourage them to bloom well into the fall since they do not mind some frost in the air.  

The blue Scabiosa caucasica, hardy in zones 4-10, is 18-24 inches high and as broad. The cultivar ‘Miss Wilmott’ has white flowers which are lovely in mixed bouquets, and the cultivar ‘Clive Greaves’ has especially lovely lilac-blue blooms.

There is a large-sized pincushion-type plant, sometimes called Scabiosa gigantea, that can grow up to 6 feet tall with yellow flowers on long stems. It is actually Cephalaria gigantea, which grows easily from seed. Both the average-size and the large-size pincushion plants are lovely and rewarding to grow, and especially enhance cottage-type gardens.

The genus Veronia has over 1000 species and is a member of the aster family. The name honors an English botanist, William Vernon. Many species of veronia are native to North and South America, and others come from Africa and Southeast Asia. 

Veronia is the Botanical name for the native ironweed that pops up and self-seeds in my Midwest garden. It is a tall plant and has clusters of dark purple flowers. Its full name is Veronia altissima. 

The dark green leaves are long and narrow and oval in shape. The plant is deer resistant and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. It is a good cut flower to add to bouquets of blue mist flower, golden rod, zinnias, and marigolds that all bloom at the same time in my yard. 

It is native to the Eastern United States, north to New York state and Canada. It grows 3-7 feet tall and sometimes even higher, so it is a plant to look up to (literally), especially when one is cutting the flowers. 

It likes moist soil best but is not really fussy and blooms July through September/October depending on the weather.

One often sees Veronia on roadsides and in fields and ditches. The wind disperses the seeds, which explains why it is a surprise when it appears in our gardens like an uninvited guest.

At first, I used to cut it down thinking it was just a weed, which in a way it is. But the dark purple flowers now make me happy that it arrived uninvited.

Most perennials we should cut back in the fall. They don’t look good once it gets cold, so it is best to cut them to the ground and they will come back well next spring. 

Bearded iris should be cut to about 6 inches and remember to cut their flower stalks right to the ground as well. Also, bee balm (Monarda), especially if it has powdery mildew and seed heads that will fall and provide a multitude of new plants. Blackberry lilies also self- seed far too much unless they are cut back. 

Gaillardias also benefit from cutting back, and of course, fennel needs to be chopped right down. 

I cut my catmints back after their first bloom of the year so they will bloom another time, and then at the end of the season, I whack them down again. Columbine should be pruned right after the first frost and be sure to get rid of all leaves showing any leaf miner damage. 

Cut back coryadalis hard, and crocrosmia and daylilies too, to prevent diseases.

A really good fall clean-up is essential to prevent the overwintering of pests and diseases. It also sets the stage for the garden’s spring display when the daffodils and other bulbs perform so well. So, cut down perennials that are past their peak in the cool days of fall, and in the spring next year you will be so glad that you did.

Joe Pye Weed is a North American native and hardy in zones 4-9. It can grow up to 7 feet tall and is deer resistant. The genus name is Eupatorium and a common name is bone set. It has rounded clusters of pink fuzzy flowers during late summer and fall. The statuesque plants like full sun or part shade and will grow in average soil. Over time they grow to make clumps that are 3-4 feet wide. Propagate them by division. 

These are large plants so need plenty of room. Newer shorter varieties are available. For example, ‘Baby Joe’ is compact, so easier to site in small gardens. However, if you want a tall naturalistic planting, pair the tall Joe Pye Weed with golden rod and the purple flowering iron weed. 

A splash of sunshine yellow, such as large sunflowers or other species of helianthus, can make a tall naturalistic planting really pop when they bloom concurrently. Some purple aster could also add to this type of fall display, especially on the perimeter of a garden, or as a background in front of a line of trees or wooded area. 

It is a mix of color that shows up well from a distance, and the tall plants will tend to shade out stray weeds. 

Hollow-stemmed Joe Pye Weed ‘Fistulosum’ likes a moist site so is great for a rain garden.

As summer transitions into fall, we usually rely on mums and asters to give us color as the growing season wanes. But some other reliable bloomers are our native Culver’s Root, which has the botanical name Veronicastrum Virginicum and a good variety is ‘Fascination’. It is a tall plant, 36-48 inches high and 15 to 24 inches wide, so you need space for it and full sun and well- drained soil. However, it is easy care and does not need to be staked. It is hardy zones 3-9.  

Hyssops also bloom late, and there are pretty blue flowering ones as well as the lovely sunset hyssop with reddish pink blossoms, hardy zones 5-9, also native to the US.

A low growing plant, plumbago, also provides beautiful blue flowers and then red foliage at the finale of the growing season. Let it creep along your driveway or spill over a wall and it will make you happy each fall.

Japanese anemones are useful too, although the deer sometimes eat some of mine. I love their pink or pure white flowers on tall wiry stems, and they spread well. 

If you need an edging plant that blooms late, liriope is useful and produces either blue or white flower spires above strap-like leaves. Cut this plant to the ground with a weed eater either late winter or early spring and fresh leaves will return to charm you.

The name gladioli comes from the Latin word meaning sword because of the shape of the stiff sword-like leaves of the plant. 

Historically, there are early mentions of the plant, also referred to as “cornflag,” being a weed in European cornfields. In England, a native species grew only in the New Forest and the Isle of Wight. Gladiolus was first mentioned in England in 1578 in the garden list of William Mount. In 1597, Gerard wrote about two European species that were used as a poultice to draw out splinters and thorns from flesh. 

By the early 1600s, glads were being grown in gardens in England, and by the 1700s, glads were being imported to England and were quite common, with new species arriving frequently from South Africa. New varieties were also bred in both France and Germany in the 1800s.

In 1907, an American called Mr. Kundera developed the first glad with ruffled edges.

The variety Gladiolus primulinus from Victoria Falls, Mozambique is also called “Maid of the Mist.” Its hooded petals were thought to have evolved originally to protect the stamens and pistil from the spray from the falls. The yellow and orange colors of the glads we have today came from the genetic legacy of the “Maid of the Mist.”

Agastaches belong to the mint family, and, as a result, they all have square stems. They also have aromatic leaves and clusters of small flowers. 

Commonly called Mexican hyssops, they can be perennial but only a few are hardy as far north as zones 4 and 5. The tender species are grown as annuals in the north and are perennial in the south. 

Hyssops are easy going and make few demands. They grow in full sun or light shade and spread to make 2-3 foot clumps. Divide them in the spring, and they bloom all summer long delighting the hummingbirds but fortunately not the deer. 

There is a lovely gold-orange variety Agastache ‘Kudos Gold’ and a salmon-orange with rose and purple called ‘Apache Sunset’, and there is a more compact variety ’Little Adder’(zones 6 to 9) featuring spires of lavender and purple flowers on each stem. 

All hummingbird mints are upright in form and bloom all summer long. The bees, as well as the hummingbirds, enjoy them, and they are carefree and drought resistant once established. The flowers make welcome additions to bouquets, but the plants need good drainage. 

These are good plants for an informal colorful, easy-care planting that will show up well from a distance.

The common sunflower goes by the botanical name of Helianthus annus. Extensive breeding has resulted in a great number of cultivars with yellow, orange, red, cream, white, and bi-color blooms, in many different sizes and flower shapes. 

The plants can grow 3-10 feet tall and so some need support. They are not temperamental plants, and most are native to Northern Mexico, Canada, and the United States. They are deer resistant and easy to grow and the seeds can be harvested for sowing in subsequent years. Plants are both annual and perennial, but all must have full sun and well-drained soil. 

Since their heads are mostly heavy, they prefer a sheltered location or un-staked plants can be easily blown over. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and 12-18 inches apart if they are annuals. Perennial varieties spread by rhizomes so need to be spaced 2-3 feet apart. Fertilizing at planting time helps the roots grow strong, which protects the plants from blowing over. 

Some gardeners plant annual sunflowers at two-week intervals from spring to early summer to ensure a succession of blooms. Mulch well to retain moisture and deter weeds. Do not fertilize much, because if the heads get too big, they are likely to break their stems. Divide perennial plants every three years. 

Since there are over 70 species, there are many types to choose from and experiment with.

“Heli” means sun and “anthus” means flower.

Many annuals need to be deadheaded to keep blooming all season. While snipping off the spent blossoms can hardly be described as hard work, it is easier not to have to remember to do this chore. For that reason, many of us try to buy annuals that do not need deadheading in order to re-bloom all season long and right into fall. 

One such plant is lantana, which is great in regions with cold winters where it can’t winter over and so doesn’t get aggressive. While I would never grow it in my native Australia where it is a terrible invasive, I do plant it in the Midwest garden where the deer leave it severely alone. Once established it flourishes with no help from me. 

I also love angelonias. The tall ones make good cut flowers and the shorter ones look pretty anywhere in the garden or in pots, and they also are deer resistant. They grow in full or part sun and come in pinks, whites, blues, and purples. 

And, how would we manage nowadays without begonias? They come with both green and dark-colored leaves, like both sun and shade, and are perfect in pots, boxes, hanging baskets, and beds, and stand up well in hot weather with less water than many annuals. My favorite is Dragon’s Wing Begonia, but most available varieties perform beautifully and require minimal attention.

I also love the dark red coleus ‘Redhead’ for pots, and cuttings root easily in water, so one can have a great many. Any kind of coleus, as well as any annual salvia, is trouble-free and require no daily deadheading.