I have 3 Russian sage plants (2 different varieties) planted in partial to full sun. They are 2 to 4 years old. They flop along the ground and will not grow upright. I remember having a Russian sage several years ago that did the same thing. What am I doing wrong? Russian sage can flop in mid-season, once it has…
Read the Complete PostShowing results 1 to 20 of a total of 27 for the search term: "Russian Sage
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Plant Focus: Blue mist spirea (Caryopteris)
…plants that are referred to as “perennials” have stems that die down to the ground every winter. Blue mist spirea, however, is like lavender, butterfly bush (Buddleia), roses, and Russian sage (Perovskia); it develops woody stems that, to at least some extent, stay alive through the winter. In a severe winter, these stems can suffer, but a few inches of…
Read the Complete PostCooking with culinary herbs
…it after the meal to freshen their breath and absorb odors. Parsley sprigs are highly nutritive, rivaling oranges for vitamin content. Be careful with sage—too much can make a dish bitter and distasteful. Sage Sage is an herb that makes cooks understand the meaning of the old saying, “You should always leave the dinner wondering which herb made the food taste…
Read the Complete PostSunny sunflowers bring happiness
…bread, as well as on skin and hair. The dried stalks were even used for building materials. The large Russian varieties are still available today. Names like ‘Mammoth Russian,’ ‘Russian Giant,’ ‘Tall Russian,’ and ‘Mammoth’ are all typical varieties sold as giant sunflowers, along with all the new American, European and Asian hybrids. Koenders says identifying sunflowers can be a…
Read the Complete PostPlant Focus: Switch Grass
…include several varieties like ‘Autumn Fire,’ ‘Neon,’ and ‘Pink Chablis.’ These offer some interesting flowers as well as foliage for the autumn garden. Russian sage (Perovskia) offers lavender flowers above silvery foliage that grows 3 to 4 feet tall. Fall-blooming asters and boltonia are available in several colors and provide masses of late season flowers. Hines Horticulture ‘Shenandoah’Fall is a…
Read the Complete PostJanet’s Journal: Usual Plants, Unusually Grown
…Perennial sunflower (Helianthus x multiflorus). Cheery single or double sunflowers several inches across, every August. 3 to 5 feet tall. Purple bush clover (Lespedeza thunbergii). 5 feet tall, with great showers of pink flowers every September. Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia). 3 to 4 feet tall. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’. 18 to 24 inches. Like peony, it hardly bears listing since it’s…
Read the Complete PostJoe Pye weed adds a stately presence to the fall garden
…Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia). Position the massive architectural foliage of plume poppy (Macleaya cordata) next to Joe Pye weed for a great combination of flowers and foliage. Don’t forget ornamental grasses—some of the larger types like switchgrass, feather reed grass, or maiden grass would provide contrasting foliage and winter interest. In your front yard, where tidy and multi-seasonal plants are…
Read the Complete PostGlobe thistle
…Daisy-like flowers combine nicely with these, so try placing a purple coneflower in front. Russian sage has tiny lavender flowers and wonderful silver foliage that is a must with blue flowers. For another durable trio, try globe thistle with a pink, mildew-resistant bee balm like ‘Marshall’s Delight’ and the vibrant gold flowers of black-eyed Susan. For a maize and blue…
Read the Complete PostCulinary herbs: How to preserve the harvest
…like late June or early July. They should not be cut very much at all after Labor Day, just leaves and tips, so that they have a chance to harden up for the winter weather ahead. Cutting promotes new growth that will not winter well. Shrubby herbs such as sage, winter savory, lavender and thyme, do not do well when…
Read the Complete PostThe herb gardens of Greenfield Village
…sit down to rest, and a compost bin to show how to take care of the garden discards. The Burbank House features a working garden (above) that has plants for use and enjoyment. There are also benches (below) where visitors can take some rest.A large corner garden contains many silver-leaved plants including one of the dusty millers (Artemisia), Russian sage…
Read the Complete PostWhat are some suggestions for deer-resistant plants?
…(Picea pungens). Perennials: yarrow, columbine, bergenia, bleeding heart, oriental poppy, Russian sage, coneflower (Rudbeckia), lambs’ ears (Stachys byzantina), and yucca. Groundcovers: sweet woodruff, dead nettle (Lamium maculatum), plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides), and pachysandra. Deer-Resistant Plants for Homeowners is a 2008 publication by Michigan State University, Bulletin E-3042. Contact your county extension office for a copy (www.msue.msu.edu). Also try the book Deerproofing…
Read the Complete PostJanet’s Journal: Springboard into the garden season
…are always a few new guys every year who give me pause. Getting to know each one is like learning the ways of a new friend, one day and one encounter at a time. In spring, I scribble my observations on a mental clipboard. I cut to just above a bud on woody perennials such as culinary sage, lavender, Russian…
Read the Complete PostThyme for Herbs: Creating an Herbal Bouquet
…decide what flowers and plant materials you need to use to express your message, and collect them together. The simple messages are easier to translate into flowers. Whatever your message, be sure to include a card telling the recipient what the flowers are and what they mean because most people these days don’t have a dictionary of floral meanings. Our…
Read the Complete PostPlant Focus: Amsonia (blue star)
…on variety Light: Full to part sun Soil: Only moderately fertile, moist soil; prefers some clay content; if soil is too fertile, plant may tend to flop Uses: Perennial border; use for its foliage texture, especially in the fall. Companion plants: Sedum ‘Autumn Joy,’ ornamental grasses, boltonia, Russian sage, asters, blue mist spirea Remarks: Fantastic golden yellow fall color. Long-lived perennial;…
Read the Complete PostIdentifying an invasive poppy plant
…space in the garden. Good neighbors to fill in the space in a perennial bed are baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata) and Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia). Seeds can be planted directly into the soil and transplanted when young, but they don’t like being moved once their taproot has been developed. Since they resent disturbance, wait until the plants are overcrowded (4…
Read the Complete PostJanet’s Journal – A Drought Diary
…to people, however. Blue mist spirea and Russian sage, two of the best species for hot dry beds, have a coating not only on their leaves but the twigs too. Leaves can fail to develop their rightful downiness if grown in cool, moist shade. Blue globe thistle and dusty miller are cases in point. They become almost green in the…
Read the Complete PostChoosing and growing herbal topiaries
…people with limited space because of their small size. • Germander (Teucrium) with its tiny fragrant leaves that resemble oak leaves. • Sage (Salvia officinalis) in its many colored varieties or pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) with its fruity aroma. • Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) with its strong, sweet lemon fragrance and flavor—just imagine the shocked look on the faces of…
Read the Complete PostMarguerite daisy
…so hardy, it will even tolerate temperatures as low as the mid 20s. Removing its spent blooms is optional; it will continue to flower regardless. Landscapers love ‘Butterfly’ for its exceptional performance with minimal care. Pure White Butterfly (Proven Winners) In annual beds, ‘Butterfly’ is often grown behind the spiky, blue flowers of the annual mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea, such…
Read the Complete PostAfter 32,000 years, an Arctic plant is revived
This plant was grown from the fruit of a narrow-leafed campion which died 32,000 year ago. New York Times: Living plants have been generated from the fruit of a little arctic flower, the narrow-leafed campion, that died 32,000 years ago, a team of Russian scientists reports. The fruit was stored by an arctic ground squirrel in its burrow on the…
Read the Complete PostJanet’s Journal: Plant damage awareness will help prepare the garden for next year
…insect populations, go through periods of boom and bust. During the boom, sage, globe thistle, sunflowers, coneflowers, roses, privets, peashrubs, and other plants have stunted growth and stippled foliage or leaf edges that look drained of color and then yellowed in a pattern called “hopperburn.” The damage isn’t terminal, just unsightly. It doesn’t stop established plants’ bloom. Newer plants are…
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