Re: OT: Companion plants

At 06:46 PM 5/15/97 -0600, you wrote:

>My favorite companion plants for bearded irises are the artemisias,
>especially the tall, lacy green-grey "Mrs. G. Reed", which resembles
>"Huntington" but is more refined, and the prostrate "Silver Brocade"which
>forms a mat of dusty-miller like foliage. I also like lavenders, especially
>"Provence", rue "Jackman's Blue", and germander. These form a tapestry of
>foliage colors and textures. Also successful have been white Verbena
>tennuisecta, the prostrate fern leafed verbena, and Verbena bonariensis, the
>tall angular verbena with small violet clusters of blossoms. I believe that
>those who want  a beautiful smaller perennial which is dead easy from seed,
>blooms the first year, seeds copiously and blooms until frost should acquaint
>themselves with Linaria purpurea, especially the pink form "Canon J. Went",
>which resembles miniature snapdragons on delicate blue-grey airy stalks. It
>is a wonderful little plant and quite drought tolerant. I would imagine that
>Gaura would also be effective.
>
>The above suggestions are much appreciated -- the verbena that I put in the
iris bed this spring is one with a small pink flower and I'm hoping that it
is not as invasive as the purple desert verbena that is on my geranium
slope.  (Of course, I originally liked it because it covered the bare ground
before I got enough geraniums to make a decent showing, now it just won't
quit despite my pulling out most of it!)

"Canon J. Went" had been recommended, but I haven't yet bought it.  I did
buy 3 pots of Gaura because I, too, think it would be effective among the iris.
>
Aside from the yellow daylilies that had already been planted among the
iris, the only plants I put in early this year were the ones that were
expected to make a show for the April 18th garden tour that went through
here.  Now, I am looking for the stuff that will eventually provide color
during the summer and fall.

Thanks again for your help.

Dorothy C. Frisbie
Woman of Many Interests
Escondido, CA
AIS Region 15, Sunset Zone 20/21
>
>
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