Re: Perovskia atriplicifolia
Bob Beer wrote:
> I think a common cause of floppy growth on Mediterranean type plants is too
> much coddling in the form of rich soil or too much water.
>
> Bob
I am sure you are right, though there are some plants which in nature have found
it very convenient to use others for support - climbing plants, of course, but
others which just scramble or thread their way through such as many lilies.
One observation of my own chimes with your experience of different growing
conditions changing the habit.of plants In my lawn I have a delightful very
small Sisirhynchium (species unknown) which is a common introduced weed of
grassy places locally. In the lawn it is a most attractive plant - very compact
and set with blue stars no higher than the turf. It looked so good I thought I
would try a patch in a bed of other miniature plants, but when I shifted it -Oh
dear!. It grew about twice the hieght and the leggy stems no longer set off the
(fewer) flowers in the same way as the shorter habit, so I abandoned the idea in
favour of Nature's much better one. No doubt the grass competition is what keeps
it compact and extra floriferous.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata,
New Zealand (astride the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
