Perennials, Biennials, Annuals
- To:
- Subject: Perennials, Biennials, Annuals
- From: K* W*
- Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2000 20:54:26 -0400
Re/the discussion on Digitalis, Hollyhocks, etc. Thank you Claire, for your
clear and precise answers. May I add that only the biennial Foxgloves have
been mentioned, many of which, as Claire has mentioned, will survive for
many years in the form of offsets from the main crown. The soundly perennial
sorts, such as Digitalis grandiflora, D. lutea, etc. are very hardy, long
lived and a wonderful addition to the garden. Claire correctly states that
most Foxgloves, unless you are growing a variety or hybrid such as "Foxy"
(intended to flower the first season), do not flower the first year.
One must be a bit careful with some biennials, such as the Verbascums--which
will sometimes flower the first year from an early start. These are always
best given a slow start to discourage this tendency, or else you will not be
in the proper self-sowing rhythm for future years.
Perennials, biennials and annuals are what they are botanically, no matter
how they may "behave" in a particular garden. An annual will never live more
than one season, whether you live in northern Alberta or in the tropics. But
it may behave like a permanent addition in the garden through self sowing.
What is more confusing is perennials that "act" like annuals, biennials or
perennials in certain gardens, but not in others. The factors for this are
never quite clear and hardiness does not seem the be the deciding issue in
most cases. There is the classic example of Meconopsis betonicifolia, where
removal of the flower during its first flowering season is supposed to
encourage its "perennial nature." However, this has never been the
experience in my garden. I have had the original plants of the (supposedly)
monocarpic Echium russicum return yearly, and Anthriscus Ravenswing,
likewise, is now flowering for its third consecutive season, not from
self-sowing, or from offsets, but from the original mother plants.
Kristl
--
Kristl Walek
Gardens North Seeds
5984 Third Line Road, North
North Gower, Ontario
K0A 2T0
CANADA
Phone: (613) 489-0065
Fax: (613) 489-1208
www.gardensnorth.com
(Zone 4b -29 to -34C)
So many species....so little time
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