Re: silver and grey foliage/Phlomis
- Subject: Re: silver and grey foliage/Phlomis
- From: M* T*
- Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 00:39:05 -0500
I'm not a huge fan of the flowers on Phlomis, either...not so much
the shape or even the dead heads, but I'm not fond of the intense
goldy-yellow color, myself, so not having them does not bother me in
the least.
Interesting that yours looked battered at end of summer. Mine always
looks its best just before frost and worst in early spring because
of die back...always needs a pretty good haircut. in spring here -
couldn't chance it in fall, but your weather is different and likely
yours responded nicely when you went into a cooler pattern.
Actually, I lost my big marvelous one I'd had for quite a number of
years winter before this one...trunk was about 3" in diameter and
boy! was that sucker hard to get out! Have one other in an old
holding bed, but it was not in good enough shape to take cuttings, so
just got some from my Mom this spring and have all hopefully rooting
right now. Really want to replace that plant; it was one of my joys
and delights and I miss it.
Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is considered a weed around here,
but I leave assorted ones because, like you, I love their fuzzy gray
foliage and the imposing spikes can be quite an accent if they show
up in the right spot. Also, every once and a while, one will show up
that has a better flower spike than the general run of the mill.
Unfortunately, about the time they go into major flowering mode, we
get a run of really hot, sticky weather and they start rotting at the
base.
Also love Helichrysum petiolare - I try to keep them going
overwinter in the greenhouse, with some success. Have a problem with
some awful leaf miner type insect that I hear is due to our hot,
humid climate...do you get plagued with that?
Another silver, fuzzy foliage plant that seems to not mind heat and
humidity is Lychnis coronaria (rose campion). I've got the white
form 'Alba'. Seeds around like mad, but is easy to pull and will
keep on blooming all summer if deadheaded. Short-lived, so you need
to let some seedlings grow on.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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> From: Mclainakag@aol.com
>
> Marge: I do have Phlomis......the foliage is outstanding. I have
mine
> growing in a raised bed that receives filtered sun throughout day.
I
> received this as a tiny seedling a couple of years ago at a swap
and it grew
> into a nice large plant in just one season. Mine does bloom here
but I'm not
> a real fan of the blooms either. I do, however, let it bloom and
go to seed
> each year to keep a good supply of these.
>
> By late last summer the Phlomis was looking very tacky and tattered
(after
> it's 2nd summer in the garden).......I had kept seed from earlier
in the year
> and took a chance and cut it back to the ground before fall. The
plant
> responded beautifully. We were fortunate in having a very mild
fall with
> plenty of cool nights - I think this is why the Phlomis responded
so
> positively and was so forgiving of my pruning hand.
>
> I tried a seedling in full sun last year and it did grow enough to
bloom but
> the plant was short lived....as soon as the summer temps got 95
degrees plus
> the plant was history. I think the combo of heat, humidity and
total neglect
> on my part, was just too much for this plant to handle. This bed
was/is in
> need of cultivating and compost added. This is a task that I
carried out
> this weekend. Maybe, with the renewal of my bed, I'll try another.
>
> A plant that I received last year's Spring Swap is Mullein---now I
really
> like this plant. The leaves are larger than Lamb's Ear but have
the same
> "downy" appearance. This plant blooms yellow too but somehow the
blooms are
> more tolerable than the Phlomis - I think because it doesn't have
such an
> ugly appearance when the blooms fade. This one will seed
everywhere given
> the opportunity but where it pops up will surprise you and it
generally
> works. If it doesn't - it is very easy to rid of. Late last fall
I cut off
> the faded bloom spike and soon, several short spikes appeared...the
plant
> seems to be in non-stop bloom....nice plant.
>
> A wonderful "silver" foliaged plant for me is the Licorice Plant
AKA
> Hedichrysum petiolare. In one growing season this plant went from
a tiny 4"
> rooted cutting to a nice 2' x 2 spread. I have trailing over the
large rock
> border - very pretty. The only maintenance I've ever given this
plant is a
> heavy hair cut now and again---not because it looked bad but
because it was
> getting too big and covering up some other plants.
>
>
> Kemberly McLain
> Katy, Texas Zone 9
>
>
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