Re: august, a bit long

Hello Claire,
    I have two skullcaps in bloom in the garden now, one just completed. Out
native Scutellaria incana or Downy Skullcap is up on the hillside along a
path and has been in bloom for about a week or so now. Nice lavender blue
blooms in clusters towards the end of the square stems. Overall outline is a
vase shape that is a bit open in the middle reaching about 2 1/2 feet in
height. Other one in bloom is a non-native ground cover with tiny corrugated
leaves with whitish down all over them, tiny numerous blue blooms. Tends to
seed about a bit, but very shallow rooted and can be easily pulled. S.
indica... I think. Just finished was the yellow creeper, S. orientalis. In
May I had S. serrata in bloom. Same lavender blue blooms but only reaches a
very tight clump of 12 to 14 inches in height. Great foliage plant as are
most of the scutellaria.
    There are some 10 species of scutellaria in this area. More to the south
of me that are perfectly hardy in the area and further north. Well over 200
species world wide. No shortage of selections if you can find them. Seed is
not hard, but takes a bit of patience. Need to oversow to end up with a
decent stand. None that I have grown for some years now are difficult in the
garden. Many were used as medicinal herbs such as the "Maddog Skullcap".
    Far easier to locate the non-natives than our own. Why I do not know. I
intend to give them prominent space in my 05 catalog with 3 to 5 species if
all goes well. Working on it.... need some of the larger wholesalers to jump
in here so these lovely plants can become more well know. Anything that
blooms right now and is recommended for dry open shade can not be all that
bad.....
    Gene E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, llc
www.munchkinnursery.com
genebush@munchkinnursery.com
Zone 6/5  Southern Indiana

----- Original Message -----
From: <ECPep@AOL.COM>
> That is a good area to investigate and one I am interested in just now.  I
> don't know anything about skullcaps.  Seed or plants?  Maybe you could
write
> some more on this plant.  I think the only place one sees them is in the
seed
> exchanges.  A strong growing native plant that is a summer bloomer should
be a
> very good idea.
>
> Claire Peplowski
> NYS zone 4
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index