Silphium perfoliatum | Davids Garden Diary

Back in the day, my Mum & Dad raved about Rosa ‘Blue Moon’ and so when I heard about Rosa ‘Twice in a Blue Moon’ I thought it must be pretty special. What a let down! Pale, floppy, untidy and uninteresting muddy purple flowers following a perfect pink rose bud. Just goes to show, don’t believe the hype!

The Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ are providing some much needed interest and colour in the herbaceous border and cover the greenery of earlier plants which have finished for the year. Lovely pops of yellow dazzle and crave attention.

I just love bright red Geraniums (actually Pelargoniums but everyone calls them Geraniums!) these beauties were 79p each in modules of six from the forecourt at Lidl and such great value for months of colour. They are forgiving if you forget to water them for a week, need hardly any feeding and keep flowering until the frosts cut them down in November. They add a touch of glamour to the steps too!

The Silphium perfoliatum, or Cup Plant, is a tall perennial daisy from the prairies of North America and a reliable hardy addition to the shrubbery where it provides height and late colour. I grew it from seed several years ago and it now self-seeds freely which provides me with spare plants to offer in plant sales and to exchange for things I want. Very attractive to bees, bulletproof and a great alternative or addition to perennial sunflowers, Rudbeckia and other yellow daisies…..if you like yellow daisies….which I do!

I wonder if anyone can help me identify this plant please? I have a suspicion it might be a variegated form of Ophiopogon but it could equally be a Carex, Liriope or similar grassy plant. A kind friend gave it to me without a label, because she didn’t know what it was either! It is short, 30cm, hasn’t flowered (yet) and seems to spread by underground runners (like Ophiopogon). I look forward to suggestions please!

Finally for this week, Astrantia major which is having a second flush of ‘Hattie’s Pincushion’ flowers, probably thanks to the warm and wet July and August. It is usually over for the season by now, just another oddity in an odd year for the garden.

Have a great weekend

David

A bit late again this week, too busy enjoying myself! This Dahlia, a ‘Bishop’s Children’ variety grown from seed this year, is an absolute stunner and is the texture of rich red velvet. Needless to say, the bees adore it.

Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ is struggling again and has barely reached three feet tall this year. I think she needs moving to moister and shadier climes in another part of the garden so I think a bit of division and rejuvenation is required come October. She is also a bit crowded out by the Verbena which I thought would be a good companion but may be robbing the water supply!

This is my latest Tradescantia acquisition, ‘Erudice’, part of the Andersoniana Group of hybrids and destined to become a favourite I think. I love the frilled white edged petals and the different blues of the petals and stamen hairs. Or am I just a geek?! Erudice was the wife of Orpheus and the flower is just as beautiful.

.This Verbena hastata f. rosea is a very persistent perennial which is easy from seed or just pot up the self seeded ones of which there are hundreds! Adored by bees and the occasional butterfly, it is self supporting, has a long flowering period and goes with almost everything except orange! I strongly recommend it as a ‘perfect for pollinators’ plant in any sunny garden and well drained soil.

Rose ‘Amber Queen’, simply gorgeous and richly scented, this is her second flush and lots more to come.

Something a little bit unusual but, in reality, just another north American daisy, Silphium perfoliatum is an extremely tall hardy perennial which towers over everything except trees! It has very odd thick, square stems and cup shaped leaves which trap water and dribble it down the stem to the roots. Completely disappears in winter and comes back bigger and better every year, A good addition to the back of an herbaceous border, provided you like yellow daisies, which I do!

And finally, my little Myrtle which was badly frosted in May has rewarded my judicious pruning with a show of late summer flowers which are much appreciated by the bees and me!

Sorry I was late. Will do better next week!

David