{"id":3384,"date":"2015-07-12T16:56:00","date_gmt":"2015-07-12T20:56:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-08-13T17:40:22","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T21:40:22","slug":"fighting-bordom-10-new-plants-ive-never","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardern.co.za\/2015\/07\/fighting-bordom-10-new-plants-ive-never\/","title":{"rendered":"FIGHTING BOREDOM: 10 NEW PLANTS I’VE NEVER GROWN BEFORE"},"content":{"rendered":"
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IPOMOPSIS RUBRA, A NATIVE SOUTHWESTERN WILD FLOWER, BLOOMS IN THE FRONT MIXED BORDER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nJust when I was beginning to feel a little bored with what I grow, while sitting having my coffee and yogurt this morning, watching hummingbirds dart around the garden, I started taking note on where they were going and what plants they were visiting. One female hummingbird (a Ruby Throated Hummingbird, our only species here in New England) who was experimenting – visiting every plant- this and that, taking an audit. I assumed that she was just unfamiliar with many of the species, as most are from far away locations worldwide.<\/p>\n
A yellow Asiatic lily? Nope…(1.5 seconds). A lavender Tulbaghia from South Africa? Nah, (3 seconds). A very tempting dwarf, potted callistemon ‘Bottlebrush tree’ spending the summer outdoors from the greenhouse? Not even that, but maybe she was avoiding it because for the 6 species of bees who have claimed this nectar source for themselves – her final choice? – a tall, bouncy stem of a Thalictrum aquilegiafolium – with tiny purple flowers – clearly it was catnip for little, Miss. Hummer.<\/p>\n
I did notice one more thing, however – our hummingbirds have been visiting many of the plants which are new to me as well. Or at lease, new to my garden this year. Each winter it seems I spend more and more time examining seed sources, overseas seed catalogs like Ciltern Seeds or Swallowtail Gardens, looking for unusual annuals, biennials and tender plants to raise from seed. Some, as a few of you may note, have been on my ‘must-grow’ list for some time, and either due to crop failure or my i nobility to raise them properly, have failed in the past, but this year, I’ve been either lucky, or I’ve mastered their germination. Here are ten new plants which I have never raised successfully before. Maybe a few of these will make it into your garden next summer? I’ll be saving seed!<\/p>\n
“OK, MATT”, you are probably saying – “will you stop yakking on about this plant?”. I know, I get obsessed with a plant that I saw, fell in love with and then could not grow – but finally, I have figured out how to raise this rarely seen garden annual (and native North American plant). Cuphea viscosissima ( “viscose” because of the natural sticky oils on its stems and leaves – you’ll see once you grow it) is a striking annual also known as ‘Bat Flower’, a silly name applied to many Cuphea because of the two large petals that look like, well, a bat face (they say), Dunny Flower might be more appropriate.<\/p>\n
HYBISCUS TRIONUM \nAnother plants from my gift packet of seeds from Blythewold Mansion, and although this is its first flower, I have high hopes for this as a garden annual. Sure, it’s a garden escapee in some parts of Europe and even in the US, but it is still a treasured, pass-along old fashioned annual hibiscus worthy of the border.<\/p>\n
Also known as ‘Flower of an Hour’, I guess I was lucky to spot this first bloom, as the flower apparently only remains open for about an hour (portulacaism maybe?). Bumblebees and other native pollinators crave it however, and even though it vines along sneakily through the border, I think I like the color – so far.<\/p>\n
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CERATOTHECA TRILOBA, COMMONLY KNOWN AS ‘SOUTH AFRICAN FOXGLOVE’, MAKES A TALL, STATEMENT IN THE ANNUAL BORDER<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Another gift plant from a blog fan and now a friend (two lovely ladies from Toronto who hosted me when I spoke at the NARGS chapter there, remembered that I fell in love with the genus Roscoea which they had growing in their Toronto garden ( I know, Toronto!). A relative of the ginger, this genus is one which I am trailing this year with 7 species. This one, so far, is my favorite. I am growing it in a pot, but this Himalayan native is hardy here (up to Zone 5), so I may set the bulbs out after it blooms and take a chance.<\/p>\n
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SET NEXT TO A RAIN BARREL, THE ROSCOEA GETS NOTICED RATHER THAN LOST IN THE GARDEN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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\nNASTURTIUM ‘MARGARET LONG’<\/p>\n
Plants all have stories, in one way or another, but this one, which I’ve written about a few times this winter, has a great one which makes it very special. First of all, it’s a nasturtium – which really doesn’t look like one at all, right? It’s sterile, and sadly does not set seed, so it must be raised from cuttings, and then shared with others who must keep it growing on, either in warm gardens or greenhouses – which is exactly what has happened ever since it first appeared as a sport in Dublin, Ireland off of another even older sterile double from called ‘Hermine-Grashopf’ back in 1970.<\/p>\n
I ALWAYS SAW TITHONIA IN SEED CATALOGS, BUT NEVER SAW ONE LIVE UNTIL I WENT TO A RESTAURANT NEAR OUR HOME, AND SAW A BORDER OF THEM LIGHTING UP THE PARKING LOT.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
TITHONIA ROTUNDIFOLIA – MEXICAN SUNFLOWER<\/p>\n
This is a color worth seeking out. Enamel Orange, I’d call it. Almost painfully orange, but a shade so rich and to artificial that it puts any zinnia to shame. With Tithonia, it’s all about scale. Large plants erring on the side of sunflower size, combine so elegantly with lime colored foliage. Large seeds, easy to start, I really don’t know why we don’t’ see this annual raised more often? My guess is that in garden centers, it would not be in bloom yet so it rules out early spring sales – but take note, this beauty will attract butterflies like no other plant in the garden – I already spotted two new species which refuse to leave the garden because of this torch. Once I Googled it, I was dumbfounded to learn more about its high nectar and attractability for butterflies (and, hummingbirds, of course).<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IPOMOPSIS RUBRA, A NATIVE SOUTHWESTERN WILD FLOWER, BLOOMS IN THE FRONT MIXED BORDER Just when I was beginning to feel a little bored with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
FIGHTING BOREDOM: 10 NEW PLANTS I'VE NEVER GROWN BEFORE - Growing With Plants<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n