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Fox Hollow Farm Notes
Each Thursday we will post the latest farm notes written by Fox Hollow Farm staff. Here are this week's notes from Kim and Beth: Look for our ad and coupon in this week's Newsday (Saturday & Sunday, Part 2)! FREE WORKSHOP: BIRD & BUTTERFLY GARDENS
Even with the repeated rains, the temperatures have warmed enough for many perennials to spurt good growth and start sending out flower bud and even bloom. Heaven knows they've gotten enough water! Let us showcase some of our perennials which are ready to bloom: It's time to plant the flowering perennials that attract butterflies and birds (especially hummingbirds) to your garden. We have a wide variety on the Farm that are about to bloom. It a good time to plant them so they bloom for you in your garden.
We have many color varieties of Phlox and Achillea (Yarrow) and impressive Digitalis in our "Tall Sun Perennial" area. Garden Phlox is a staple of the perennial border. Mixes well with other perennials and provides long summer bloom. Regardless of flower color, garden phlox is attractive to hummingbirds and is a good selection for inclusion in a bird garden.
Achillea (Yarrow), named after Achilles who is said to have first used the plant medicinally, have once again become popular in perennial gardens. Easily grown in average, dry to medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun. In addition to being a favorite flower with butterflies, their green fern-like leaves are aromatic when crushed. Good as cut or dried flower.
One of the most beautiful perennial Foxgloves, Digitalis mertonensis has large, bell shaped coppery rose flowers and dark green velvety foliage. Few plants rival the spires of foxglove for adding stately drama to a bed or border and the flowers are attractive to hummingbirds. Foxgloves enjoy partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. BLOOMIN' PERENNIALS In our "Short Sun Perennial" area, we have two splendid bloomers, a perennial Geranium 'Max Frei' and Dianthus 'Lemon Souffle'.
The Geranium is a hardy easy to grow perennial that will brighten up any garden, producing dep magenta pink flowers all summer. When is a 'Pink' not pink? Well, when it's yellow, in this case Lemon Souffle. A fabulous new Dianthus. Large, fragrant double yellow flowers in spring. Reblooms.
In amongst the new perennials around the Barn -- what we call "The Alley" -- are some striking flowering beauties. If you thought fragrant Alstroemeria could only be found at your local florist, we have a treat for you! Alstroemeria 'Sweet Laura' is vigorous and heavy blooming from June until September growing to about 30 inches high. The yellow flowers are spotted and brushed with mahogany red and make a wonderful cut flower with a sweetly delicate scent.
Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue' was awarded Perennial Plant of the Year for 2000 for good reason! This easy to grow beauty is a long-blooming, versatile perennial that adapts well to full sun or light shade. The lavender-blue flower heads reach up to 2 inches in diameter, providing a blanket of color atop the 12-18 inch plants. A good addition to your border garden.
We also have a number of old favorites that came back strong even after the harsh winter of 2002: Our Alchemilla mollis 'Lady's Mantle' is gorgeous this year... perfect for the English garden look. Sedum 'Matrona', 'Brilliant' and 'Autumn Joy' are filling their pots generously. Aconitum ('Monkshood' or 'Wolfbane') and Tradescantia 'Little Doll' -- both purple flowering -- are dramatic additions to the perennial garden.
THE HYDRANGEAS ARE HERE!
A dwarf, compact version of the big leaf Hydrangea is the serrata family of Hydrangeas. These are quite elegant and sport the lace cap flower form. We are most delighted to offer Hydrangea serrata 'Kiyosumi'. It grows 3' by 3', and sports deep purple leaves as it opens in the spring. It's flower is white with a bright red edge! OUR NEW PERENNIALS DISPLAY AREA OPENS
We have already brought out many of our grasses as they fill in with full new growth: Miscanthus, Molinia, Carex, and Phalaris, among others; a nice selection of the dwarf Sir Robert Azaleas, wonderfully fragrant Buddlejas (Butterfly Bush), Japanese Kousa Dogwoods & a wide selection of Heucheras -- the bright cherry red 'Cherries Jubilee' is our favorite! And it isn't even Summer, yet! The Daylilies are still to come! Happy Gardening! More Fox Hollow Farm notes:
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