Serenity in the Garden

What plant likes sun or shade - is Fast Growing - Easy to Grow - Adds a visual POP to planters or beds? the answer  :  Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides ) 'Sedona' Coleus - Planting by Melanie Granger Coleus is a versatile foliage plant that is always at your service, no special requirements other than water and maybe a little pinching as the season progresses... and it thrives in part shade! What's not to love? It is an exuberant houseplant, a summertime dazzler and a fabuloso filler plant suitable for any and all applications... It looks especially wonderful in pots. Place several together like this: Inky Fingers Coleus, Chartreuse Sweet Potato Vine and others - by Melanie Granger or in a low, wide mouth planter with ferns: Or you can plant it in shady plant bed alongside the perennial Ladies Mantle ( alchemilla mollis): Alabama Sunset Coleus with Ladies Mantle Or you plant it beneath larger pla

Those of us who love color (me! me!) can’t resist the urge to include all the hues on the color wheel in their garden.   wow - look at that picnic table! at Stone Meadow Kennel...love it.   Color certainly adds a dramatic punch to a garden but it can also result in a visual cacophony.      courtesy : Timber Press   Longwood Gardens, in Kennett Square, Pa addressed this dilemma in their 600 foot long ‘ Flower Garden Walk’.     Along this broad brick walk is a mix of annual and perennial flowers, spring bulbs, woody shrubs and ornamental grasses showcasing one individual color followed by another.    As you stroll, you experience the full impact of each color of the rainbow, one at a time.     At the start is a grand sweep of lavender, purple and blue courtesy: historicfloralgardens.blogspot    which melds into soft pinks and reds then changes to oranges and warm yellows ,     Ultimately ending in white.

Sedum, Salvia and Dwarf Pennisetum In fall, fountain grasses are a stand out. And there are so many to choose from! Fountain grass (Pennisetum sp.) is a graceful, DEER RESISTANT and sun loving ornamental grass with feathery plumes that persist into fall. Its relatively small size makes it a great plant for containers, rock gardens, borders, massing or as a specimen.     Once established, they tolerate heat, humidity and full sun. Johnsen Landscapes & Pools Of course with all this wonderfulness there is a down side - certain fountain grasses are considered invasive, not all, but some.  There is a lot of discussion on which varieties are invasive with people saying,  'This species is OK but that one isn't'.  Some people, to be safe, don't buy any. I would counsel you to look in your area to see which ones are no nos. Nonetheless, the dwarf fountain grass is a must for a sunny fall garden. Greenwood Nursery describes why this is so:

There is no more fitting to place to honor and remember those that were lost than in a garden.... it reminds us that  life goes on, in all Nature's wondrous  forms... I Heard an Angel by William Blake I heard an Angel singing When the day was springing, "Mercy, Pity, Peace Is the world's release. "     Eleven years ago I suggested to my village, Croton on Hudson, NY, that we plant daffodils to commemorate those who perished on September 11, 2001.  And so every year the people of Croton of all ages come out and plant daffodils in public areas .    Daffodil Planting Village of Croton-on-Hudson The Croton Conservation Advisory Council invites you to join  the 11th annual Daffodil planting  on October 13, 2012   at DUCK POND, Croton.. 9am to 12 pm. Rain or shine