Featured plant: alpine catchfly

Alpine Catchfly (Lychnis alpina) Perennial. Zones 5-8. This is a cute alpine flower. It is great for the front of the border or in rock gardens. I particularly like it grown in front of sunny rock walls. Needs full sun, well drained soil, and water when dry. 

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Featured plant: Siberian Iris

Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica) Zones 4-9. This is one of the toughest plants. Provide it with full sun, water when dry (detests wet conditions) and a feed once in a while and you will have dependable vibrant blue purple blooms. The picture just does not capture the true color which is more of a blue purple, velvety and deep. Will spread and the clumps can be divided for more plants to spread around and share. Grows 24-36".

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Featured plant: Wild monarda, bee balm, bergamot

Wild monarda/bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). Perennial. Zone 3-9. This is one of our prettiest native wild flowers. It grows wild in the northeast in moist/wet areas. It is a relative of the showier red bee balm/bergamot/monarda and is just as attractive to hummingbirds. This type of monarda has somewhat of an oregano scent and taste and can be used for tea or to flavor meat. It grows to 3' in full sun, fertile, moist soil. It bears it's blooms mid-summer and makes an attractive mid-border plant in a cottage garden. It will spread like other monarda and the mints it is related to, by sending out stolons. It makes the clump larger every year and it can be divided. It will grow in part sun, but is more prone to powdery mildew in a shady location. If powdery mildew develops, either spray the plants with 1/2 water 1/2 whole milk or use neem oil prepared according to the package instructions.

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Featured plant: False Sunflower, Heliopsis

False sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) Perennial. Zones 2-9. This very hardy native plant grows to about 4' and can form massive clumps which should be divided every 3-5 years. It starts blooming in early summer and continues straight through until fall. If it is kept dead headed, it greatly promotes lenghthy bloom time. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and it makes a great cut flower. It is tolerant of many soil types, likes regular water, and does best in full sun. Germination is relatively easy and I will provide instructions with the seeds.

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Morning Glory(Ipomoea purpurea). Annual. Morning glories are an old fashioned plant often seen twining their way around mail boxes, fence posts, or up trellis by a porch. They can grow to 10' and they open their funnel shaped flowers in the morning. After about 12, they start to fade, hence the name: morning glory. In the fall, when the weather is cooler, they often do not fade until late in the day. They prefer full sun, water when dry, and will re-seed themselves. The seed offered will produce the purple morning glory seen in the picture. Best sown in the place they are to grow as they resent root disturbance. The seed does need to be nicked and soaked over night in warm water before sowing for best results.

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Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) Perennial. Zones 3-8. This is one of those staples for every garden. It grows in full to part sun and can tolerate quite a bit of shade if it gets a little sun. In hot climates, it needs to be planted in part sun to shade as it comes from cooler northern European regions. It also needs to be kept well watered. The foliage can grow to 18" and the large leaves often have droplets of water at the edges. The genus name alludes to a supposed property of using the water that collects in the center of the leaves to turn lead into gold. Lady's mantle refers to the fact that the leaves look like a pleated cloak. It has been used medicinally for female problems, used as an astringent for wounds and the roots are edible. Cattle and sheep will eat the foliage. I just like it for it's nice leaves and airy sprays of yellow flowers that last well on the plant and can be dried. Wll do ok in most soils and should be watered when dry. Can profusely seed itself. Take the little seedlings and plant them elsewhere or let it all become a nice patch.

Germination requires a warm period, cold period, and back to warm and I will provide instructions with the seeds. 

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Featured plant: Feverfew

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium.). Perennial. Zones 5-9. This is a very pretty daisy like plant. It grows to 28" or so and if cut back after it's early summer bloom, it will often re-bloom. I find it to be more of a short lived perennial than one that reliable comes back again and again for 10 years or more. But it does profusely seed itself if allowed to. I consider it one of the staple "granny" plants. One that you can find in many grandmother's gardens from yesteryear. It's daisy like blooms and light green cut leaf foliage adds contrast to the border. Feverfew is used medicinally. From what I've read, it has been used to treat migraine headache, arthritiis, other inflammatory ailments (works like asprin), and is useful as an antihistamine. Also, it is best to grow it yourself as processed feverfew rapidly degrades and becomes useless. This plant needs full sun, water when dry, and will tolerate all but concrete and bog soil conditions. It will sometimes come double and tetraploid. 50 seeds.

Any reference to medicinal uses are either from my experience, what customers tell me, or what I have read and should not be thought to be a diagnosis or prescription. I am not a doctor or pharmacist and a medical professional should be consulted any time herbs are used. Buyer assumes all responsibility for how these seeds or plants are used.

 

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