#Salvia Caradonna

[moomin-japanology]

Landscape Decking in Melbourne Design concepts for a sizable, eclectic backyard with decking that is tolerant of drought.

[rosen-dovecote]

Turns out, I didn't kill as much of my Hummingbird Oasis as I thought I did.

The 'John F. Kennedy' Rose is recovering now that the temperatures are dropping again, and has a tonne of fresh new growth on it. The 'Francis Dubreuil' Rose is still going strong and blooming regularly.

The 'Dakota Burgundy' Beardtongue (Penstemon hyb.) is still in its first year dormancy stage, and is bushy and green. I thought the 'Flock of Flamingos' Penstemon (Penstemon hyb.) was dead, but it has signs of some new green growth showing up at the base.

All of the Woodland Sages (Salvia Nemorosa) are coming back; the 'Rose Marvel' we bought to match my Mother in Law's unknown one- which both have the same compact, almost bushy growth styles. And then my 'Caradonna Pink Inspiration' and 'April Night', which both have the same long stemmed, more sweeping growth patterns.

The 'Angel Wings' Blacurrant Sage (Salvia Microphylla) is also alive, though it's starting to falter finally. And the Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis / Salvia Rosmarinus), too. My 'Showy Pink' Evening Primrose (Oenothera Speciosus Rosea) is also still surviving somehow despite being in exactly the wrong kind of soil.

That means that so far, all in all, I've only actually lost the:

'Summer Breeze' Hummingbird Mint (Agastache hyb.)

'Coronado' Hummingbird Mint (Agastache Aurantiaca)

Tall Verbena (Verbena Bonariensis)

Scarlet Sage (Salvia Splendens)

'Peachy Pink' Scarlet Sage (Salvia Splendens Van Houttei)

'Hidcote' English Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia)

the suspected Pot Marigold I initially found growing abandoned down by the pool.

My Rue (Ruta Graveolens)

I'm particularly sad about losing the Rue since I'd managed to overwinter it successfully for the first time ever. But that's ok. I have seeds- or somewhere to order a seedling from- for next year. I can always try again (and again, and again). That's one of the great things about gardening, honestly.

[versatileer]

Featured Photo: Flower of the Day – The Caradonna Wood Sage Mainacht

Featured Photo: Flower of the Day – The Caradonna Wood Sage Mainacht

Today’s Featured Flower Photo of the Day: Caradonna Wood Sage Mainacht Here is today’s featured photo flower presentation. To let this year shine bright, I am featuring fine photos of flowers, continuing to honor the brighter side of life again this year. Today’s Flower of the day is the Caradonna Wood Sage Mainacht. The Caradonna Wood Mainacht, or the Salvia Nemorosa x Sylvestris ‘Caradonna’ in…

[gardening-dreams-blog]

Dahlia 'Kick Off'

Enjoy dazzling sunset tones from the delightfully chunky and exuberant flowers of Dahlia 'Kick Off'. In hues of salmon pink and coppery orange with golden yellow undertones, these glowing blooms can’t fail to elevate the garden with their rich, warm colouring. We love seeing the radiance of 'Kick Off' contrasted against darker companions such as the dramatic near-black of Dahlia 'Night Queen' and the deep violet of Salvia 'Caradonna'. Throw in a buff-coloured ornamental grass such as Pennisetum 'Hameln' and you have yourself an instant designer combo!  

Specs & details

Botanical nameDahlia 'Kick Off'

Flower colourPeach, salmon, pink

Tuber size1

Established height 1-1.2m

Established spread 30-50cm

[solbacka]

Keep on dreaming blue

[bashcha]

Ukrasni lukovi iz čardak leje

Foto beleške ovih ljuičanstvenih kraljeva koji su cvetali početkom juna. Allium giganteum, miljenik insekata.

Krajem prošlog leta sam kupila nove lukovice na pijaci pošto su moji već godinu iz godine cvetali sve sitnije. Posavetovali su me da vole hranljivu zemlju, dosta vode i puno sunca, moraću primeniti tu recepturu u buduće ako želim ovako lepe velike cvetne glave.

Još jedna zanimljiva informacija koju sam nedavno čula je da za razliku od ostalog lukovičastog bilja za koje se savetuje da se skine cvet kada završi da ne bi lukovica trošila snagu na formiranje semena umesto da se goji za sledeću sezonu, a lišće ne sme da se kida dok se samo ne osuši jer ono hrani lukovicu...kod ovih lukova je suprotno. Njihovo lišće jako brzo postane neugledno i žuto, i biljci ne smeta da taj osušen deo odsečete jer lukovi se primarno hrane iz korena, takođe sasvim je ok ostaviti da se formira seme pošto bi svakako bilo nemoguće sprečiti formiranje semena jer dok su neki od cvetića već iscvetali novi se tek otvaraju.

[gardenmuse]

Catching the last light in the garden on an evening in May ~  Spessart Geranium, a very old heirloom iris, Gillenia trifoliata and the golden Autumn Moon Shirawasanum Maple

Catharpin, Virginia   

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 10 August 2022

Even though the violet-blue flowers of Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' (Balkan clary) are over the seedheads create a great texture in the border. This plant is a compact perennial which makes mounds of aromatic, grey-green foliage.

Jill Raggett

[gardenwerks]

Scenes from our Flower Garden, rebounding from record-breaking heat on Sunday and Monday, June 27 and 28, 2021. It was only 96 F here in Kingston 1/4 mile from the moderating waters of Puget Sound, but Seattle hit an all-time historic high of 108 F. Our hyper-energy-efficient mini-split heat pump kept us quite comfortable until the peak heat of Monday, when the interior of the house registered 80 F. We were very fortunate, and grateful, since only about 40% of Western Washington homes have a/c.

1. Unknown clear cantelope-orange Asiatic lily serendipitously bought this spring untagged in the discount section of a local nursery, Colorita dwarf lavender Alstroemeria, Shasta daisy Real Glory, with Madison star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) peaking out from the left. More about Shasta daisies below. Shasta Real Glory, which was purchased as feathery Real Galaxy, but clearly is not, is part of the RealFlora series

2. The south side Flower Garden - this is where the husband allows me to experiment. It is small - 7′ wide by 19′ long, with the heat pump in the middle and propane tank at the top. The ground slopes evenly from top to bottom with a 10′ change in grade. The lower end is held back with a low curved block retaining wall, anchored by an angled, rusted-metal trellis tower that is home to the Madison jasmine. At the upper end, two golden upright Jantar arborvitaes screen the “service area”, and a curved tall trellis was installed to screen the heat pump from below. It is planted with Winter jasmine, and beside that, a Grevillea ‘Audrey’ is being trained up as a standard. The final flush of bloom from Superman Mauve erysimum (shrubby wallflower) shows up in the foreground. Behind them are the lovely lilies Karen North and Eurydice, which were just starting to bloom last week and were blasted by the heat, and the tall spikes of the reblooming Salvia nemerosa Caradonna. 

3. Erigeron x speciosus Darkest-of-All (from Germany - Dunkeste Aller), with The Third Harmonic alstroemeria and Mediterranean sea holly (Eryngium bourgatii) behind, and a new flush of flower stalks from Geum borisii. The Erigeron is quite floppy when in bloom at 18″ high, thus the green wire cage makes a great cut flower. In fact, it was transplanted to this better site this spring.  We forgive it that fault because the blooms make a great cut flower. This clump is a foot across - It readily expands, so offshoots are available in the Spring to share with friends. Some quick research today...this native American “fleabane daisy” was improved on by the German seed company Benary, and released in 1951. The species E. speciosus is called Aspen fleabane, and is native to the mountains and foothills of Western North America north of California.

4. This scene is from the Back Garden that runs along the eastern property line separated only by a split-rail fence from the Upper Meadow of our subdivision’s forest restoration project. This is the Shasta daisy named Becky, certainly one of the most vigorous forms of this very tough plant. In one season it grew from a gallon can into a clump nearly 2′ across, and was summarily evicted from the south side Flower Garden. Simply took up too much room. However, yours truly is loathe to throw any living plant away, so the clump was divided and planted along the back side of the curving band of Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Early Bird Gold’ in the “prairie” part of the back garden. It blooms well before the Rudbeckia’s main flush of bloom, so fits into it’s new role quite well. In the foreground is variegated Northern hair grass (Deschampsia caespitosa), and the first blooms from Early Bird Gold. 

We can thank Luther Burbank for mixing up the gene pools of several different daisies in the 1890s to produce the excellent Leucanthemum x superbum hybrid that he named after the year-round white snowy peak of nearby Mount Shasta (California). Further breeding was undertaken by others, and today there are MANY cultivars now available based on the original “pure white daisy” template. Garden designed Troy Rhone shared the story of Shasta daisy Becky in Flowere Magazine. Becky is a “foundling” - having popped up in a neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia in the 1970′s, by Ida Mae Gatlin, a local florist. She recognized the vigor of this plant in the Southern heat and humidity, and admired the long-sturdy-stemmed large white daisies as cut flowers. Ida Mae and her daughter Mary shared it with friends, and in the 1980′s it was “discovered” by three different plantsmen and introduced under 3 different names, including Ida Mae and Ryan’s Daisy as well as Becky. One of the plantsmen, Bill Funkhouser, joined White Flower Farm in Connecticut and brought Becky with him. From there it was widely distributed throughout the US. And, in 2003, Becky was name the US Perennial of the Year. Alas, Becky does have somewhat mixed reviews. It is touted as blooming all summer long. That has not been my experience so far. Others have noted it is not particularly attractive out of bloom - I concur! When I first grew it in Georgia, it was so vigorous during the longer Southern growing season, that new plants would form several inches above ground on the lower stems. Very awkward to cut back. However, the stems are strong, the flowers are great for cutting, they tolerate poor soils and limited moisture, and they easily grow above the top rail of the fence - blending our Back Garden in with the Meadow.

5. A bouquet of Erigeron Darkest-of-All, Becky Shasta daisy, and Mediterranean sea holly.

[earthanthem]

(via Pinterest)

Stipa Tenuissima, Nepeta and Salvia Nemorosa Caradonna

[charlie-is-three-rats]

whisper, strawberry, roses, sapphos, lace :>

whisper: how much sleep do you get? 7-9 hours

strawberry: favourite fruit? blackberries but I love strawberries and kiwis too. mullberries are good but the only place I can get then is a bush near my friends house

rose: most beautiful flower? I dont knoe many flowers but I really like caradonna salvia

sapphos: favourite poet? john donne, oscar wilde, sappho. I am incredibly gay

lace: favourite dress? I dont have any dresses haha. I like them but I would probably never wear them

thanks love x

[mohandoshi]

Sage

Sage (Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna')

source - garden.org

[hortascountrysidenotes]

Happy Marriages

As a plantswoman and designer one strives to make the perfect partnerships when planning a border - colours, textures, heights, flowering seasons etc all come into the considerations.  However as with anything in nature sometimes the best combinations happen purely by chance, and these Happy Marriages can then be capitalised on for future planting schemes, and in some cases extended even futher.  

In the series of photographs with todays blog I have shown the old fashioned Peony - Paeonia officinalis coupled with either Heuchera Plum Pudding, Starry Night or good old Palace Purple makes a great colour combination.  The white flowering sweet rocket - Hesperis matronalis is proving a good doer in this garden as once established it tolerates the dryness and provides a bit of light in an otherwise very blue and purple time of year.  I find it seeds about quite well and once recognisable can easily be transplanted - it is a bit shortlived, perhaps three or four years but can be split if necessary.  Here it is teamed with Salvia Caradonna in front of an Hydrangea sargentiana - a good continuation planting as both the herbaceous plants will flower again in late summer if deadheaded after this first flush.

Further up the border I have at last managed to re arrange things to my satisfaction, but the additional Tellima grandiflora arriving by accident has been the icing on the cake as the little pink frills to its diminutive flowering bells just picks up the pinky coral shades of the first Rosa x mutabilis flower and tones well with the purple Berberis Gold Ring in the background.  Coming through for later on is a time honoured Aster Andenken an Alma Potschke - great name) but now made complicated by the re classification of Asters to Symphyotrichum. And it is just possible to see the young growth and early flowers forming on an Hydrangea paniculata Phantom again for August September time.  I have moved both the Hydrangeas just mentioned from my very dry top of the garden shrub border - although part shade and in this respect perfect for Hydrangeas, the good soil with clay base, still dries out too much for them owing to the proximity of large trees and hedges.  It would take a VERY wet summer to give them the right conditions and immediately I can see they are much happier where they are.

Finally in the main border the Rosa Raymond Carver is just starting to flower and the apricot is a lovely foil to the muted and bright purples of Alliums and Iris below.

We have had another completely dry week and the garden although looking fine is not as lush as one would like.  The veg garden is definitely struggling.  Plants are wilting in the middle of the day which is not good as although lovely and warm it is not excessively hot.  The nights are now consistently mild so the courgettes have been planted out. 

The meadows are reaching the best but we are inundated with ox eye daisy - rather like farmers pulling ragwort, I am now pulling some out which is relatively easy and working on a thinning approach!  Yellow rattle is strong and I am thrilled that a sown strip of bare earth on the common following a ditch being cleared out, has proved successful and there are strong rattle plants.  The graziers might not be happy if the grass gets weakened but traditionally animals would have eaten a much more balanced mix of grass and flowers.

Talking of which I was treated to a lovely walk yesterday up in North West Norfolk.  Courtyard Farm is the brainchild of the late Lord Peter Melchett who was passionate about the environment.  The farm is organic - Soil Association approved and all the field margins and complete fields are sown with wild flower mixes and crops are over or undersown with suitable mixes.  The insect life was incredible and listening to the Turtle Dove in the hedges a treat.  They need Fumitory to rear their young - a wasteland special - most of our wasteland of course gets sprayed or built on or some such travesty, hence the now over 90% decline of this lovely bird.

In the garden at the moment I am keeping a check on bindweed - not spraying this year just simply pulling it out before it throttles its host.  I know this doesnt get rid of it, but I know from experience that I have wasted too much time trying to accurately spray it, and it still defeats me.  At least if it isnt festooned over all the stream and bog plantings I shall feel better!  Still having to prop up an occasional large shoot or over heavy stem of roses using hazel twigs.  Irises are in their prime - they usually give at least four weeks of splendour, then the flowering stems need cutting right to the base and if the clump are overcrowded put a note in a diary to deal with them in the height of summer - lift the clump in July/August, cut off with secateurs any old rhizome and definitely the piece that has flowered. Cut the leaves back and make sure the rhizome you wish to plant is looking healthy.  Replant in some enriched soil with plenty of fertiliser, poking the roots well down and leaving half the rhizome above the surface to soak up sun.  Water well for first two or three weeks.  They usually need this treatment approx every four years.

The roebuck has teamed up with a roe doe - two yearlings pushed out by their parents to find their own space.  They are almost tame.  The dogs have no interest in them which means we get very close and they are enchanting and very beautiful.  The damage seems to have abated and they have taken up residence in the old moat area on the common.  Honey is being taken and we seem to have had more swarms to deal with this year than ever - Mr Horta has been going all over the place to collect swarms as well as dealing with some of our own.  Consequently we now have 7 colonies.

Mavis’ training has restarted but it has to be said she is not Inca.  She is a delightful little dog, with a great nose and work ethic but she doesnt have the drive to do competition or trial.  She is motivated by the “real thing” and finds dummies a bit dull.  However I am thrilled that the new method of delivery is really working and the “napping” at the dummy has stopped and she is being much more gentle.  So if we continue with that I shall be perfectly happy.  She will run at the Sandringham Flower Show - there is a fake shot fired there which will gee her up a little (!) but I shall plan to have puppies next year and try and put the drive in to the pups through a good father!

Raining as I write - hooray, not much but anything helps. 

HORTA

[mihaelalimberea]

Seven spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata) at work on woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa) var. 'Caradonna'. Ladybugs are voracious eaters, feeding on over fifty types of hexapods. They're particularly beneficial to the ecosystem as they eat aphids and scale insects that harm plants. Luckily, I've seen many of them in my flower beds this year 🤗. . . . . . . . . . . #r5 #stockholm #lidingö #macro #insect #ladybug (på/i Lidingö) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgvoRcUoOOQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[soldiersofthequeen]

This is Penstemon 'Evelyn' and I combined her with Eryngium 'Big Blue' and Salvia 'Caradonna Compact' Although most Penstemons aren't long living perennials, they can create very subtle combinations.

[bashcha]

Čardak leja u maju

Prošle godine je srušen stari drveni čardak, dugo sam se svađala i borila za njegov opstanak iako je stajao godinama prazan i mami služio da suši veš i mesto za gomilu smeća...da znam, ali nekako sam emotivno bila vezana za njega.

Onda sam se setila da bi na njegovo mesto mogla da formiram jednu cvetnu leju okupanu suncem, koju sam simbolično nazvala čardak leja.

U aprilu leja je počela da se budi, cvetali su narcisi tete a tete, fritillaria persica, euphorbia koja se doslovno preporodila kako sam je prenela na novo mesto. Dok mi jei fritillaria imperialis Rubra potpuno podbacila, a kupljene su nove lukovice.

Početkom maja euphorbia polychroma je doslovno zračila ušuškana među ukrasnu travu (stipa tenuissima), a salvia Caradonna je počela da izbacuje cvetne stabljike.

Od irisa prvi je cvetao ovaj plavi kom ne znam ime jer sam ga dobila kao poklon, boja mu je divna. Pred kraj maja sve se više biljaka budilo.

Dugo sam se divila kombinaciji ukrasne trave sa salviom, a sada mogu uživo da se divim zelenim talasima koji su protkani ljubičastom.

Na red su došli i irisi koje sam jesenas sadila, Sultan’s Palace, Supreme Sultan, Exotic Isle i Sweet Mussete su me obradovali misrisnim cvetovima.

Supreme Sultan, je vetar slomio pa sam ga unela untra, i preko noći se otvorio i zamirisao neodoljivo.

Ovo nije kraj, spremaju se još mnoge biljke da preuzmu pozornicu, još malo pa će ogromni ukrasni lukovi ali detaljnije o onome što dolazi u sledećem javljanju!