This week in your Massachusetts garden & landscape
Week of July 9, 2018
Bouquets of herbs can be hung to dry. Choose an airy, dry place such as an attic and hang the herbs upside down. Tie a paper bag over the bouquet to keep it from the light and to catch falling herbs. The bouquet may take up to two weeks to dry, however, it is recommended to check its progress daily.
- A new climbing rose from David Austin for this year is ‘Bathsheba’. A beautiful, English climbing rose, this hardy plant blooms from early summer until frost. Each large apricot flower holds up to 170 petals that are a gorgeous apricot-pink color on the upper side and a soft yellow on the underside. ‘Bathsheba’ is noted for being a top five climber for fragrance. This rose is hardy in zones 5-9.
- Hypoestes phyllostachya (Polka Dot Plant) is a greenhouse grown plant and is an excellent choice for containers and as a groundcover. They grow vigorously low and have interested spotted foliage. They will tolerate full sun in the northern climates, however, they will need some shade for the afternoon in the south.
- Pick blueberries in the morning and don’t wash them until you are ready to use them.
- A beautiful allium to consider for next year’s spring garden is Allium stipitatum ‘Mount Everest’. Blooming from late May into June, its grapefruit sized orbs bloom on 2’-3’ tall stems. Tiny white blossoms with green centers, this allium simply lights up the landscape for weeks. Be sure to remove the flowers just as soon as they begin to brown. By doing so, more strength is put back into the bulb for the following year. Also, because they have the fragrance of an onion, planting them near anything that the wildlife likes to nibble on will protect them from doing so. Hardy in zones 5-8.
- An ornamental grass to consider for this fall’s landscape addition is miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ (Maiden Grass). Its arching, white-striped grassy leaves are adorned with plumes of pinkish flowers in the fall. ‘Morning Light’ will grow 4’-5’ tall in full sun and will tolerate most soil conditions. Hardy in zones 5-9.
