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Spires of pink-purple Stachys monieri 'Hummelo' (Alpine betony). Gardens of Remembrance at The Battery, New York, NY. June 2011 I know it, I grow it. But, exponentially increase the number of plants and the result is jaw-dropping!   Stachys monieri 'Hummelo'  inspires as a major player in the mass planting at the Gardens of Remembrance  within The Battery in New York City. The design is by Dutch designer Piet Outdolf . 'Hummelo' is not your ordinary stachys . The crinkled green foliage is lush and in my zone 7b garden, it never dies back completely in the winter. Like many perennials, you'll know to divide it when a shallow pit (not quite a donut hole) appears in the middle. Suitable for zones 4-9, I find this perennial likes rich, well-drained soil and mostly sun. When it needs water, the plump mounds look totally deflated. Just add water to the base. A nice size of around 18 inches high (in bloom) and 15 inches wide, makes this a suitable plant for smal...

Millions of tourists rush to the ports in New York City to catch a ferry to visit landmarks such as The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island . In the dash for the line, they seem unaware of a peaceful park. By the ferry port, by the water, at the tip of Manhattan, there are gardens overlooking the New York harbor. Paths and benches invite visitors to stroll and pause—but the paths and benches are mostly empty, except for a few who either stop to rest or photograph the flowers. Introduction to The Battery Conservancy Gardens I'm a fan of the Dutch garden designer, Piet Oudolf . A few years ago I started making a list of his gardens and bookmarked The Battery Conservancy . The gardens did not surprise me as I had studied the plant lists and viewed photographs. However, the gardens did inspire me—the scale of the plantings and the combinations of color and texture. Tourists in line for the ferry seem unaware of the gardens. I arrived just in time to be greeted by a Monarch butterfly on ...

Villain or hero? Is it possible for a simple silver plant to serve as a perfect foil—a contrast to highlight the finer points of primary plants in the garden? We pick up the story, Silver Foliage—A Perfect Foil for Purple , where I left it in June 2010. The silver-haired character of this story is Dusty Miller. Dusty Miller cools off his hot orange and yellow companions. Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France. May 2008 Dusty Miller has more aliases than a secret agent. He registers under many names— Senecio cineraria, Senecio candicans, Ceneraria maritima, Centaurea maritima —so you must look carefully at his photo identification to make sure no other seedy characters are impersonating Dusty. An annual visitor to many regions of the world, Dusty puts down permanent roots to establish himself at his many homes in zones 8a-10b. Dusty's short stature of 6-12 inches allows him to travel incognito among the throngs until the time he chooses to shine his brig...

Keep the bees alive. Don't use insecticide. Let's give 'em something to buzz about. A variety of flowers attracts pollinators. Agastache, butterfly bush, cleome,liatris, rose campion, coneflowers, Russian sage and bee balm in bloom. June 2011. In our busy bee lives, we sometimes miss important announcements. A special thanks to  Gail at Clay and Limestone  for publicizing  National Pollinator Week (June 20-26 20110) . Pollinating is not just for bees. Ants, birds, butterflies, moths, wasps—and even wind and water are pollinators. Keeping chemicals out of the garden not only helps the insects but helps prevent pollution of our natural water sources and the air we breathe. Everyone loves hummingbirds and growing monarda (bee balm) and salvia is a great way to attract the little sippers to your garden. Other hummingbird favorites include rose campion, cleome, agastache and zinnias. The clearwing hummingbird moth  (click link for my best picture) is one of the most fasc...

Hemaris thysbe (clearwing hummingbird moth) visits the Liatris ligulistyli s (Rocky Mountain blazing star). June 17, 2011. (If this photo is too large for your browser, click on it to view in a separate window.) There's a Hemaris thysbe on the Liatris ligulistylis . I can't say that three times unless I've had three cups of coffee. It also helps to be wide awake so I can tell the difference between a hummingbird and a hummingbird moth. Hemaris thysbe is better known as a clearwing hummingbird moth. Liatris ligulistylis is better known as Rocky Mountain or meadow blazing star. Both are natives, though the blazing star is typically found west of Missouri. Host plants for the moth include honeysuckle ( lonicera ), hawthorn, cherry and plum ( prunus ) trees. The moth enjoys the nectar of blazing star and other garden favorites such as bee balm and phlox. Just like a butterfly, this moth starts as a caterpillar and undergoes metamorphosis. Blazing star grows 4-6 feet in cult...

With lightning speed and buzzing whoosh, the hummingbirds battle and dive bomb around the bright red hummingbird feeder. Territorial and jockeying for the best position at the feeder, one smart hummingbird sits back on a willow tree branch while three others whiz up into the air to do battle. The little one gets to sip first. Round and round the garden they go; where they stop—do you want to know? Monarda 'Jacob Cline' in full bloom with wide leaves of crocosmia 'Lucifer' not yet blooming. As I write, I watch three hummingbirds buzz by the window on their way to lay claim to two large patches of the red bee balm, monarda 'Jacob Cline' (sometimes listed as 'Jacob Kline'). Jacob is a tall, strong bee balm, easily growing taller than 3 feet if receiving ample moisture before the blooms. This is the third year for this variety. The 2010 summer heat and drought were especially tough for this bee balm, but it bounced back, tripling in width this spring! The ha...

Boat planters in Martigues, France. April 2011. Is there a hole in the bottom of your fishing boat? Well, don't despair—dry dock that vessel! Plant it up with your favorite flowers or veggies. The display of three boats planted with colorful annuals was spotted during a lunch stop in the French village of Martigues , located thirty minutes southwest from the Marseille Airport. Martigues is on the Canal de Caronte, a waterway that connects the Etang de Berre with the Golfe de Fos and the Mediterranean Sea. Martigues is made up of three villages, Jonquières ,   L'Isle , and   Ferrières , that merged into one community around 400 years ago. Each boat bears the name of one of those villages. Context of the setting on Canal de Caronte: The bronze statues of a fisherman and his wife (repairing nets) are beside the boat planters. The three boats reside on a canal waterfront as part of a municipal display. A gardener living on a lake, river or pond might easily translate the boat pla...

Could this be doronicum orientale ? Found in a Paris park ( Champs - Élysées); April 2011 Early mornings and late evenings in my meadow, the cottontails outnumber the whitetails. It is no longer the whitetail deer that have me running to look for chewed plants—it is the rabbits. While in Paris in April 2011, strolling in a park off the  Champs - Élysées, I was drawn to a mound of yellow flowers. Beautiful, perfect blooms glowed in mass planting in partial shade. Researching the web, I decided this flower must be Leopards Bane ( doronicum orientale ). The perennial, being a native of Europe and Asia, supposedly acquired its name as a repellent of wild animals. In particular, rabbits! Could it be true? I'm sure there's some catch—perhaps the plant can't handle the humidity of the South? I've never seen this sunny flower around here, though it is said to be suitable for zones 4a-8a. Even without rabbit repelling qualities, the flowers are stunning! Do you think they run th...

Rose Campion poses in front of tall, dark and purple larkspur. Why is Rose Campion so alluring? Rose is such a simple garden flower, but she's so enormously popular that readers overwhelm my blog in their search for candid photos and juicy details. Could it be her scandalous reputation has leaked to the media? Rose Campion is not as virtuous as she seems. She reproduces prolifically throughout the garden. But, the offspring are so identical, adorable, lovable and deserving of support. That said, if she continues at this rate of reproduction, I may have to ask some of you to adopt seeds to raise the young in your gardens. Rose Campion and her children attempt to blend in with the garden crowd of cleome and larkspur. With Rose's silver foliage, slender arms and perfect upright posture—she is indeed quite glamorous. No companion distracts from her eye candy beauty, though she generously makes everyone else in the photos look good, too. Rose has no pesky enemies, loves the sun, bu...