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#12 Memories of Summer Make Winter Fade For a While
Today I hit a wall. It’s still rainy and cold in Seattle and I couldn’t deal with the gloom. Do you ever get that trapped feeling at this time of year? You feel like spring should be coming but it isn’t quite. So I started just flat out daydreaming of blue skies and warm sun, what my mood would be like right now if I were on a tropical beach. Who am I kidding, my mood would be awesome. Then I realized I did have those blue skies and sun just six months ago. I still couldn’t move about but I was able to relax on my patio chair. The memories of summer make winter fade for a little while.
What does this have to do with plants? Well, my summer’s are always jammed with gardening fun. I’m in nature nearly every day. I love the free feeling I get being outside in a T-shirt and sandals, sharing a moment with a passing bee that lands on a flower in bloom. It’s heaven. Even at home during this sad pandemic, it’s heaven.
Plant Photos Help Relive the Dream
So seeing how these images give me a bit of stress releaf, I thought I’d share them. My memories of summer might help you through the winter blahs too.
Purple Iris 
Salal 
Rhododendron 
Maidenhair Fern 
Alstroemeria
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The 10 Best Perennials for Sun
While creating my last A Vine of Ideas digest, I wanted to share a decent list of the best perennials to grow in sun. But the lists I found were lacking. They were too long, not broad enough in terms of zonal hardiness, included fussy or hard-to-find plants, or listed actual shrubs. So I’ve compiled my own list of what I believe are the best low-maintenance, long-blooming winners. They’re all pretty and tough and widely available. Plus, they all attract butterflies, bees, and birds!
1. Daylily
Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’ Daylilies (Hemerocallis) have got to be the easiest perennial to grow. They’re hardy to zone 3 and require little, if any, care. As they store energy in little tubers, they leaf out in early spring and bloom for several weeks in summer. Each blossom lasts for about a day, hence the name. I have the classic orange daylilies (hemerocallis fulva) that are larger, to about two feet high. With their arching spear-like leaves, they make quite a bold statement and fill in blank spaces rapidly. I also grow a dwarf ‘Happy Returns’ daylily, which is yellow and so darn cute. They don’t spread as rapidly, just simply hangout in their little space.
2. Salvia
Salvia ‘May Night’ Salvias are known to be tender in northern gardens but I’ve denied my zone and grown ‘Black and Bloom,’ ‘Hot Lips,’ and other fun cultivars without returning success. I’ve also planted hardier cultivars and ‘May Night’ (salvia x sylvestris ‘May Night’) is my favorite. It’s got deep purple flowers that make a bold statement, especially paired with an orange rose or magenta peony. And they bloom for most of the summer with some deadheading. Plus, foliage leafs out early! ‘May Night’ also has excellent hardiness to zone 4. I think it’s a must-have for the garden. Plus, bees adore it!
3. Crocosmia
Crocosmia ‘Emily McKenzie’ The tall sword-like leaves of crocosmia (crocosmia) elegantly add contrasting structure to the garden. That they bloom in this succession of strongly colored, exotic-looking flowers is even better. I grow a couple different kinds and rarely think twice about them. If you like red, choose the taller ‘Lucifer.’ My favorite is ‘Emily McKenzie,’ which is shorter and brightly orange. Overall, as long as a crocosmia is in full sun and doesn’t dry out too much, they will produce late-summer blooms for many weeks. Delicate looking but super tough. Hardy down to zone 5.
4. Stonecrop
Sedum spectabile ‘Brilliant’ You might know stonecrop (sedum spectabile) by its broccoli-like appearance. It emerges in rosettes before growing into 1-1 1/2 foot wide stalks topped with flat flower heads. Stonecrop is hardy down to zone 4 and loves to bake in the sun in poor soil. In late summer, red flowers emerge that then fade to marroon and darken to brown. In winter, their sturdy forms offer great structure and seeds for birds. ‘Autumn Joy’ is a reliable cultivar, but I also love the variegated ‘Autumn Charm.’ I also grow ‘Xenox’ and ‘Purple Emperor’. ‘Brilliant’ is a brighter version of ‘Autumn Joy.’ All are highly drought tolerant. A great perennial for sun.
5. Tickseed
Coreopsis grandiflora When I think of tickseed (coreopsis grandiflora), I think of sunshine. These clumps of mostly yellow flowers (sometimes orange, red or bi-colored) bloom all summer long. They grow to about a foot high and require little care. I occasionally deadhead to prolong blooms. I grow the straight species as I like solid, darker yellows. A cultivar called ‘Main Street’ allures with its red-magenta color and the threadleaf plants add interest with narrow foliage. Some are hardy down to zone 4.
6. Phlox
Phlox ‘Coral Red Flame’ The phlox (phlox paniculata) perennial is an old fashioned mainstay and even though it’s dismissed for that, I still think it’s a great perennial to grow for constant summer color. And there are hundreds of colors to choose from! I have a cultivar called ‘Coral Red Flame’ that blares and a couple others whose names I can’t remember. ‘Ruby’ is a common cultivar with bright red flowers. These lovely perennials are not that drought tolerant, they like a bit of water in summer and even some shade. I grow mine in full sun with supplemental water and they do well, nestled in the mid-border due to the vertical form. I have had some powdery mildew problems here and there. Hardy to zone 3.
7. Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea In my northwest climate, coneflowers (echinacea purpurea) take a while to get going in early summer, but once they take off, they bloom well into fall. These prairie flowers like well-draining soil but reward with some drought tolerance and rich friendly pink and orange colors. I grow some harder-to-find cultivars like ‘Tiki Torch’ and ‘Wild Berry,’ but the straight species is a fine choice for anyone with a garden between zones 3 and 8. The pink varieties look stunning beside the dark salvia ‘May Night.’
8. Iris
Japanese Iris ‘Cry of Rejoice’ I fell out of love with irises for a while because they bloom during a shorter window in spring but if you’re looking for a low maintenance perennial, irises are a solid choice. They make up a broad family of Siberian, Japanese, and bearded varieties, which can be overwhelming. For regularly blooming color, I’d choose a Japanese or Siberian. In the northwest, I also grow bearded irises. Their flat wide leaves offer great evergreen structure. My favorite is Iris pallida ‘Aureo-variegata,’ which I like more for the striped yellow-green foliage than the lavender flowers. Hardy to zone 4.
9. Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia fulgida) is another workhorse. You can plant a pot of these, turn away, and the next thing you know they’ve spread to form a pleasantly large clump. These two-foot perennials bloom from mid-summer to late fall, usually only fading just as the first frost arrives. Butterflies love the prairie flowers whose beaming yellow cheer up any garden. I grow ‘Goldsturm,’ which is the classic flower you often see in public and home gardens. In winter, I leave the dried heads undisturbed to feed the birds. Hardy to zone 4.
10. Bee Balm
Monarda ‘Raspberry Wine’ Bee balm (monarda) almost didn’t make my list because it tends to get powdery mildew in fall but the flowers are so uniquely cool I just had to include it. They look like fancy crowns with points all around. Plus, hummingbirds and bees love them. Bee balm is a tough perennial, multiplying quickly and offering a punch of magenta or purple in a mixed border. I grow the larger ‘Raspberry Wine,’ a mildew-resistant cultivar, beside my purple smokebush. There are many dwarfs and colors available. Hardy to zone 3.
Runners Up: Peruvian Lily and Lavender
Alstroemeria Peruvian lily (alstroemeria) is another beloved favorite of mine. I’ve had a peach cultivar whose name I don’t know (above), if it has one, for decades and every year I can’t wait for it to bloom. Usually, these back-of-the-border plants grow to almost three feet tall and depending on what’s around them, may need staking. Still, the cut flowers last a long time and they bloom profusely all summer without attention. I also have a ruby colored variety, which contrasts nicely with my Salvia ‘May Night.’
I didn’t include lavender in the main list because technically it’s a shrub. Still, English lavender (lavandula angustifolia) delights with silvery wands and fragrant purple flowerheads. Gardeners in colder climates can’t grow the more tender Spanish lavenders but English lavenders grow just fine down to zone 5. I’ve found lavenders look lovely lining a hot walkway and do best when trimmed after blooming, though be careful. A lavender can die if old wood is pruned. It’s fun to run your hands along lavender and enjoy the lovely scent!
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The Rich Blaze of Red and Orange Heucheras
The other day, I was roaming my local nurseries and noticed some enchanting red and orange heucheras. They’re commonly called Coral Bells. Some I’ve grown and some I’ve yet to put in my garden. But I recommend growing all of these low perennials. They show off beautiful foliage, bloom in tall wands of delicate flowers, and attract hummingbirds. Plus, they grow in an array of gorgeous colors and variations. Many even survive down to zone 4 temperatures. So with a little fertilizer and trimming in spring, these part-shade babies will please you with long seasonal interest.
Usually, I favor the purple and silvery heucheras because they blend so harmoniously with magenta and orange flowers, which I like. But these more heated colors work well in contrasting arrangements. Try pairing them with blue hostas or forest green ferns or even glossy ginger.
Heuchera ‘Peach Flambe’
I love how the leaves of ‘Peach Flambe’ emerge as a dusky red. Then, as they broaden, their hue turns orange and lightens up. You can see what I mean in the top photo of a fall container arrangement.
Heuchera ‘Fire Alarm’
In contrast, ‘Fire Alarm’ warms with a muted brick tone. That shade could smolder beautifully against a variegated euonymus or dark green hellebore.
Heuchera ‘Paprika’
Aren’t those markings cool? Heuchera ‘Paprika’ glows with a wonderfully smoky peach color, highlighted by those prominent, craggy veins. I adore how the foliage is like a painting itself.
Heuchera ‘Forever Red’
Heuchera ‘Forever Red’ seems to deepen the longer you look at it. It’s utterly enchanting. The ‘Forever’ series includes a purple cultivar as well, which is absolutely electric. Also, they both hold their color in milder climates.
Photo courtesy of Monrovia I haven’t even gotten to cultivars somewhere between red and purple, of which there are many. And then there are the green tones. But I’ll leave all of those to a future post. And leave you to decide which of these lovelies you might like to try growing in your garden!
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How I Found New Inspiration at a Familiar Nursery
Since I worked for roughly 15 years as a gardener, it’s no surprise that a plant nursery figures prominently in The Forgetting Flower. Renia’s uncle owns a wholesale nursery in the French countryside. I modeled his nursery, Les Racines, in part on a local nursery I’ve shopped at for years. Here are a few photos.
The Wholesale Shopping Experience
Home gardeners sometimes think buying plants wholesale is a sweet perk of being an industry professional. In some ways it is because you get a discount on plants. However, the time it takes to drive around the giant growing operation and gather healthy specimens makes up for the money saved. In other words, it often takes hours. And after those hours, sometimes of frustration, you may not find a quality specimen that meets your standards.
Today, I went with my friend Angela, a container designer, to shop for a client. We were on the hunt for perennials. This is what you look like when you’re examining plants for robust foliage, buds or flowers, pests, or any hint of disease.
In the novel, I describe a sprinkler system somewhat based on the system above. They have an arm of emitters and a long heavy hose. They also move at a steady eerily robotic clip. Oftentimes as I’ve searched for plants, I’ve had to suddenly outrun these sprinkler monsters as they suddenly begin spraying a monsoon of water.
In the book, Renia, not necessarily by choice, has to drive a tractor and trailer combo like this. Workers driving tractor-trailers comb the nursery as workers pick orders and rearrange stock. Plants are sold and added everyday.
While you have dozens of one kind of perennial to choose from, you have to doublecheck every pot to make sure the cultivar you want is the cultivar listed on the price sheet. This takes extra time as well. For instance, today astrantias were listed on the price sheet as being in one field but were actually in a completely different field. So in essence, shoppers often play location detective.
Lastly, while paying for your plants, you never know who you might find atop a copy machine. This was the scene in the office while clients paid for orders and people chatted. This kitty wasn’t terribly interested in any of that and snoozed peacefully instead.
