I think it is time once more for a walk through some local gardens to see what’s blooming. It is still very dry here so I’ve seen a lot of wilting, but most plants seem to be holding on. I liked the pattern on this cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum ) bud that I saw in a local park. It looked almost reptilian, I thought. Cup plants are tall native perennials that can reach 8 feet. It’s called cup plant because its leaf pairs-one on each side of the square stem-are fused together and form a cup around the stem. This cup usually has water in it.
Fused leaves of the cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum. ) These leaves join around a perfectly square, hollow stem.
Cup plant flower. This plant produces resins that smell like turpentine. It was used medicinally by Native Americans.
Liatris (Liatris spicata) is a native plant that I grow in my garden. When found in the wild it is often called blazing star or marsh blazing star. In my garden it is in a spot that gets hot afternoon sun and is quite dry, so I’m not sure how well it would function in a marsh. In any case, no matter what it is called, it’s a beauty.
The deep magenta color of this rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) was amazing, and seemed much darker in person than it does in this photo. This plant was recorded in English gardens in the 1500s and when the English crossed the sea, so did this flower. Other common names for this old fashioned favorite include Bloody Mary, Bloody William, Dusty Miller, and Mullein Pinks. I saw this plant growing at a local farm supply store as I was driving by. Its silvery foliage really makes it stand out from other plants.
Outside of the garden Centaurea (Centaurea) is known as knapweed and is detested for its invasive habit. Inside the garden it is prized for its unusual flowers and is often called perennial bachelor’s button, cornflower or star thistle. It comes in a large variety of colors including deep blues, lemon yellows, pinks, maroons, and purples. Some are native but most originated in Europe. This is a large family of plants that contains over 300 species. This plant gets the name Centaurea from Chiron of Greek mythology, who was a half man- half horse centaur. Chiron is credited with teaching Achilles about the healing properties of herbs.
It is hard to match the blue of the Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) in the garden. Since it is in the same family as bluebells and lobelia its beautiful color shouldn’t come as any surprise. This plant gets its common name from the way the flower buds resemble a hot air balloon before they open. Nobody seems to be able to explain exactly why the plant’s buds swell like they do, but children are fascinated by the process. This plant is all about the number 5; 5 petals, 5 stamens, and 5 stigma lobes-5 of everything. Until, that is, plant breeders got ahold of it and created a double flower, which has 10 petals and which appears in the above photo. I believe the variety is “Astra Double Blue.”
All of the petals are fused together in a Balloon flower bud until they open. Balloon flower is another easy to grow perennial. I planted one many years ago and haven’t touched it since. Balloon flowers also come in purple, pink, and white.
This peach colored daylily (Hemerocallis) is a welcome sight in my garden each summer. I grow several varieties of early, midseason and late daylilies so there seems to always be at least one daylily in bloom no matter what month it is.
Growing globe thistle (Echinops) is another excellent way to introduce blue into the garden. This plant will bloom for weeks and also makes an excellent cut flower. It likes full sun and doesn’t mind dry soil. Cooler night time temperatures bring out a deeper blue in the flowers. Globe thistle will readily self-seed so the spent blossoms should be cut off if more than one plant isn’t wanted. I think their shape as well as their color adds interest to a garden.
What would a perennial garden be without tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata)? This pink one is one of several that I grow. I have it planted under windows so its fragrance can drift into the house. Phlox is another flower of fives and has 5 fused petals, 5 sepals and 5 stamens. It is native to the Americas and in Peru one species is known as the sacred flower of the Incas. The word “phlox” comes from the ancient Greeks and means flame.
So far this season I’ve shown white, pink and yellow yarrow (Achillea millefolium,) so here is a purple one to go with them. At least, I think it is purple-it could be a deep pink. Now if only I could find a red one to show you. In Greek mythology Achilles was taught the medicinal properties of Yarrow by the centaur Chiron. (See centaurea plant above) Once he had this knowledge Achilles was able to heal his wounded soldiers, but why this plant was named for him and not Chiron is anyone’s guess. Yarrow is a very pungent herb and if cows eat it their milk and anything made from it, such as butter or cheese, will taste like the plant.
Black and brown eyed Susans are rudbeckias. Here is another rudbeckia, and it’s called “Autumn sun.” There is a new, cherry red rudbeckia with a brown center that I’m kind of anxious to see. It’s called “cherry brandy” and I keep hoping I’ll see it in one of the various parks that I visit but so far, I haven’t seen it. Rudbeckias are an excellent choice for the garden because they bloom in hot, dry weather when many other plants aren’t blooming.Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is also called yellow buttons, because that’s just what these flowers look like. Knowledge of this plant goes back a very long time; the ancient Greeks cultivated it and it has a long history of being used as an insect repellant. Recent research shows that tansy repels ticks, moths, and other insects. This plant has also been used in the past for embalming -probably due to its strong, pungent odor more than for any other reason. Tansy was introduced from Europe and though it has escaped gardens it isn’t often seen in the wild.0
This is one view of a local park I often visit. Though there are mostly balloon flowers blooming right now you can see some yellow helianthus and white Queen Anne’s lace.
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts ~ Rachel Carson
Thanks for stopping in.
A very nice selection, Allen. The cup plant is unusual. A great photo.
Only moments ago I was sorting through a group of wildflowers I have yet to identify that may fit into my camping series. Your knapweed photo looks just like one of them, although mine is not nearly as full.
Thanks Rick. There are 2 or 3 kinds of knapweed here and the only way to tell them apart is by the bracts under the flower-by both color and shape, so unless you have a good macro of the bracts it’s going to be tough to tell which one you have. I’d still show it though and say that it’s knapweed, which is true.
i love your pics
Thank you!
I like that Globe Thistle…very pretty.
I’ve always liked globe thistles too-one of my favorites.
I’m more familiar with the Bull Thistles (?) or “regular” thistles that we find out here…I think you’ve shared some of them in your posts recently….
Yes, bull and Canada thistles are usually seen in the wild but it’s doubtful that globe thistle would be unless it escaped someone’s garden. Canada and Bull thistles are in the genus Cirsium while globe thistle is in Echinops. All three are in the aster family. Globe thistle makes a great cut flower and will last for quite a long time, so they’re great in a garden.
Wonderful selection of flowers! The Cup Plant is just gorgeous and I really admire the Balloon Flower especially! Of these, we have Tansies,Yarrow (but no colors except white), Brown-eyed Susans, the much-detested knapweed, and my wife has 15 types of daylilies in her garden.
Cup Plant certainly is unusual and I was surprised when I found out that it was a native. Balloon flower is always a favorite and is a real conversation starter as well. I like knapweed though I agree-most people detest it. With all those daylilies your garden must look a lot like mine! They are amazing plants that just keep on giving with no care at all.
Nice to see some blooming flowers. The drought here in Western Kentucky has whatever is still surviving in poor shape. I walked around yesterday and even the ironweed is struggling. One lone butterfly with nipped away wings seemed to match the ironweed as the butterfly was constantly on the move from plant to plant. The plants having few healthy blooms.
I wish I could send some rain your way. I always believe nature knows what she is doing and everything balances out, but sometimes it’s hard to make any sense of it. We had some rain over the weekend but not nearly enough. Everything is dry here too-I haven’t had to mow the lawn in almost a month now.
I love that balloon flower. I’ve never seen one before. It appeals to the kid in me.
It’s always the kid’s favorite!
I never saw cup plant OR balloon flower in Massachusetts. Great to find out about these flowers!!
Your garden is beyond spectacular and the globe thistle in particular is gorgeous!!!
Great update!
Thanks! There are so many varieties it is hard to keep up with them all. And they’re all beautiful, which makes it even harder.
We seem to have quite a few of the same plants in our gardens. I had not
heard of the cup plant, though. It seems like I aiways learn something here.
I didn’t realize that liatris was native here. We had it in the pasture in Oklahoma, but I haven’t seen it in the wild here. Mine doesn’t look that great this year. I have it in the field and in the garden, and the plants look equally bad in both places, so it isn’t about water.
Hi Sandy. Cup plant needs a lot of room so it’s best grown in a large bed. It is also quite tall at 6-7 feet, so it should be at the back of the garden as well. Against a fence or at the edge of the woods would be good. Liatrus is a native plant but it is native to our prairies, so it isn’t completely at home here in New hampshire but it does well. One thing that liatris will absolutely not take is water logged soil around its roots in winter. It has to have well drained soil. I wonder if the soil being only partially frozen and wetter than usual last winter might have affected your plants.