Monday, July 12, 2010
A light fog settles in the valley near the house. Last night's 60 degrees made for better sleeping after another sticky afternoon. 98% humidity and windless is not a way to start another day at the nursery but so be it. As long as customers and visitors keep arriving, we'll lemonade and water ourselves through the day.
I have always been interested in sedums, probably from the days when my mother started one of Vermont's earliest rock gardens and plastered it with sedums that relatives brought her from New York and Connecticut. Various sempervivens, the garden hens and chicks, prevailed and people came to see them and take home a generous trowel full my mother would share via a clay pot--no plastics back then. Today the number of varieties available to gardeners is enormous and it's no longer uncommon to see them worked in with other plantings.
Here are some quick pictures of what we offer this year beginning with a couple shots of how Gail has them displayed.
Just below is Voodoo, a contrasting mix of browns and reds and greens that spreads well and contrasts nicely with river rocks, green schists and granites.
Next is Vera Jameson, a 12"-14" sedum that offers that blue gray/purple combination to counter associated blues, yellows and whites.
Matrona is a larger sedum, in the Autumn Joy class, but strong and with good seed heads later in August.
Black Jack has nice early flowers and the red in the center of each flower catches attention.
Purple Emperor darkens some as the summer progresses but is close to this picture when planted in lots of sun. I like the way the fleshy leaves always grasp rain drops as if they'll need future refreshment.
Angelina is a very easy to propagate sedum. I like to stuff pieces in and around cracks in walls. Some visitors stuff a piece into their pockets. This irritates me as farmers work hard for what they get but I leave them with the thought that they did something they should not have.
If you are interested in sedums, stop by and review what we offer. These plants are not on our website but if you can't locate them, I'm sure Gail could arrange a shipment for you. For other ideas, Debra Lee Baldwin has a couple books out and I recently picked up Hardy Succulents by Gwen More Kelaidis. The photography by Saxon Holt merited an American Horticultural Society Award and it's special!Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where neighbor Michelle just walked by with Jelly, her new puppy. Karl the Wonder Dog barked a morning hello suggesting a desire to walk with a friend. If you get a chance today, stop at Vermont Flower Farm and I'll walk down to the hosta garden with you and point out what I'm creating.
George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Our website with lots of "how-to" info
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Sadly for gardeners, no one found the kokopelli plant sticker that was most obviously stuck in a fine pot of the daylily Lime Frost. The Kokopelli Challenge continues today but the secret location will change within the hour. Come visit!
