You Grow Girlâ„¢

I recently was a judge in a garden competition that the newspaper I work at sponsored. Not even halfway into the judging I began to realize that I am becoming a plant snob of sorts.

One garden, though beautiful, I was not impressed with because it contained clematis, lilies, Shasta daisies and other typical plants found in summer blooming gardens. Most of them were divided up and transplanted which gave the garden a nice look, but I wasn’t impressed. There wasn’t a “wow factor.”

I did enjoy the statues and the way the arbors were used in the garden and planting tall perennials around the vegetable raised beds. One plant I did enjoy in this garden, however, was an Australian mint. I had seen one at a nearby nursery and wanted one for my own. These mints are more for the senses and tactile pleasure and not for eating. They also grow very tall, 6 or more feet, as evidenced in this garden.

While shopping at one of my favorite local nurseries this week I found an Australian mint that is now in my back herb-perennial bed.

At another garden we were to judge, I also found typical plants like pink Jupiter’s Beard, more lilies, petunias, hanging baskets, roses, raspberries, fuchsias in the wishing well and a cute use of rockery plants on the seat of an old wooden chair. Wisteria and climbing roses also crept over other areas.

Two days after this experience I was watching a local gardening show on TV and at one nursery they were showing daylilies, hydrangea, and clematis. Don’t bore me I said aloud. Even though there are many common plants found in area gardens I know that certain staples are found often because they do well year after year, offer something that some companion plants don’t. Some like roses or certain lilies are even family transplants or heirlooms. For example some of my herbs were planted from our wedding centerpieces that were grown for us. I intend to not only keep these plants but take a few with me when we eventually move.

So why I have ended up as a plant snob I’m not too sure. I just like things that are a little different. My new favorite plant that I would like to obtain is a passionflower. I saw these at two places recently and their alien-like presence is very attention getting. And they’re a vine which I don’t have too many of … yet.

Another plant that I saw at a recent trip to another nursery is a Himalayan honeysuckle. It has the traditional flowers of the honeysuckle but can stand sun and also produces red berries in the fall.

Yet another “new” plant is a brown salvia. Brown flowers really don’t sound that great, but I am giving it a try as it said on the plant marker “try this new variety with us.”

I also received an angelica start that I planted in the back of the other perennials as it can grow to 6 feet tall. I wish I would have realized that before planting my evening primrose. It towers more than 5 feet now.