Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Plant of the Month-Septermber 2010

From In the Garden
This month's Plant of the Month has to be the sedums. It was funny too because I truly did not expect to choose the sedums but here they are! The sedums are one of the most drought tolerant plants in my gardens, they have year round interest, there are tons of cultivars , they are easy to propagate, and they make a tremendous impact in a garden. I love them!!

The particular cultivar pictured above is 'Autumn Joy' and it grows in my Rear Center Garden along the south side under some oaks. The location is a very inhospitable place. A place so awful that not even daylilies like it. I have had to switch out several plants in my garden due to drought conditions this year and the daylilies and sedums were two that switched positions in this spot. More on that at another time.

From In the Garden
Here we have 'Autumn Joy' and 'Autumn Fire' growing in the driveway garden. This is a garden under siege from me! It is normally a spring garden which is all good and fine in the spring when we have rains but when the rains stop I wind up with very little to look at. Enter the sedums and other drought tolerant plants. I am determined to water less or not all next year so I've been busy moving plants around lately. This is one garden that has received attention in the form of added sedums. Sedums can't be beat for low maintenance. Yuccas and artemesia also grow in this garden. All three make good companions. As you can see from the above picture this garden is in part shade, actually mostly shade and under a mature oak tree, yet the sedums do okay. You gotta love that!

From In the Garden
Runners up for this month's Plant of the Month were Great Blue Lobelia (thanks Catherine!) These were started from seed back in February and even though I initially thought they were red valerian I am so very pleased with these lovely blue plants! Here they grow in a bed in the vegetable garden but I might move them all next spring to a flower garden. We'll see.

From In the Garden
Hyacinth beans are simply splendid. Not only do I have tons of seedpods but the vines are still blooming. Here they grow on the huge PVC arbor; which graces the entry to my vegetable garden.

From In the Garden
Lastly the battle for October's Plant of the Month had me seriously considering the salvias and lantanas. Here we have Pineapple sage growing alongside 'Miss Huff' lantana in a vegetable garden border. While lantana is drought tolerant and simply stunning this time of the year the sedums had it beat out for this month's coveted title of Plant of the Month....

in the garden....

What is your Plant of the Month in your garden?

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

31 comments:

  1. I appreciate the drought resistance of the sedums and love them although i have never got round to acquiring any. I think my favourites this month (spring here) is either echium or banksia roses, both of which flower for about a week, or so it seems, but it's worth the wait.

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  2. Catmint, It has been so bad this year that my main thought with plants is drought tolerant. It is rough here. The sedums sure fit the bill. It's so neat you are entering spring!

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  3. I think you've made an excellent choice this month, Tina. I still haven't figured out what is wrong with a couple of mine, though. If they are drought tolerant, then it's not the lack of water but something else. My pineapple sage is also disappointing this year; I love those red blooms this late in the year, but mine hasn't bloomed at all. I think I'd pick lantana for my plant of the year--this summer's conditions were perfect for it!

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  4. I can't believe what you still have blooming. Love, love autumn joy, I have it and it seems maintance free.

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  5. I have a start of Autumn Joy thanks to brother from Ga. I have it in several places.
    My white lantana & lavender lantana have started to bloom after I moved them. Wish I knew the names.
    But for the plant of the month I would have to go along with the mums.
    Love this cool weather.
    Hi Dawn, Jean, Anonymous, Skeeter & Nina. Tina, hope you & the other girls have a great day.

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  6. Rose, Sometimes the sedums like to be divided and stand up taller and do better. Try that. I seem to remember you posting about yours. Hopefully next year will be better.

    Dawn, The drought is causing serious problems but a few things manage to bloom. Yeah! I've been busy cleaning up though and getting ready for winter. It has been cold. Hope you are doing much better.

    Lola, What a nice brother. Autumn Joy is an awesome cultivar. I sure love it in my garden.

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  7. A great POTM~In my garden it's been all floppy~Last year I found something living in a stem...any thoughts? gail

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  8. My hyacinth bean vines have taken over my deck railings and also are still blooming. I'll have thousands of seeds for next spring. You know you can eat the blossoms--they taste like peas and are great in salad.

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  9. All the photos are pretty. About all I have blooming now is sedums, sunflowers and hydrangers. The hrdrangers have just been spectacular up here this year. The shadowns in the second picture sure are fall shadows. Oh one more thing I still have blooming is in the veggie garden....OKRA, and people say you can not grow it in the north. Those blooms are so gorgeous that I just may put some in the flower garden next year also.

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  10. Tina, Sedums are also the hardiest plants. They even grow in my frozen zone 2-3 garden and right now they are the only plants that look alive.

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  11. I love sedums too, but I think my plant of the month for October is probably going to be the Miscanthus. The leaves are turning fiery and the seed heads look beautiful back-lit by late afternoon sun, swaying gently.

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  12. Autum Joy is such a trouper isn't it? Your hyacinth bean vine is huge! I have mine on today's post. Lovely garden as always.

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  13. My favorites were the lobelias- I just love the color. I'm enjoying the wildflowers in my garden - asters and that purple/blue one that is poisonous.

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  14. There's a goldmoss sedum that does well here in Florida, and I love carpeting the ground with it. I actually got a cutting of "Autumn Fire" from a coworker who brought it from chicago! I've yet to see if it likes it here.

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  15. I really need to move my Sedum...you have some great plants here!

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  16. Good choice Tina. I would have to say (any no surprise here) would be my Limelight Hydrangea, it still looks great. ;)

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  17. Tina,
    Sedums are the plant of the year, all types and varieties in my garden. Drought tolerant, They are #1.
    Good choice!

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  18. Yes, sedums can stand a LOT of neglect and still thrive. Definitely MY kind of plant! I have many different kinds and love them all.

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  19. Great pictures! I wish my garden looked like yours right now. Carla

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  20. Call me crazy, but I am choosing Black Foot Daisies! Yes, I know it's a summer flower, but it's still warm here, and not much rain so the little daisies are blooming away. And, the sun shinning on them makes my entire little yard smell so good.

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  21. I like sedums too, but for flowers this month, I'll give the Plant of the Month award to the one I'm trialing for Renee's Garden - N. 'Spitfire.' Although I'm giving it a low mark for its inability to climb (it's listed as a climbing variety but should be listed as a snaking one), it flowered nicely in what I call dirty dirt.

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  22. Love your sedum pick! I'm a huge fan!!

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  23. Tina, I am with you on the sedums and drought tolerant plants. Give me grasses, ground covers, native plants, little or no water... and I'm a happy camper.

    Over the years we have replaced many of the plants that require a lot of attention with evergreens, those things that after several years in the ground, are pretty much on their own. The older I get, the less bending I need. :-)

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  24. It's hard for me to pick just one right now but I'm in between the salvias and the sedums I guess. The tall sedums did well this year for me but the ground cover types croaked. It's been a rough summer for the garden. The blue salvias and red ones look great right now down here!

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  25. Autumn Joy is such a great plant - even Bob raves about it to people as we've given quite a few to friends who wanted one. My deck has been so colorful with Vera Jamison, Caulticolum, Bertram Anderson, and now October Plant is blooming beautifully. Yup Sedums is a good choice.
    I think in my garden right now it's the Asters that are putting on such a brilliant show. I just love them!

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  26. Great choice Tina. I think here it would have to be the Japanese anemones. They are really beautiful right now.
    ps Those lobelia are terrific.

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  27. I saw a new tall autumn sedum, Autumn Fire, in the white flower farm catalog. Looks interesting. Those plants do add a lot to the fall landscape. And the blue lobelia is gorgeous!

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  28. I only have a few sedums, but I plan to remedy that over time because this is one hot, dry garden!

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  29. I have random sedums that have hitchhiked their way into the garden along with other plants. I have no idea what kind they are but I agree with you that they're great low-maintenance and low-water options for the garden. Your goal of cutting back water is admirable. It's definitely a greener option--but also less work!

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  30. Sedum would have been runner-up for me - asters win hands-down as Plant of the Month in my garden and all other nearby gardens. I've got to do a blog post on that - thanks for the idea.

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  31. In Ohio we are suffering the worst autumn drought I remember for a long time. Only the asters show for much right now... but I did get a surprise rose bloom. Roses don't seem to mind drought so much! But, oh, the poor chrysanthemums.

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