Painted Shade Designed by Alison Peck of Matrix Gardens

2018 garden in a box: Garden Info Sheet Painted Shade Designed by Alison Peck of Matrix Gardens

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1 - Blue Cranesbill 5 - Knautia 9 - Serbian Bellflower 2 - Blue Pincushion 6 - Korean Feather Reed Grass 10 - Yellow Columbine 3 - Deep Red Oriental Poppy 7 - Palace Purple Coral Bells 4 - Emerald Blue Creeping Phlox 8 - Plumbago

Blue Cranesbill Blue Pincushion 1 Latin Name: Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ 2 Latin Name: Scabiosa caucasica ‘Perfecta Clear Blue’ Mature Height: 18-24” Mature Height: 2-3’ Mature Spread: 2-3’ Mature Spread: 12-18” Hardy To: 8,000’ Hardy To: 8,000’ Water: Medium Water: Medium Exposure: Adaptable Exposure: Adaptable Flower Color: Violet-Blue Flower Color: Light Blue Flower Season: Early Summer Flower Season: Mid-Summer Resistant To: Deer, Rabbits Attracts: Butterflies Description: Large, grayish-green leaves create a broad rounded Description: Scabiosa caucasica is native to the Caucasus Moun- clump casting violet-blue wide faced flowers.Geranium ‘Johnson’s tains which range throughout Western Asia between the Black Blue’ makes a great woodland garden or background plant. Adding Sea and the Caspian Sea. The ‘Perfecta Clear Blue’ cultivar is a some multi-seasonal interest, the foliage of this plant takes on bril- clump-forming pincushion flower. Its long, oblong leaves support liant orange and red tones in autumn. It is deer and rabbit resistant tall stalks topped with flat, 2-3” flower heads. These blooms display and adaptable to a variety of growing conditions. cheerful, lavender-blue florets which surround a light gray center Care: Although Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ can tolerate drought with fine hairs resembling pins, hence the common name “Blue once established, it appreciates moist, well-drained soils. Shear Pincushion”. Enjoy Scabiosa caucasica ‘Perfecta Clear Blue’ in your back the foliage immediately after flowering to allow a flush of new landscape or a vase; it makes an excellent cut flower! growth. Can be divided every 3 to 4 years. Too much shade will Care: Remove spent flowers to encourage new growth. Clumps make this plant less compact with fewer flowers. can be divided every 2 to 3 years in early spring. Deep Red Oriental Poppy Emerald Blue Creeping Phlox 3 Latin Name: Papaver orientale ‘Beauty of Livermere’ 4 Latin Name: Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ Mature Height: 2-3’ Mature Height: 4-6” Mature Spread: 18-24’’ Mature Spread: 12-18” Hardy To: 9,000’ Hardy To: 9,700’ Water: Low Water: Low Exposure: Adaptable Exposure: Sun to Filtered Shade Flower Color: Red Flower Color: Lavender-Blue Flower Season: Late Spring Flower Season: Early Spring Resistant To: Deer Attracts: Butterflies Description: Papaver orientale ‘Beauty of Livermere’ features stout, Resistant To: Deer bristly stems with medium green, hairy leaves supporting immense Description: In early spring, the Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Cushion solitary deep red blossoms. These huge, satiny, ruffled flowers Blue’ showcases delightful, open-faced, lavender-blue flowers make a dramatic statement in the garden at the first sight of spring pouring over a beautiful mound of bright green leaves. Due to its into early summer. The plant goes dormant after flowering, but vigorous nature, it will form a lovely “cushion” or ground hugging leaves behind an attractive seed head. By late summer, Papaver mat of foliage. It has excellent disease resistance, and it is very orientale ‘Beauty of Livermere’ completely disappears. If you’re attractive to butterflies while managing to keep deer at bay. This looking for any early spring showstopper, look no further. This easy-going, low-maintenance evergreen will create a dramatic poppy is a sure bet. cascading effect in the garden and add beautiful color at the first Care: The Papaver orientale ‘Beauty of Livermere’ is easy to grow, signs of spring. long lived, and essentially carefree. Shear spent flowers to prevent Care: After flowering, prune to maintain a neat form and encour- self-seeding. Cut back after flowering to extend individual plant age new growth. You can divide the Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Cush- life. When foliage declines, around the end of July, pull by hand or ion Blue’ every 2-3 years in autumn to promote vigor. cut down foliage, any new leaves that arrive in late summer/fall should be left for winter.

Knautia Korean Feather Reed Grass 5 Latin Name: Knautia macedonica 6 Latin Name: Calamagrostis brachytricha Mature Height: 18-24’’ Mature Height: 3-4’ Mature Spread: 18-24’’ Mature Spread: 2-3’ Hardy To: 6,000’ Hardy To: 6,500’ Water: Low Water: Low Exposure: Adaptable Exposure: Sun to Filtered Shade Flower Color: Burgundy Flower Color: Pinkish-Tan Flower Season: Summer Flower Season: Late Summer Attracts: Butterflies Attracts: Birds Description: Knautia macedonica is a tall and clump-forming pe- Resistant To: Deer rennial with deep red pincushion flowers atop slender leaves. The Description: Calamagrostis brachytricha is a warm season, plant may be short-lived, but tends to self-seed. Knautia macedon- clump-forming grass with stiff, upright foliage. It is accented by ica makes an excellent cut or dried flower that is quite attractive pink, cotton candy-like plumes in summer that fade to a creamy to both butterflies and bees. A good companion plant because of white for fall. Its seedheads provide food for birds and remain its leggy height, it should be under-planted with lower growing attractive throughout the winter. A native to the moist, deciduous perennials. Knautia macedonica prefers dry and more alkaline soils, woodlands of central to eastern Asia, Calamagrostis brachytricha although it is tolerant of most soil types. does not perform well in locations with hot and humid nights. This Care: Knautia macedonica is a fast-growing plant that requires plant is shade tolerant, a rare trait for such a large flowering grass, little maintenance, although the flowers should be deadheaded to and it has a preference for soil that is consistently moist. It will promote new growth. adapt to any soil from sand to clay, and its tight clumps can remain in place for years. Under persistent drought conditions, this grass will go dormant and the leaf blades will begin to curl. Care: Do not allow the soil to completely dry out. Divide in spring to propagate every 4-5 years or when plant vigor declines. Cut clumps back to just above the ground in late winter. You can cut clumps earlier, but we recommend leaving the seedheads through winter as food for birds and beauty for your winter landscape. Cut the plumes to add a feathery element to dried flower bouquets. Palace Purple Coral Bells Plumbago 7 Latin Name: Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’ 8 Latin Name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides Mature Height: 12-18” Mature Height: 8-12” Mature Spread: 12-18” Mature Spread: 18-24” Hardy To: 8,000’ Hardy To: 7,000’ Water: Medium Water: Low Exposure: Filtered Shade to Shade Exposure: Adaptable Flower Color: White Flower Color: Blue Flower Season: Early Summer Flower Season: Mid to Late Summer Attracts: Hummingbirds Description: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides is late to make an ap- Description: A dome-like mound of rounded, mahogany-red pearance in spring, but its striking blue flowers intermingled with leaves give way to slender stalks that boast loose spikes of small, shiny, green ovate leaves that form an attractive spreading mound white bell-shaped flowers. Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’ is are worth the wait. Adding color to a withering landscape, it admired for its dramatic foliage and delicate blooms. It is a beauti- blooms late in the summer as many other flowers are fading away. ful addition to any landscape, but looks especially striking along a Its foliage turns scarlet with the coolness of fall, making its electric perennial border, adding color and contrast just where you need it. blue flowers atop crimson foliage a unique spectacle. A native of It is also worth noting that the more sun it receives the deeper the China and Africa, Plumbago is a very adaptable, hardy perennial foliage color will be. Two to three hours of sun will help it create a with tough, fibrous roots. It is a good choice for poor, stony soils rich color. and difficult sites, and it likes the soil moist but not soggy. Care: This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut Care: Prune out winter-killed stems before new growth emerges. back in late fall in preparation for winter. Divide clumps every 3-4 Older plants tend to die out in the center. If this happens, dig out years. Deadhead to extend flowering season. the dead area and fill with fresh soil. Ceratostigma plumbaginoides appreciates a winter mulch. During the winter, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides goes completely dormant, often vanishing from sight, and is late to emerge in the spring. You may want to mark its spot in the garden to avoid accidental damage to the plant.

Serbian Bellflower Yellow Columbine 9 Latin Name: Campanula poscharskyana 10 Latin Name: Aquilegia chrysantha Mature Height: 6-8” Mature Height: 2-3’ Mature Spread: 18-24” Mature Spread: 18-24” Hardy To: 6,500’ Hardy To: 8,500’ Water: Medium Water: Low Exposure: Sun to Filtered Shade Exposure: Sun to Part-Shade Flower Color: Lilac-Blue Flower Color: Yellow Flower Season: Late Spring to Early Summer Flower Season: Late Spring to Early Summer Description: Campanula poscharskyana is a charming and vigor- Attracts: Hummingbirds ous ground cover native to the mountains of Bosnia and Croatia. Resistant To: Deer and Rabbits It is valued for its star-shaped, lilac-blue blooms that adorn its lush Description: Its long-spurred golden flowers feature deeply lobed green foliage throughout late spring and early summer. In warmer pale yellow sepals that surround darker yellow petals. This elegant winter climates, its foliage is semi-evergreen to evergreen. This beauty is sure to stand out in any garden and makes an excellent versatile perennial has a low, mounding habit which makes a great cut flower! addition to a mass planting, border edging, rock garden, etc. Care: Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms. Prune Care: Remove about 1/3 of plant after blooming to freshen foliage. back at the end of the season. Allow plant to re-seed itself to en- Divide as needed to control spread. courage larger colonies in the following year. 2 Plant by Number Design Options:

7’

14’

1 box = 1 sq. ft.

10’