Adrienne - ONCE UPON A CONEFLOWER

Culver’s Root: An Easy Native for the Summer Border

Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum) Erica on a misty morning

This hard-working, graceful perennial deserves to be better known. Ideal for native and rain gardens, Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum) also does well in average garden soil and full sun in most any setting. It lends a strong vertical accent, doesn’t spread or self-seed, has a long bloom period, and the bees adore it. Best of all it needs almost no care. Easy-peasy!

Starting in June, each 2-foot to 5-foot stem will develop racemes, bud up and begin opening from the bottom up. Fluffy arrow-like pink, white or lavender tufts will billow softly in the breeze atop attractive palmate foliage. This plant doesn’t need staking (when grown in full sun) and it stands up well to storms. Deer may sample it occasionally, but they leave it alone for the most part. Remarkably disease resistant, Culver’s root takes heat and humidity in stride.

Growing Agapanthus in Pots

Lily-of-the-Nile, African Lily, Agapanthus— it’s a lovely tropical plant whatever you call it. The flowers resemble a cross between an allium and an amaryllis. In fact, it is a member of the Amaryllis genus. Until just recently, no agapanthus cultivar was reliably hardy in the ground below zone 7. This is starting to change, with cultivars bred for colder regions starting to come to market.

Still, if you want to grow this plant reliably in zone 6, a pot or planter is the best way to do it. Luckily agapanthus adapts readily to pots.

Make A Hypertufa Birdbath

Our favorite garden accessory is our hypertufa birdbath. I always wanted a vessel with a wide shallow basin instead of the two-piece pottery ones you see for sale everywhere. Regular birdbaths served us well enough, but after a succession of broken and cracked tops, we wanted a better solution.

My friend showed me her hypertufa birdbath and I was sold. She was even kind enough to lend me her mold, a snow saucer! I’m indebted to her for sharing her creativity with me, and now I’m passing her secret along to you.