notes and musings from a perennial gardener
A Pennsylvania gardener
This post was updated on June 18, 2023
Many people consider beardtongue or penstemon, sometimes called foxglove beard-tongue, a wildflower best left to native settings rather than featured in a suburban flowerbed. That’s because in its native forms, the petite flowers and slim profile doesn’t draw immediate attention.
Striking hybrids are starting to change that. Let’s take a closer look.
My garden is practically exploding right now, each day bringing more flowers to admire and just as quickly, others fading away. The look changes so rapidly it’s hard to keep up. Quick, let’s take a tour before the heat wilts the show!
Come with me and my camera as I make the rounds.
Old-fashioned Avens, or Geum as it’s often called now, is a lovely spring and early summer perennial that’s airy and well-behaved. For consistency I’ll call it Geum.
This flower is uncommon in the States but better known in Europe. It favors cooler summer conditions than is typical in much of the US. Fortunately in recent years Geums are becoming more available on this side of the pond.