notes and musings from a perennial gardener
A Pennsylvania gardener
Here’s a native bulb with an fascinating history you might not know about. Camassia, also called camas, Great Camas, camash, quamash, Indian hyacinth or wild hyacinth, is comprised of five species native to the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. There is also an eastern species C. scilloides, or Atlantic camassia. They are all members of the asparagus family.
Who doesn’t love a green and white garden? Done well, it’s hard to beat this simple yet elegant look. Normally we associate green and white with either very traditional or formal gardens. Indeed, clipped hedges enclosing white roses and foxgloves is a classic, and very English, combination.
While the British may be the best known exhibitors of this style, there are lots of ways to combine green and white. Narrowing down your plant choices is a good way to make the planning more manageable.
Here in southeastern Pennsylvania, the old hardiness zone of 6b has changed thanks to a warmer, wetter climate of late. According to the USDA, the Lehigh Valley is now considered zone 7a.
Welcome news? A little mixed, actually.