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"A
garden is only as fine as its edges" is an old garden adage,
but oh so true. Like the satin edging on a blanket, it gives definition
to the border. Some of the especially liked edgings growing in our
garden with daylilies are listed below.
THYMUS - Thyme - 'Mother of Thyme' is a lovely lavender loved by the
bees and can be easily mown short at the end of the season. There
are many other thymes that will give a soft edge to the border. THYMUS
serpyllum 'Coccineus' (Creeping Thyme) is a creeping ground cover
that forms mats of shiny dark green leaves with crimson flowers. Blooms
June-July.
LAMIUM - 'White Nancy' An excellent ground cover that blooms May into
July for us and has radiant silver leaves with pure white flowers.
We grow the whitest daylily GENTLE SHEPHERD with LAMIUM 'White Nancy'.
DIANTHUS - Pinks 'Bath's Pink'- A very heat tolerant plant that blooms
in June and repeats in the summer with low mounds of silvery blue
foliage. The single, spicy, fragrant, pink flowers are ringed with
maroon. It would take a whole page to list many wonderful Dianthus
to try. They are very tough little plants that are mostly scented
with pretty bloom. DIANTHUS gratianopolitanus 'Spotti' is a nine inch
summer bloomer with red spotted petals that is adorable.
ALCHEMILLA - Lady's Mantle - A mounded 18 inches high and 24 inches
wide plant with green velvety leaves. Chartreuse tiny star shaped
flowers are borne in clusters above the foliage. Blooms June through
August; a real work horse in the garden that is refined.
AJUGA - Bugle Weed 'Brown heart' A good ground cover for difficult
places that blooms in the spring. This particular AJUGA is a glossy
brownish purple. We have it planted in front of the tiniest yellow
daylilies, PENNY'S WORTH and PENNY EARNED which are ten inches in
height.
The supporting role of daylily, perennial or annual is in the eye
of the gardener. There are many good books that will give you inspiration.
The variables are countless and since you are the designer; only you
will be able to choose the color combinations that truly give you
delight. And, there will always be surprises! Here are some of the
combinations that we enjoy in our garden.
ACHILLEA - Yarrow 'Wesor River Sandstone' - A wonderful rose that
fades to a soft apple blossom pink with soft ferny foliage. Visitors
at the garden kept inquiring about it's name. The daylily DESIGNER
JEANS picks up the same shade of rose and is stunning together.
ACHILLEA 'Snowbank" is a very white one we like that goes with
everything.
PHLOX Carolina 'Miss Lingard'- This Phlox blooms early to midsummer
and repeats in the fall if spent blossoms are deadheaded. 'Miss Lingard'
blooms pure white, is resistant to mildew, is always beautiful and
dependable. Nigella 'Love in a Mist'-in shades of blue goes well with
'Miss Lingard' and any of the daylilies. Nigella an annual reseeds
itself.
PHYSOSTEGIA - Obedient Plant, False Dragonhead -'Vivid' Tall graceful
spires of dark pink blooms start in July and last till frost. 'Summer
Snow' is a good white cultivar. Children, as well as the child within
us, love the way this flower can be moved in it's socket. 'Vivid'
gives great contrast with the 30 inch daylily RUSSIAN RHAPSODY.
ANTHEMIS tinctoria - Golden Marquerite - 'Kelway' (two feet tall).
Blooms most of the summer with bright yellow daisy type blooms which
complement the deeply cut dark green foliage. ANTHEMIS blends well
with any of the yellow, golds and lavender daylilies.
OENOTHERA - Sundrops blooming June-July blends well with ANTHEMIS
and daylilies. The daylily EGYPTIAN IBIS (soft pink with yellow eye)
is a knockout with sundrops as a backdrop as its large soft yellow
eye picks up the exact shade of the Sundrops.
RUDBECKIA fulgida -'Goldsturm' 24-30 inches. Blooms July to Sept.
and is an outstanding free flowering plant, deep yellow flowers with
a near-black central cone. RUDBECKIA 'Bright Star' A tall rose pink
with slightly drooping rays, looks well with Sidalcea 'Party Girl'
and light pink daylilies.
SIDALCEA - Checker-mallow 'Party Girl'- Blooms June to August. Tiny
pink hollyhock-like flowers grow on long spikes. SILOAM JOHN YONSKI
is a light pink daylily with a darker pink eye that looks nice with
SIDALCEA.
NEPETA Musseni - The gray foliage and heart shaped leaves are most
attractive giving a soft, billowy effect. Lavender blue spikes bloom
till frost. NEPETA is great as an edger or second tier plant and fits
in with any shade of daylily. The daylilies LAVENDER TONIC and JOAN
SENIOR are especially lovely with NEPETA.
These are just a few ideas, though you are sure to have your favorite
combinations as well. Enjoy all those catalogs and gardening books
and plan for Spring!
"Ah
yet, ere I descend to the grave
May I a small house and a large garden have;
And a few friends, and many books, both true,
Both wise, and both delightful too!" -Author unknown
Last
updated: 6/7/01
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