One beautiful Sunday at Everett Farmer’s Market, a client asked about what plant might fit in an area they had in mind. It was a nice corner spot – where two fence sides came to a meeting at the corner of their lot. They liked the view above and outside the fence, so a tall and statuesque plant that would block their view was a no-go.
We all love rhododendrons, but I had something a bit different in mind.
I recommended a Carnaval Weigela, a flowering weigela. The flowers are white, pink, and lilac in color. The plant blooms twice a season; spring and later summer. They top out at 4-5’ tall, and present a full profile.
I obtained some of these gorgeous flowering weigelas from a grower in Pierce County. I received them as small 4” plugs, but given good quality soil mix, sun, Osmocote fertilizer, and appropriate watering, they all flowered for me a few months later. This picture shows when you plant a Weigela in a larger container vs a standard 1 gallon nursery container.
This Month’s Standout Plant: True Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
Once, a client came to pick up a half-gallon sized Anise Hyssop. These have been used for centuries to make tea. More creatively, they can be added to meats and stir-frys. Their anise taste imparts a unique taste to foods, too. Technically, they’re not hyssops, they’re in the Agastache family. To the point, she asked me if I grew True Hyssop. At the time, I said no, but I looked into them. I’m glad I did!
True Hyssops resemble lavender, salvia, or rosemary bushes. These perennials are remarkably easy to grow from seed, my preferred method. I am able to propagate them from seed very readily.
- They grow very strongly, and some even flower at the end of their first year!
- Even better, they are soil-agnostic. I have two that frame a little garden walkway that is at its base construction fill, rocky and clay. Nevertheless, they are profuse growers and flowerers.
- They are drought tolerant once established.
- They attract pollinators, especially the large black and yellow bumble bees, like crazy.
- They’re evergreen or semi-evergreen.
True Hyssop’s scent reportedly keeps deer away. Being in the Lamiaceae (mint) family, they can be robust growers. I’ve not experienced runaway invasive growth, but they do benefit from annual tidying up. Give them a rounding haircut in the early spring (NOT the fall, this will negatively affect them.) Untrimmed True Hyssop will degenerate over time.
Size: 24” tall, 30” wide (depending on pruning, of course)
Sun Exposure: Full Watering: Modest water needs