They do not display farina on their flowers or leaves, and can be safely planted outside as they will not spoil in the rain. Alpine Auriculas are noted for their flat, rounded petals and the gradual shading of their petals - dark towards their heart and light at the petal tips.These are best kept out of the rain when they flower, to avoid spoiling their pretty faces. Border Auriculas are often sweetly scented and some varieties are heavily dusted with a white powder (meal or farina) on their leaves or flowers.All look terrific in large containers, or planted in groups at the edge of borders, along paths or in rockeries. There are hundreds of cultivars available. These evergreen perennial plants are incredibly diverse in size and come in almost every color imaginable. This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society ( Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming garden information sessions, workshops and tours: May 31, Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo - semiannual plant & seed exchange and sale members only but memberships (just $10) available at door.Hardy and exquisite, Border and Alpine Auriculas are vigorous, free-flowering primroses that are strong and sturdy enough to withstand most weather conditions and be grown in the garden.
#Auricula dusty miller full#
For this full program of more than 30 classes and workshops on a wide range of gardening topics (some of them free), go to Williams will be discussing more of her favourite perennials in her workshop, “Perennials: The Enduring and the Fleeting” during the University of Saskatchewan Hortweek in July, 2016.
Both bloom in early spring and are ideal for rock gardens or the front of the border. Tulipa tarda is yellow with white tips while T. They are short (about six inches), hardy, endearing as well as enduring and soon form delightful colonies. They lack common names, so we’re left with just their Latin names. urumiensis) are planted in the fall along with other spring flowering bulbs. They bloom in late spring.ĭwarf species tulips (Tulipa tarda and T. The plants range from one to two feet in height with lovely foliage and flowers in cream, yellow and orange.
For best results, try to replicate these conditions: full sun, good drainage and even moisture. Globe flower (Trollius spp.) is native to the Alps and is found just below the permanent snowcap – in full sun and with miles of drainage where the only direction is “down.” There is always a run of water from the melting snow at its roots.
It’s available in white, pink, red and purple. Ideal for the front of the border or a rock garden.Ĭreeping thyme (Thymus praecox) forms a low prostrate mat and is ideal for a rock garden or “pavement plantings” among stepping-stones or bricks. About the same size as the prairie crocus, the pasque flower has larger, more intense coloured flowers in a wider range of colours. The European pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) is closely related to and a wonderful garden substitute for the native prairie crocus (which transplants neither graciously nor gracefully to gardens). It does equally well in sun or shade in well-drained organic soil. About 18 inches tall, it has soft green foliage and lovely blue flowers and is one of the first to bloom in spring. Soft lungwort (Pulmonaria mollis) may not be the most exotic looking, but is the most dependable of the lungworts. Primula cordesoides has soft light green foliage and pink flowers, while the cowslip (P. The auricula or dusty miller primrose has handsome green-grey foliage and comes in a wide range of colours. About six inches in height, they do best in shade in organic, evenly moist soil.
Ideal for a rock garden or the front of a border. Only a few inches tall, they soon form a spreading mound with flowers in shades of mainly white, pink, and blue. subulata) have long been a sign of spring. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil.ĭwarf phlox (Phlox borealis, P. The flowers are cream in colour and somewhat resemble those of the Japanese tree lilac. It is neither rampant nor aggressive, just impressive. Giant white fleeceflower (Persicaria polymorpha) is an excellent choice if you have space for a perennial that grows eight to 10 feet tall and forms a clump three feet in diameter. I say, let’s put some vintage plants back in our gardens – they are no less beautiful and functional than they were for our grandmothers. “My grandmother used to grow those.” But she grew them because they were tough and dependable, filled in space and provided background for showier, maybe experimental, new additions to the garden. In gardens, older varieties are usually looked upon with some disdain. In fashion, older styles that have made a resurgence are called retro and if they’re truly old then vintage, instead of used or hand-me-downs.