Re-Imagining Indigofera

If you’re anything like me, you’re constantly trying to figure out ways to get the most out of your leafy landscape companions. Whether it be eating the literal fruits of their labor, cutting fresh flowers for indoor arrangements, or learning how to make natural dyes from various plant materials, the ethnobotanical uses of our beloved garden buddies are seemingly boundless. Unfortunately, many of our traditional practices have gotten lost with time and the evolution of technology and synthetic materials – our fruits harvested thousands of miles away in different countries, last-minute bouquets of cut flowers purchased for loved ones at grocery stores, pre-made fabrics and man-made dyes that adorn our bodies day in and day out. Sometimes, the disconnect gets so overwhelming that there’s only one thing to do: return to nature. This is the season of berry-picking, frolicking through wildflower fields, and experimenting with the natural world around us, should we allow ourselves the whimsy with which to explore. The most curious of inquisitive horticultural minds may find themselves mashing and boiling plant materials to discover a heavily pigmented end result. But, where to start?

Vibrant Vitex

Summertime is in full swing all around the perimeters of Pleasant Run. Bees are buzzing, butterflies are flitting about, goldfinches are happily lapping up coneflower seeds on spent flowerheads. We’re adding new inventory left and right, getting ready for a fall season that is anticipated to be just as hair-pullingly busy as spring, and rediscovering some of our favorite selections that have proven themselves to be timeless garden workhorses.

Amongst these, our crops of Vitex agnus-castus, which I am perhaps a bit partial to, are magnificent in all of their glory. Standing proud and regal, seemingly unbothered by neither pest nor disease, with a pleasingly quick growth rate and the ability to withstand heat, salt spray, and drought, Vitex agnus-castus is as beautiful and intriguing as it is multi-functional in a variety of landscapes.

Captivating Carpinus

Maybe you’ve noticed the extreme heat we’ve been dealing with lately. We previously talked about heat-tolerant selections that are capable of thriving even in the hottest of Mid-Atlantic conditions. Still, us lowly humans need to beat the heat somehow, especially if most of our time is spent outdoors whether professionally or recreationally. Where better to find reprieve than under the shelter of a large, shady tree that also has the capacity to house and sustain wildlife? This week, we’re going beneath the cool, shadowy canopies belonging to two members of the Carpinus genus and uncovering some of the lesser-known attributes and interesting facts that make these trees so fascinating.

Out with the Old Classics, in with the New Epics

Pushing the boundaries of garden design with interesting and unique ornamental plants is a foolproof way to not only keep your clients thrilled, but to also keep your own brain from spilling over with images of the same plants time and time again. Surely, there is a place for the Endless Summer® bigleaf hydrangeas and dwarf fountain grasses of the world, but they are certainly not the end-all-be-all of landscape plants. This week, let us take you on a journey of new plant selections that are designed to become the next generation of garden classics.