Last year, lurking somewhere deep within the bowels of GardenWeb, I read of someone who had a "Top Fives of Five" list. This was a listing of the top five workaholic plants in their garden over the course of their active growing season, which was five months.
Um, bingo! What else could a crazy listmaker gardener ask for but another list to keep track of? I modified my list slightly to the top fives over six months. And I did one list for perennials and one for annuals. These lists *should* help me better design my garden around my seasonal workhorse plants.
Here are my perennial Top Fives:
| May | June | July | August | Sept | Oct |
| irises | peonies | echinacea | agastache | grasses | mums |
| lupine | catmint | butterfly bush | angelonia* | mums | grasses |
| creeping phlox | shastas | phlox | roses | angelonia* | |
| candytuft | roses | monarda | candy lilies | ||
| garlic chives | daylilies | glads | rudbeckia |
 |
| Manna? What is it? |
*Side ramble: (I bought the plant in the above photo at a local garden sale - it was barely a seedling and was labeled "phlox." As soon as it got a little bigger, I realized That's. Not. Phlox. I let it grow for a year, and thought it might be angelonia. (Mysteriously, a phlox DID show up in the middle of the growth the next year!) I have a sneaking suspicion it might be obedience plant though...which would explain why it was in the plant sale in the first place! Any confirmations here?)
The annual Top Fives are pretty redundant - alyssum, snapdragons, then zinnias! :)
One thing I noticed in keeping track of my plants last year was a lack of foliage plants. What a challenge to outshine the stars of the garden, but a garden without these understudies shines only brightly for a few spots in the season. Last summer I added a few lamb's ears (a childhood favorite), and this summer am hoping to try some of the new sun-loving coleus.
Even if you're not much of a listmaker, I'd encourage you to give this exercise a try. After all, you only have to write down 5 plant names a month! And you may be surprised at what you discover.
Physostegia virginiana. Yep, obedient plant. Have you heard it called 'Miss Manners'?
ReplyDeleteNice meme, five plants each growing month. I might have to round out late winter bulbs with Henbit but it makes a great show en masse.
Oh, yes, definitely obedient plant that is anything but obedient. I planted it several years ago and a couple years later I was ripping it out!!!!!!!! It tried to take over my whole garden spreading by roots and seeds. It might be more behaved in your neck of the woods, but down here it is very invasive. It cannot live in my garden anymore. When it blooms it sure is pretty, though, I will give it that. If only it lived up to its name!
ReplyDeleteWay cool idea. I found myself referring to garden progress last year through digital photography - it was eye-opening. But I have to admit, I'm a list-making, garden-journaling, garden magazine-reading nut job right now - and you just fanned the flames! (THANKS!!) :D ...off to make new lists!
ReplyDeleteinteresting thoughts about the top plants..will have to think...if you have that Obedient plant in a moist part sunny to sunny location get rid of it unless you want it to spread to a huge drift...it looks great in a meadow and is a native plant but will be aggressive in a small garden or take over and over run other plants in a garden bed...needs room to spread and grow and it will look gorgeous...hummers love it too
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! In learning more I'll be able to plan better. I'm SO making my top fives list.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea with the lists! Especially for the perennials. I'm to the point this year with the annuals and veggies, that I'm going to try some new ones so I'm not planting the same ones in the same spot. I'm thinking the plant rotation might help the soil a bit. Looks like Obedient Plant to me, too. My son had one in a pot a few years back.
ReplyDeleteWhat a super idea! I am so excited to have another list to make of things in my garden! That is a great way to identify what is "missing" or needs to be added to ones garden.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful idea! But I'm not sure it's for me. You sound a lot more organized than I! If I made a list, I'd have to figure out each month where I put it - and that might take days! ;) For those that can keep up with things like that, I would heartily recommend it, though!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! Starting my list now!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea but should be expanded to 12 months a year. Why only five or six? Everyone says obedient plant is such an invader, but I can't get it to grow. Maybe I'm lucky.
ReplyDelete@Nell - oh dear, henbit! hahaha!
ReplyDelete@Toni - crum...a positive ID. I was afraid it was indeed obedient plant.
@Shyrlene - yes, you and I are garden planners at heart!
@Donna - drat! It will have to be relegated to the back 40 unfortunately. A shame because it really was so pretty.
@Kelly - hope you enjoy your list as much as I have!
ReplyDelete@PlantPostings - good idea. I've never thought about rotating the annuals for the soil's sake...good point.
@Karin - bingo. It's been a huge help to actually "see" what is missing on paper.
@Holley - hee hee...certainly don't feel obligated to keep a list if it will be more of a hassle to you! :)
@Christine - thank you! Like I mentioned though, it was not originally my idea. Unfortunately I don't know WHO to credit it to...but whoever it was, had a great idea!
@Carolyn - 12 months would be a great list, too. I limited it to 6 months since the other 6 months nothing is really growing.
Hmmm, I like your list idea. It would be helpful to keep close by when at the nursery to help curb impulse buying. The obedient plant always tempts me but I have a friend who learned the hard way how invasive it is and she begs me not to buy it...may want to control it now while it's still young.
ReplyDeleteOne commenter mentioned 'Miss Manners', which is a white version of obedient plant that is actually well mannered (I've grown it for several years and it stays in a clump instead of running all over). Your list is very fun, I think I could get 6 months out of my gardening season . . . barely.
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