Perennials for Your Garden: Armeria (Sea Thrift)

Over 20 years ago I was a budding gardener with lots of enthusiasm and a new little yard that was begging for flower and herb beds. I knew quite a bit about annual flowers, but I soon learned about the kind of plants that didn't need replanting year and year and soon became infatuated with flowering perennials.  Since then, my garden has shifted over the years and I've seen which plants have done well and Armeria is definitely a surprise favorite.

Perennials DO come back year after year but generally bloom only once a year.  Many bloom in spring.  The trick with perennials is to plant a variety of them in one flower bed of varying heights and blooms times.  Armeria is a low growing, spring-blooming perennial.  It's definitely meant to be planted in the front of the border. 

"Armeria," "Thrift," or "Sea Pink" is so named because it is commonly found along coast lines and originates from the Mediterranean.  There are over 100 species but there are only a few types that you'll find in garden catalogs.  The colors are mostly in pink but they also come in white.  

The plants themselves struck me as odd-looking as they are best described as "tufts of grass."  They are perfect "grass" as they never grow beyond their short height of 4 or 5 inches.  In the early spring they send up tall stalks of little cushions of pink flowers that are exquisite to look at.  I love them planted along with chives and their beautiful globe shaped flowers. 
 

 

 What makes this a great plant for your garden?  It's easy to grow as long as you have the right growing conditions for it.  What's nice about this is that because it's a Mediterranean plant, it likes rocky, infertile dry soil.  I love this.  This basically means that you don't have to pamper it, fertilize it, water it or baby it.  In fact, I've done nothing to them over the years and they've slowly spread and fill out.  Armeria spreads very slowly and is great as a ground cover.  It also has no serious insect or disease problems.  Perfect.  Dead head the flower blooms for more flowers in the spring.

Find this perennial anyplace where they are sold and also online.  I found mine at Bluestone Perennials, a local online/catalog nursery which also sells to the public.  They even offer a red Armeria as well.  Nice.

Armeria, or Sea Thrift (go by the Latin name when researching) is a great flower choice for your perennial flower garden...enjoy!

Blessings.


References:

1. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/w970/armeria-maritima.aspx
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armeria

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Sneak Peek at Spring Blooming Primrose (Cowslip)

Yellow Flowering Primula Veris

I couldn't resist going into the archives to pull out this photo of my Primula Veris or otherwise known as the herbal Cowslip.  I took it last spring but never used the photos for anything.  

I planted this primula some years ago...it was from a gardening friend who was in his upper 70's  and who could garden circles around me.  His energy was incredible and his gardens extensive.  A former English teacher, he bought interesting plants and bulbs from all over the world and this was one of many plants he passed on to me.  

I really didn't know much about it except that it was a primrose, and not the ones you commonly find in the stores.  So, I did a bit of research to learn more about this beautiful hardy perennial with its sunshine-y petals.

It is thought that the name "cowslip" comes from when it was found blooming in the meadows where cows were pastured. It is a low-growing plant with a rosette of leaves that produces a stalks of 10-30 flowers on a single stem.  It is a parent of the modern primrose and blooms from April to May.  It's also a favorite food of rabbits and I'm thankful my one specimen has survived the many rabbits in our little bit of suburbia. 

Some of its herbal uses are for insomnia and anxiety in tincture form.  The petals are thought to have a calming effect and promote sweating in the case of fevers. Ointments with the petals are used for sunburns and skin blemishes.

Common Name: Cowslip

I've not used mine medicinally as I have other plants that I can use that are more plentiful for the same things.  I just like how dependably beautiful this plant is year from year.  I have it planted in an east location in part shade where it does well.  It doesn't like hot summers though, so I try to water it occasionally when I see it wilting.  

If you don't have one of these beauties in your perennial border, you may want to check them out, they're are worth having and they won't disappoint.

Besides, why should cows be the only ones to enjoy them?

What's your favorite primrose?

Herbal information resource for this article: http://www.herbalremedies.com/cowslip-information.html

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Fall's Floral Post Cards

 

I finally had some time the other day to get outside and actually enjoy some fall colors and stuff around me.  Fall comes last to our lake front shores, so we usually have to drive a few miles south of here to experience it sooner.  However, I did have a patch of these beautiful zinnias and marigolds that really screamed "fall" to me." Yes, they're not asters and mums, but during this season their colors take center stage in the garden.

  
These Persian Carpet flowers fool you at first in to thinking they are marigolds, but are actually a unique variety of zinnias.  So cool, and actually they reseeded themselves from last year.  They are only about 12 inches tall and come in all colors and markings.  If you don't have a friend that grows these for seeds, you can find them here.

I called these marigolds "naturalized" because they reseeded themselves and came back in all different ways.  The original seeds were hybrid marigolds, bred for a certain coloring and small size, but when they reseed they start to return to their wild ancestors and grow tall and bushy. I liked all the different paint splotches of color on the petals.

 

The petals of these marigolds look like crushed velvet...lovely!

 

 These "Mysotis" or perennial "Forget-Me-Nots" in their lavender purple color look like icing on a cake.  Their delicate petals lend a soft and soothing backdrop to the bolder colors of red, yellow and orange. I planted these once and they come back vigorously year after year.  You'll want to give them room in the garden.

The random fall frosts show their telling signs with wilted petals, but still leave the flower heads with lots of visual interest.  The lavender color of this Mysotis is still strong, but the browns behind it lend an overall designer touch.

Just a few  floral "postcards" for you to enjoy.  It's amazing how fall can show up in a small patch of reseeded marigolds and zinnias...I guess it's all perspective!  Blessings!

Enjoy the photos?  You may be interested in these other posts...Flower photos in the Rain and Amazing Butterflies.

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Saving Sage For Winter...

Right next to the place where I have a clothesline (free solar power!), I have an herb bed and one of the plants in it are my sage plants.  A hardy perennial, I've had these dependable plants for over 15 years.  So, considering their age, I was surprised to see how lush they were for early October. Seeing this, I knew I needed to bring some in to dry.  To be honest, I'm not very good about saving sage for winter use.  I am spoiled by its lush leaves and cold temp. hardiness and forget to put some by. Plus, I often will have useable sage leaves almost into Thanksgiving as it can withstand even some snow.  So, it's a great long season herb an indispensable  for the home landscape. I actually plant it for its flowers as well as for its use as an herb.  (The sage flowers are also edible as well.  You can use them to garnish salads or any dish for that matter.  They only bloom in the late spring.)

Beautiful sage flowers in the spring...

We had some friends over one time in the spring and we were looking at the sage flowers.  One of our friends asked me what the plant was and I told him "sage" and he was shocked.  He then asked, "Why do you need so much sage?  How much do you need for stuffing?"  Now it was my turn to be shocked because I answered, "Just look at how beautiful the flowers are, I grow them for flowers too!"  (I have a whole group of sage plants in a small front flower bed also.)  Herb lovers understand our unquenchable love and appreciation for the many "talents" of the herbal plant kingdom.  They are amazing, hardy, beautiful AND you can eat them...okay, I'm off my soap box. :)

 Back to harvesting...herbs are best harvested right before flowering.  During and after flowering, the plants put all their energy into flower and seed production, so the leaves aren't really the best flavored.  I trim off all the seed heads after blooming so the plants can regenerate and put on another fresh flush of leaves.  And this year was exceptional.  Our May and June were very dry, but mid-July brought back bi-weekly to weekly rains that have extended all through late summer and early fall.  This means my sage is beautiful and ready for harvest.  I would rather harvest late in the season because I won't break into the dry leaves until late November/December.  This way, the dried leaves don't sit on the shelf for as long. 

 Harvesting?  Remember, the upper leaves are the best.  They are tender, insect-free, and the best tasting.  And me having so many plants means I have a lot of sage tops to pick from.  This also keeps the plants bushy and hardy.  

 This was early on in the harvest, I actually filled my dehydrator to the max with these beautiful leaves.  No dehydrator?  No problem.  Bundle the sage with a rubber band and hang upside down in a dry warm place.  Bothered by dust?  Put them in a paper bag upside down, wrap the rubber band around the bottom of the stems and top of the paper bag and hang up to dry.  You may want to poke a few air holes to help with ventilation.  We live by a lake and it seems to be more humid in our house.  So, I invested in a really nice dehydrator.  Looking to save $$?  Check out your Goodwill stores or yard sales, one of my first dehydrators came from there...$3! If it's warm in your area when you are drying herbs, then put them on a ventilated tray/screen and place in your car in the back window.  Instant dry herbs.  My friend did this and it worked out beautifully.  

 Sage leaves have a velvety, almost papery texture, so they dry well and turn a beautiful shade of gray.  I like to store my sage leaves whole or as whole as possible.  I just take out a few as needed and powder them in my hands before using...also known as "rubbed sage."  

 They are great in soups, chicken and dumplings, any chicken marinade or meal and I use them in my Italian seasoning blend.  Overall, a great all purpose herb and one you'll find yourself running out of by winter's end.  Store in an airtight container that is not transparent or I put mine in glass jars but store them in a locker of their own that keeps them quite out of the light.  They have a long shelf life, one year is recommended, as long as they stay dry..  Try sage butter by sauteing (preferably fresh) leaves in some melted butter in a skillet, remove and pour butter over pasta and whatever else you would like to add.  Our favorite use is in our endless pots of chicken noodle soup.  Our guy's favorite soup, I make lots of pots and sage is central to the tasty broth.

Well, there ya go...Sage is saved and ready for winter!  However, I will be gathering LOTS of fresh leaves while this weather stays mild.  Maybe fresh sage for Thanksgiving this year...?!
Blessings!

What's your favorite way to use sage?

For more herb drying info, check out my post;  Ode to Drying Oregano.

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