Kinder, gentler spikes in the Petula Test Garden
There are so many “spiky’ plants in our test garden it would make for a very long post, so we’ve decided to break it up.
Agapanthus ‘Ponto’s Queen of the Nile’
Located in the Quadricolor garden
(ag-uh-PANTH-us)
- A.K.A. ‘African Lily’, ‘Lily of the Nile’
- Striking variegated foliage highlights beautiful light blue flowers in summer.
- Tender Perennial (20-25 degrees)
- Full Sun 4 Attracts birds & bees
- Foliage is 12-15” tall
- Flower stalks up to 22’ tall
Creamy, variegated foliage is crowned with a glorious blue topaz bloom. ‘Turns on the lights’ in any garden!
Artichoke ‘Opera’
(ART-tih-choke)
A giant thistle! Easy to grow, edible but also extremely ornamental. Interesting garden structure, beautiful voilet-red blooms.
- Zone 8 perennial
- Full Sun
- Deer resistant
- Drought tolerant
- 3 – 4’ tall
- Flower heads 4 – 5” wide, smaller successive flowers
This Artichoke had a head start in a 12″ pot before we planted it. A few weeks after planting, wonderful serrated leaves dominate.
An unexpected contrast to the softness of flowers in the garden.
Blooms cracking this week!