[gardeners] Dotted Horsemint
Catharine Vinson (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 25 Jul 1998 08:17:21 +0000
We finally got a smidge of rain...not a lot, but enough to help some of
the plants in everyonce's gardens hang in a bit longer.
I took a walk though the garden this morning.. Pretty depressing. I've
lost (or will likely lose) a couple of special rhodies, two new Deucamaria
(these I really hate to loose, they are members of the witch hazel family
and not easy to locate....they have leaves like a redbud and bloom like a
witch haze. One Swamp Cyrilla is a definite goner; the other may make it.
One Florida anise looks poorly but will probably revive by next year.
So, all in all it could be worse.
I think the news is going to ultimately be worse for the perennial beds.
Too depressing to list what is gasping to hang on....I've even lost a big
clump of Artemesia lactifolio (can't spell!) and my beloved clump of white
boneset. But there are a couple of real winners. The best of them are a
couple of plants of dotted horsement (monarda puntata). They are
absolutely gorgeous right now. Blooming like crazy; perfect, healthy
foliage. Incredibly strong looking plants. And they are planted in the
worst bed in terms of sun: hot, hot western exposure with very little
protection from wind, etc.
If you've never grown Dotted Horsemint and are looking for a quietly
showy, tough plant that will take dry, lean soil and lots of heat, give it
a try. It will get to be about 3' x 3'.
Catharine, Atlanta, zone 7b