BBB: Foxglove

I don’t think foxglove is an endangered garden plant, but I do sense some resistance to growing the usual, biennial, form from seed. Judging from the popularity of the 1-year-to-maturity “Foxy” foxglove, waiting two years for a flower is too long. I can understand, especially when the seeds are so hard to germinate!

I’ve had little success with foxglove seed (Digitalis x mertonensis). From my Winter 2005/6 sowing set, I had a yield of three plants. I was terribly disappointed because I love foxglove. They bring back memories of sunny hillsides in the woods, thick with rosy, flowering spikes. That they are terribly poisonous (but the poison is a medicine in small doses) only increases their allure. I like to pretend that if the apocalypse came, I could be a folk healer. (Alternatively, if I got sucked back in time like Claire of the Outlander novels, I could do the same.) Finally, who wouldn’t want to grow a flower that legend says the fairies sleep within?

I’m not sure why the seeds were so hard to germinate, but the plants have been tough. I levered the three survivors into shady nooks around the deck and they all survived the winter. The first has bloomed and the other two have pregnant bulges in the middle of their rosettes. Despite my trouble, I am try, try, trying again. I sprinkled an entire packet of seed directly over the earth along the NW side of the deck. No babies yet, but maybe next spring…

Summary
Germination: difficult!
Culture: easy
Form : ugly leaves, but a nice rosette form. Flowers are on a spike.
Scent : none
Color : shades of pink, purple, white

BTW – that’s a bee butt in one of the flowers.

BBB: Sweet William

Reading other garden blogs, I don’t think Sweet William is in any danger of disappearing from the garden soon. Still, I think it’s an unappreciated plant. I can’t say I’ve ever seen it for sale. I think, as a biennial, it is probably difficult to sell to the average nursery-goers. Even the discriminating gardener finds its biennial habit frustrating. I remember reading Amy Stewart’s post in which she rails at the fact that no matter how large and robust the plant she buys, it still doesn’t flower until the second year.

Like the rest of my biennials, I grew Sweet William from seed, using the winter-sowing method. I don’t recall major problems with germination, but, as I only ended up with six mature plants, it could not have been that good. I planted them into the candycane bed last fall. They bloomed this spring.

One amusing aspect of growing plants from seed is that each is an individual – unlike the clones for sale at the garden center. (Not that I don’t like clones.) My plants vary a bit in stature, but the most striking difference is the flower color. They are all a deep, dark, almost black, maroon, except for one plant with cherry red flowers. The oddball plant adds a note of discord to my sweet curves. The scent isn’t as variable as color. They all possess a light, clove fragrance. I do wish it were stronger.

Like most biennials, Sweet William plants can last longer than two years, but still remain short-lived. I plan on direct sowing additional seed into the bare spots, between the plants, as insurance for next year’s crop. It does self-sow, but I’d like to experiment with deadheading in an attempt to encourage a second flush of flowers late in the season.

Summary
Germination: medium difficulty (but my seeds were old)
Culture: easy
Form: neat and lush
Scent: light clove
Color: shades of red and pink

BBB: Dame's Rocket

I picked up a packet of Dame’s Rocket seeds at Big Lots during the summer of 05. Because spring had passed, all the seeds were deeply discounted. I hadn’t a clue what Dame’s Rocket was, but the package advertised it as a perennial. After a little more research, I learned that Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) is classified as a “short-lived” perennial or biennial. While I found that a bit disappointing (this is before I started my BBB cause), I was thrilled to note that it is fragrant!

I also winter-sowed these seeds. Germination was easy. The plants developed into tidy rosettes, not unlike wallflower. I planted them into the garden in late summer 2006.

I chose to site the dames in my SE shrub border, which I had recently converted from grass to garden. The border runs along the southeast side of our property. It doesn’t get much morning sun, because the neighbor’s oak shades it, but it does get a blast of hot, late afternoon sun. It’s a difficult spot: too shady for sun plants but too hot and dry for shade plants. I gave the Dame's Rocket additional water during August and September to help them establish. They seem to love their home.

This spring, the rosettes shot up into gangly spurs (again, not unlike wallflower). However, they have reached up to four feet tall. The flowers are an unremarkable mauvey-purple, and quite fragrant. They are reputed to be more heavily scented at night, but I haven’t conducted a sniff test.

One note of caution is that this plant is listed as an invasive plant and noxious weed. It reseeds aggressively and can crowd out native wildflower species. I would advise against planting this in your premium garden space. It’s best used in the difficult spots where pampered plants won’t grow.

Summary
Germination: easy
Culture: easy
Form: neat first year, gangly second year
Scent: sweet floral
Color: pinkish purple