A Plants are grown in the garden and landscape for many reasons. Maybe for providing shade. Some attract wildlife such as butterflies, birds or squirrels. They sometimes can act as a privacy fence. Some produce edible nuts and fruits. And some flowering trees are planted because of the amazing blooms they are covered with in fall, spring or summer.

Flowering trees in shades of lavender and violet make an attractive addition to the garden or lawn, and purple flowering plants are no exception. Available in a range of shades, purple flowers not only brighten up the garden but also add some fragrance to your garden, even some varieties contain medical benefits too.

Traditionally, purple is the color of royalty and magistrates, but also is evolved to symbolize dignity, success, and pride.

So, if you are looking for a touch of nobility to change the look and appeal your garden and even wedding decoration, adding some purple flowering plants is the best way.

Let’s get some purple with the list of 50+ purple flowers and discover the varieties best suited to your garden design.

A collection of 50+ purple flowers

Butterfly Bush

Botanical Name: Buddleia davidii

Plant type: Perennial, shrub

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 5-10

Blooms: From Summer to Fall

Flower features: Fragrant, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies – hence the name

Gloxinia

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Sinningia speciosa

Plant type: Annual

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Growing zones: 5-10

Blooms: Late Spring to Early Fall

Flower features: Brilliantly colored trumpet-shaped

Bittersweet Nightshade

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Solanum dulcamara

Plant type: Perennial, Vine

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-8

Blooms: Spring to Fall

Flower features: Attract bumblebees and Halictid bees, Contain solanine, an alkaloid glycoside

Clematis

Botanical Name: Clematis spp.

Group: Climbers, shrubs, perennials

Sun Exposure: Full sun (Some clematis cultivars will bloom in partial shade)

Growing zones: 3-9

Blooms: Winter to late Summer

Flower features: Large blossoms ( Some are smaller blossoms, double blossoms, and lovely bell-like flowers). Colors range from white to wine red, lavender to deep purple, and even a few yellow ones.

Verbena

Botanical Name: Verbena bonariensis

Plant type: Annual, Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 9-11

Blooms: Early Summer to early Fall

Flower features: Fragrance, Good for Containers, Drought Resistant

Common Vetch

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Botanical Name: Vicia sativa L.

Group: Climbers, annuals, perennials

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Blooms: Mid Spring to mid Summer

Flower features: Fragrance, Attract bumblebees and other long-tongued bees.

Bellflower

Botanical Name: Campanula

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 3-9

Blooms: Mid Summer to Fall

Flower features: Bell-shaped, mostly blue to purple, sometimes white or pink

Dwarf Iris

Botanical Name: Iris Reticulata

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 5-9

Blooms: Early spring

Flower features: Showy, Fragrant, Good Cut, relatively large (iris-shaped) flowers on a short stem.

Design ideas: good for rock gardens, under shrubs and tress, in beds, at the front of borders and containers and for indoor forcing.

Balloon Flower

Botanical Name: Platycodon

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 3-9

Blooms: Summer

Flower features: Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance

Design ideas: great in rock gardens, mixed borders, or cutting gardens.

Catmint

Botanical Name: Nepeta

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 3-8

Blooms: Early Summer

Flower features: Produce clusters of purple flowers that attract butterflies

Spiderwort

Botanical Name: Tradescantia

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-7

Blooms: Summer to Early Fall

Flower features: Purplish-blue (concord grape), three-petale.

Salvia

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Salvia officinalis

Plant type: Annual

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-9

Blooms: Summer

Flower features: attractive to bees and butterflies

Monkshood

Botanical Name: Aconitum napellus

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 3-7

Blooms: Mid to late Summer

Flower features: dark purple to bluish-purple, narrow oblong helmet-shaped that somewhat resembles the hood worn by medieval monks, hence the common names of monkshood and helmet flower.

Allium

Botanical Name: Allium giganteum

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 5-8

Blooms: Late Spring to early Summer

Flower features: fragrant, purple and bee-friendly flowers, attract butterflies, make excellent cut flowers for fresh or dried bouquets.

Lily Of The Nile

Botanical Name: Agapanthus africanus

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 8-11

Blooms: Late Spring to early Summer

Flower features: blooms in large round clusters ranging from light-blue to deep-violet, attracts Butterflies, attracts Hummingbirds, Flowers for Cutting.

Alpine Betony

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Stachys monieri

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 4-9

Blooms: Early Summer

Flower features: Showy, Good cut, lavender-purple flowers.

Bee Orchid

Botanical Name: Ophrys apifera

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 6-9

Blooms: Summer

Flower features: Named for their bee-like shape, these orchids attract male bees. Comes in many different color combinations. 3 outer petals range from white to purple and the central lip can be a solid color or dotted.

Anemone

Botanical Name: Anemone nemorosa

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Growing zones: 3-9

Blooms: Early Spring or Fall

Flower features: white, often reddish outside but may be purple or violet.

Blue-Eyed Grass

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Sisyrinchium bermudiana L

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-9

Blooms: Summer

Flower features: small, bright-purple flower

Design ideas: Best used as a border front, in rock gardens, to line pathways, or at the woodland’s edge.

Wild Indigo

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Baptisia australis

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 3-9

Blooms: Late Spring, early Summer

Flower features: long spikes of pea-like flowers, in shades of violet-blue, attract butterflies and Birds

Design ideas: Cottages gardens, borders, meadows and native plant gardens.

China Aster

Botanical Name: Callistephus chinensis

Plant type: Annual

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 2-11

Blooms: Summer

Flower features: Cultivar shades of white to pink, red, blue,violet, purple and yellow, attract butterflies and Birds

Design ideas: Used as part of a border and also used often as a cut flower in arrangements.

Wild Hyacinth

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Dichelostemma capitatum

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 10-11

Blooms: Late Spring, early Summer

Flower features: A ball-shaped cluster of up to 20 individual purple flowers blooms on top of a slender stem.

Canterbury Bells

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Campanula medium

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-10

Blooms: Summer

Flower features: Comes in many color, bell-shaped flowers are short-stalked, large and hermaphroditic, with different shades of violet-blue or rarely white.

Uses for garden: Beds and borders

Sea Thistle

Botanical Name: Cirsium japonicum

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 8-10

Blooms: Late Spring to Early Summer

Flower features: as cut flowers, usually purple, rose or pink, also yellow or white; attract bees, butterflies and birds.

Calla Lily

Flickr

Botanical Name: Zantedeschia

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 5-8

Blooms: Late Spring to mid Summer

Flower features: as cut flowers, purple, trumpet-shaped.

Common Mallow

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Malva neglecta

Plant type: Annual, Perennial, Edible

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-8

Blooms: Early Summer to mid Fall

Flower features: showy papery white, to light pink to light purple, 5 petaled flowers . Attract Bees, butterflies.

Ranunculus

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Malva neglecta

Plant type: Annual, Perennial, Edible

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-8

Blooms: Early Summer to mid Fall

Flower features:

Candytuft

Botanical Name: Iberis pruitii

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 7-11

Blooms: Summer, Fall

Flower features: 2″ clusters of purple or red-tinged white flowers

Cyclamen

Wikimedia

Botanical Name: Cyclamen persicum

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 5

Blooms: Fall, Winter

Flower features: are not only striking, pretty and colorful but full of poise and elegance, attract butterflies.

Columbine

Botanical Name: Aquilegia

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 3-8

Blooms: Late Spring to early Summer

Flower features: Bell-shaped, come in variety of colors, are a favorite of hummingbirds.

Dinner Plate Dahlia

Botanical Name: Dahlia

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 3-10

Blooms: Mid Summer to Fall

Flower features: Cut Flowers, attract butterflies.

Fuchsia

Botanical Name: Fuchsia magellanica

Plant type: Annual and Perennial

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Growing zones: 9-10

Blooms: Early to late Summer and mid Fall

Flower features: delicate dangling bell-like flowers, crimson with a purple centre, attract butterflies.

Foxgloves

Botanical Name: Digitalis purpurea

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-10

Blooms: Mid Summer

Flower features: A wide array of color white, pink to purple, attract butterflies and birds.

Gladiolus

Botanical Name: Gladiolus hortulanus

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 6-10

Blooms: Early Summer to mid Fall

Flower features: make a great cut flower, showy and fragrant flowers, come in variety of colors: white, cream, yellow, orange, red, pink, green lavender & purple.

Waxflower

Botanical Name: Chamelaucium

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 9-11

Blooms: Late Winter

Flower features: range from deep purple to bright red, attract butterflies.

Perennial Geranium

Botanical Name: Geranium

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-8

Blooms: Late Winter

Flower features: Ranging from white to deep blue, best planted as a border and in containers.

Heliotrope

Botanical Name: Heliotropium peruvianum

Plant type: Annual, Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 10-11

Blooms: Summer to Fall

Flower features: Features sweetly fragrant, tiny purple or violet flowers in large showy clusters

Honesty

Botanical Name: Lunaria annua

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-8

Blooms: Spring and early Summer

Flower features: Dark-purple, fragrant flowers

Lilac

Botanical Name: Syringa vulgaris

Plant type: Annual and Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 3-7

Blooms: Spring

Flower features: is a shade of purple (often a light purple or lilac), but white, pale yellow and even a dark burgundy color are also found.

Lupine

Botanical Name: Lupinus perennis

Plant type: Annual and Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 3-9

Blooms: Summer

Flower features: Showy, elongate clusters of purple, pea-like flowers.

Lisianthus

Botanical Name: Eustoma russellianum

Plant type: Annual

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 9-11

Blooms: Summer

Flower features: Double and single Lisianthus flower varieties, come in various colors such as white, various shades of lavender, deep purple, and bi-colors such as blue-violet. Attract bees and butterflies.

Aster

Botanical Name: Aster amellus

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 3-8

Blooms: Late Summer and Early Fall

Flower features: Displaying vibrant fall colors in shades of pink, purple, blue, and white; the last great feeding opportunities for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators

Morning Glory

Botanical Name: Ipomoea purpurea

Plant type: Annual and Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 3-10

Blooms: Early Summer to the first frost

Flower features: trumpet-shaped flowers of pink, purple-blue, magenta, or white. Big, fragrant, colorful flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Mystic Merlin

Botanical Name: Malva Sylvestris

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-8

Blooms: Early Summer to Early Fall

Flower features: similar satiny flowers in a soft lavender-purple shade. Flowers are attractive to butterflies.

Purple Pansy

Botanical Name: Viola wittrockiana

Plant type: Annual

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 4-8

Blooms: Late spring to Early Summer

Flower features: a wide range of pansy flower colors and bicolors including blue, purple, rose, yellow, red, maroon, white. They are attractive to butterflies.

Pasque

Botanical Name: Pulsatilla

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 5-9

Blooms: Early to mid spring

Flower features: showy, dazzling blue-purple flowers. This flower is an excellent addition to a rock garden. The pasque flower is also a sign that Easter has arrived.

Petunia

Botanical Name: Petunia hybrida

Plant type: Annual

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 9-11

Blooms: Summer and Fall

Flower features: are available in stripes, speckles and borders in an extensive color palette that includes purple, pink, red, white, mauve, lavender, and yellow. The basic petunia flower is funnel shape, but hybridizers have created many variations including singles and doubles.

Rhododendron

Botanical Name: Rhododendron ferrugineum

Plant type: Evergreen

Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-9

Blooms: Spring

Flower features: Fragrant flowers in an array of colors – from pure white and light pastels to brilliant orange and gold to purple and red.

Pincushion flower

Botanical Name: Scabiosa

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 3-7

Blooms: Spring, Summer, Fall

Flower features: can be found most often in shades of blue, white and purple. Attract butterflies.

Uses in Gardening: Can be used as edging. Excellent for grouping or massing in border fronts and rock gardens.

Sea Holly

Botanical Name: Eryngium

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 4-11

Blooms: Summer to Fall

Flower features: Has beautiful amethyst blue flowers and a somewhat straggling nature; ideal for attracting butterflies.

Wisteria

Botanical Name: Wisteria sinensis

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 5-8

Blooms: Spring

Flower features: Colors range from white and blue to violet. Beauty and perfume of its showy, deliciously fragrant flowers. Attracts Birds, Butterflies.

Bell Heather

Botanical Name: Erica cinerea

Plant type: Evergreen, Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 6-8

Blooms: Early Summer and Early Fall

Flower features: reddish-purple, bell-shaped blooms.

Hydrangea

Botanical Name: Hydrangea macrophylla

Plant type: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade

Growing zones: 4-9

Blooms: Fall, Summer

Flower features: They have beautiful mop-head or lacecap flowers. Their flowers can be blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple. Attract pollinators like bees and butterflies to the fertile buds in the center.

Zinnia

Botanical Name: Zinnia elegans

Plant type: Annual and Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 3-10

Blooms: Summer through Fall

Flower features: The ray flowers are purple, the discs yellow and black. Attract Butterflies.

Moonflower

Botanical Name: Datura stramonium

Plant type: Annual

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 8-11

Blooms: Throughout the Summer

Flower features: Their large blooms produce a relaxing smell and can most frequently be found in white or light purple corollas. They attract bees, butterflies and moths.

Carnation

Botanical Name: Dianthus caryophyllus

Plant type: Annual

Sun Exposure: Full sun/ Partial shade

Growing zones: 3-10

Blooms: Summer to all year long

Flower features: They emit a spicy fragrance and generally come in hues of pink, purple and white.

Hellebores

Botanical Name: Hellebores

Plant type: Perennial, Evergreen.

Sun Exposure: Full sun/ Partial Shade

Growing zones: 4-8

Blooms: Winter and early Spring.

Flower features: Ranging in color from white to purple. Attract butterflies.

Sweet pea

Botanical Name: Lathyrus odoratus

Plant type: Annual, Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full sun

Growing zones: 7-10

Blooms: Summer and Early Fall

Flower features: Come in many colors with a fragile fragrance that is commonly used in perfumes.

Have you found out the varieties best suited to your garden design? I hope so. Enjoy purple flowering plants in your garden!

The post 50+ Purple Flowers Ideas for Your Garden appeared first on quiet hut.

Juniperus horizontalis, commonly called Creeping or Carpet Juniper, is a low-growing evergreen shrub. It is native to Alaska, Canada, and the northern U.S from New England to New York to the Great Lakes, Wyoming, and Montana. The cultivar is “Wiltonii”.

“Wiltonii” is synonymous with J.horizontalis “Blue Rug” and it also commonly called “Blue Rug juniper”.

The Features of Blue Rug Juniper

Native to North America, this Blue Rug noted for its excellent, prostrate, dense form. It will grow a little more slowly, typically grows to be 4-6 inches tall and spreading to 5-7 feet.

These evergreen shrubs make an excellent ground cover for mixed shrub beds, rock garden, mass plantings and erosion control.

Blue Rug juniper serves well as a year-round ground cover, its silvery blue foliage turning a bit purplish during the cold winter months.

In the cold regions, this Blue Rug adapts well to snow and frost but it can turn almost purple in seriously cold winters. That may be the main reason why some people found that the name to be deceptive since it never really looked blue when they had it.

The plants are dioecious, the male and female shrubs are separate. The female shrub produces blueberries from late spring to late winter. The flowers are not used for decorative purposes. The female “berries” were used by Native Americans to brew a tonic tea and may be eaten by grouse, wood rats, and deer.

Like other Junipers, these shrubs prefer full sun and well-drained soil with an acidic pH. They will creep in a leggier manner if suck in the shade.

Blue Rug Juniper can be grown in planting zones 3 to 9.

Buying plants from the garden center and trying to install them during mid to late summer (the hottest part of the year) is not a good idea as the summer’s heat will stress your young plants and make it hard to keep them watered well enough.

Planting time depends on the condition of the Blue Rug Juniper. Dormant stems and Bare root junipers. Planting bare root plants in the winter during the dormant season is the best while another form requires planting during the fall, winter or early spring (At this time, the temperatures remain below 60 degrees Fahrenheit).

Blue Rug Junipers are salt-tolerant plants, it is best planted near salted areas. So if your area is slightly salted, it will be a perfect condition for these plants.

If it is not your case, don’t worry. One of the great things you will see in this shrub is it can tolerate cold conditions, dry conditions, moist conditions, urban pollution, maritime salt-air environments, hard or gravelly soils, just anything except poor drainage or shade.

It is also highly recommended for uneven hillsides since it grows in a cascading manner downhill, conforming to the shape of the ground. If it is grown in a tall container or large hanging basket, it would likewise seek the downward path.

Planting

Adding compost to your prepared soil and mixing it into the top 9 to 12 inches.

Add nutrients to improve drainage and loosens the soil for planting. Remove dead, broken or mushy roots before planting.

Also, use pruning shears to cut through any circling roots to encourage outward growth.

To ensure the proper planting depth and reduce the chance of damaging the juniper’s root, make sure the hole twice as wide and 2 inches shallower than the root. Space multiple plants 5 to 7 feet apart to accommodate their mature spread.

Burying the plants no deeper than it was previously growing and spreading the Blue Rug juniper’s roots out over the hole’s bottom is important to a successful planting.

It’s important to remember that planting these plants in the correct method, in the right location, at the right time will help ensure their successful growth.

Caring for Blue Rug Juniper

Pruning

This is a certain low maintenance plant and is best pruned once the threat of extreme cold has passed. That said, you may want to prune them back to about 5 inches from the edge of the bed in late winter.

The new growth will cover the pruned edges make them a new beautiful look. With skillful pruning, the shrubs will develop more branches resulting in denser groundcover as it spreads.

As a ground cover, space plants 5 ft. apart to form a dense enough mat to crowd out weeds and control weeds with mulch until the plants cover the area.

Watering

The Blue Rug juniper typically takes approximately 6 weeks to establish new roots in the soil. During this period, water it every 2-4 days.

After then, water once per week (If it doesn’t rain). You can stick your finger into the soil to check soil moisture for watering.

Fertilizing

Generally, these shrubs rarely need additional fertilizing during the first year of growth. They are evergreen shrubs so can only use a small amount of fertilizer.

If you choose to fertilize your plant, it is recommended that a 1-inch-deep layer of mulch spread over the planting site will help conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth.

Although this one is low maintenance, you might want to take care of a newly planted Blue Rug properly to increase its chance of survival and root establishment. Soggy soil will drown the roots and wither the plant, so it’s a great idea to provide it with supplemental watering when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil become dry.

Problems

There are no serious insect or disease problems with the Blue Rug Junipers. Occasional insect pests include bagworms, scale, webworm, aphids. Watch for spider mites as well. These plants are generally susceptible to blights and root rot may occur, particularly in unusually rainy/wet springs.

Uses in landscaping

This Juniper performs in a landscape very well. It can be used for many landscaping application such as ground cover, mass planting, border edging, general garden use, rock/alpine gardens.

This juniper spreads rapidly making it ideal for homeowners who are in a rush to install ground covers on a slope to control erosion. Depending on how close together you plant these shrubs, they can take a few years to fill in. Once filled in they make a perfect evergreen carpet that does a great job of keeping a bed weed tree.

What I personally like about this Blue Rug Juniper is the look it gives when spilling over a stone wall or along a rock garden.

Sometimes, I find it is used in a design where it was placed near a small whip of an old tree, since then the old tree will have grown and extended a huge leaf canopy over the juniper, robbing it of needed sunshine, that causing significant dieback.

Placed appropriately your Blue Rug juniper can be expansive, flowing evergreen carpet to really dress your garden.

Is Blue Rug juniper For you?

There are many factors to consider before answering this question. It’s important to ask yourself these questions.

Do you like plants that lay very close to the ground? If not, consider other than Blue Rug Juniper.

Can they get full sun from your planting site? If not, try other ones.

Do you have a small area? If yes, you should not plant them.

If you don’t have any concerns mentioned above, then this flowing evergreen carpet may be for you.

Substitute for Blue Rug Juniper

If you are thinking about the Substitute for Blue Rug Juniper, Blue Pacific juniper (Also called Pacific shore juniper) is a great alternative.

Some Facts about Blue Rug Juniper

• Common Name(s): Blue Rug Juniper
• Category: Groundcover
• Height: 4-6 inches.
• Width: 5-7 feet.
• Planting zones: 3-9.
• Foliage: Dense silver-blue foliage
• Habit: Evergreen
• Exposure: Full Sun
• Texture: Fine
• Form: Trailing; creeping
• Growth Rate: Slow to moderate
• Garden Uses A sprawling, versatile ground over. Rock garden. Retaining wall edges. Foundations. Good for rocky ground. Mass on slopes for erosion control. Hot and dry areas.

The post Blue Rug Juniper: A Guide to Grow and Care Blue Rug Juniper appeared first on quiet hut.

Whenever I’m planning a garden, no matter what mood I’m trying to create, I always include some flowering plants that add splashes of color to add interest.

And this Bridal Wreath Spirea should be considered as a great addition to any garden since it is one of the easiest flowering shrubs to grow.

Bridal Wreath Spirea is commonly used in perennial garden or foundation plantings, as hedges. It is a medium-sized deciduous shrub that features sprays of little white flowers. It also is a hearty old-fashioned, heirloom shrub and is often found growing in the Northern Hemisphere. It is best suited for gardens in Zones 5-9.

Features of Bridal Wreath Spirea

Spirea (genus spiraea) genus of nearly 100 species of flowering plants in the rose family. Native to the north temperate zone, many spirea species are often planted for their pleasing growth habit and attractive flower clusters.

Like other spireas, most Bridal Wreath Spireas bloom in late Spring to early Summer, sometimes before the leaves come out. In blooming season, Bridal Wreath Spireas create a cascading waterfall of white, pouring clusters of small flowers all the way down its arching canes. When cut, those canes can easily be shaped into bridal headdresses – hence the name. The tiny white flowers form in clusters called corymbs.

On the other hand, non-nuptial types of spirea fashion their clusters at the ends of their term, come in colors other than white and bloom in Summer and Fall.

Once the flowers are gone, the shrub covers itself in glossy dark leaves until Fall, when the leaves turn yellow, orange and purple. Each leaf is 1-4″ long with an elliptical or ovate shape. The margins have many tiny serrations and the leaf’s underside is pubescent, meaning it is covered with soft hairs.

These upright shrubs grow as a loose, gracefully arching shrub to about 5-10 feet tall and 10-20 feet in width. You can prune after flowering to restrict size, but it is recommended that permitted room grows into a huge, aching beauty. The slender shiny brown stems tend to be a small zig-zaggy.

Because Bridal Wreath Spireas are large bushes, they should be planted at least 10 feet from other trees or shrubs. The flowers will show up best if they are positioned in front of the darker backdrop, such as evergreens.

These shrubs grow best in full sun and can tolerate partial shade. They prefer to grow in well-drained moist soil, but they are also able to withstand some periods of drought.

What makes this shrub really attractive is it can grow well under adverse conditions such as are found in Houston in the summertime to drought conditions. Even it can tolerate smokes, unfavorable city conditions.

Uses in Landscaping

In nature, Bridal Wreath Spirea grows into an open, graceful, arching shrub with some branches drooping all the way to the ground.

In landscaping, Medium-sized Bridal Wreath Spirea can be used in the garden border or in an informal mixed hedge where its generous Springtime bright white floral display will stand out.

As a great single specimen plant, these shrubs will shine in your perennial border or take your breath away as a tall, property defining hedge.

Like most flowering shrubs, these plants prefer full sun, but they can also tolerate partial shade, leaving a few options of where to place them in the landscape.

If you love white flowers, add these flowering plants can create a focal point in your garden. There is an abundance of tiny flowers during the Spring and summer and will put another show in the Fall when the leaves change color, that makes any garden more attractive.

These shrubs do well as part of a garden to attract butterflies when in glorious bloom in mid to late Spring. They can also be planted in areas where deer come to browse as deer munching on its branches.

What you need to know before Planting

• The best time to plant is Spring or Fall.
• This plant can be propagated by division of the root ball so you can have new plants using cuttings or suckers. If you have the species spirea instead of a variety, you can use seed germination.
• Considering the mature size of a plant before buying because the newly planted shrubs are then forced to compete for nutrients, water, and even enough circulating air to remain healthy.
• Allow plenty of space around it so that the effect of its cascading growth habit can be fully appreciated.
• Space plants 2 to 15 feet apart, just allow enough space between each plant so that it has a chance to grow and spread naturally.
• It is not picky about soil as long as it drains well. But if your soil is in very poor condition, amend the soil with a small amount of compost.
• Dig a hole only as deep as the root ball and 2 to 3 times as wide.

Maintenance

• Bridal Wreath Spirea is a fairly low-maintenance plant.
• Each Spring, apply a layer of compost under the shrub. Add a 2-inch layer of mulch to retain moisture and prevent weeds.
• Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
• Remove dead, diseased and broken branches anytime.
• You sometimes can get a second bloom by Deadheading spent flowers.

Pruning

Bridal Wreath Spirea should be pruned right after blooming to reduce height and maintain the desired shape. Cut back a third of the canes, preferably the oldest and tallest ones, all the way to the ground. Do not shear only the top growth to preserve the plant’s naturally arching shape.
This plant can be severely pruned and will grow and flower again.

For more types of pruning for this shrub, click here.

Pests and Diseases

This shrub rarely gets serious problems from pests or diseases. You may find some of the standard issues associated with Spirea like Powdery mildew, Root rots, Scales, Verticillium wilt, Aphids, Fire blight ,Gray mold, Leafrollers, Leaf spot.

Some Facts of Bridal Wreath Spirea

• Latin Name: Spiraea prunifolia
• Common Names: Bridal wreath spirea, popcorn spirea, bridal wreath spirea, shoe button spirea or just bridal wreath.
• Preferred USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Plant types: Shrub
• Height: 5-10 ft
• Spread: 10-20 ft
• Exposure: Full Sun
• Growth Habits: Round, Upright
• Flowering season: Late Spring to early Summer
• Special Features:  Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Deer Resistant
• Related species: The garland spirea (Spiraea x aguta) and The bumalda spireas (Spiraea x bumalda).
• Garden Styles: Cottage, Edible, Traditional
• Landscape Uses: Border, Hedge, Foundation, Mass Planting

The post Bridal Wreath Spirea: A Growing Guide appeared first on quiet hut.

Hyacinth Bean Vine ( Also called Purple Hyacinth) is a species of bean in the family Fabacease. It grows throughout the tropical regions of Africa, Indonesia, and India, where it is grown as a food crop since most of the plant is edible.

Even though not widely cultivated, Hyacinth Bean Vine has been a traditional food crop for Africans for many years now.

In America, Hyacinth Bean Vine is more of an ornament plant than a food crop. With shades of purple in the stems, leaves, flowers and showy seed pods, Hyacinth Bean Vine is undeniably eye-catching.

According to Monticello, Hyacinth Bean Vine was sold to Jefferson by his favorite nurseryman, Bernard McMahon, in 1804 and Thomas Jefferson grew it at Monicello over 200 years ago. Because of this, the Hyacinth Bean Vine plant is also known as Jefferson bean.

Features of the Hyacinth Bean Plants

Purple Hyacinth Bean plant produces fragrant purple flowers and striking electric-purple colored seed pods known as Lablab. You can use the flowers and pods for cuttings.

Its bright green, pointed leaves grow in leaflets of three leaves. The flowers resemble sweet peas, without scent. They grow in loose clusters and followed by glossy purple pods that start off looking like snow peas but eventually fill out and plump up.

Its wine-tinted foliage is deep green and textured smoothly. It is a fast-growing vine that will begin to bloom from early summer to early winter. After the bloom period, purple pods will begin to form and can grow up to 3 inches. The beans inside are poisonous so make sure keep them away from children and pets.

Generally, annual plants are very susceptible to frost that can still bloom when frost arrives. Unfortunately, covering this long vine, that may prove impractical.

What is interesting about this vine is its pods are bone on it almost all year round except the winters. Additionally, these vines are good “re-seeders”. If their pods are allowed to open and drop their beans, you will find many new vines next years. You may do not want to disturb your soil until seedlings have begun to grow.

This dark maroon Vine can grow 10′ to 15′ in a single season (Not too bad for an annual).

As a climbing vine, Hyacinth Bean Vine needs some type of support to climb. The support should be sturdy enough to support up to 20 feet of vine growth. A fence, trellis or post works well. It will quickly cover a fence or trellis with large leaves.

Uses in Cooking and a Warning

Hyacinth Bean Wine produces edible leaves, roots, seeds, flower, and pods. Immature, tender pods have a floury, chestnut-like flavor but the flavor is much stronger than the common green bean.

They can be stir-fried or blanched and used in salads or coleslaw like green beans, the purple color disappears with cooking. You can also use the dried beans as shelly beans, but keep in mind the following warning.

Important Note: Uncooked seeds are poisonous as they contain high concentrations of cyanogenic glucosides. They can cause breathing problems, vomiting problems, and convulsions. They need to be boiled for a long time, changing the water twice, to make them edible. Better to leave the cooking to someone experienced with them and save your seed for planting.

Hyacinth Bean Wine is also used as a medicinal herb by Chinese and Indian herbalists.

Uses in Landscaping

Purple Hyacinth Bean plant is a popular choice for the quick cover, although it can frustrate gardeners by refusing to flower until late in the season.

Purple Hyacinth Bean plant is great for creating natural screens or adorning trellises. It creates a fragrant curtain that butterflies, bees, and birds love. Nature lovers will value them for the creatures that they draw to the garden.

Purple Hyacinth Bean’s flowers add a load of color and interest to any garden right from summer through fall.

This climbing vine not only a splash of color but also adds height to your garden. You can use them to add height to a border, by growing them up a trellis or a teepee. You could them ramble through other tall plants, shrubs or trees or use them to cover the arbor or fence.

An array of purple flowers and pods grow amongst lightly aromatic foliage making this an excellent contrast to traditional annuals.

If you’re looking for a vigorous ornamental annual vine that grows at a stellar pace, the Hyacinth Bean Vine may be for you. Because of its lush growth, Hyacinth Bean vine makes an excellent choice for camouflaging eyesores like air conditioning units.

Growing

Site

For the best flowering, pick a sunny site to plant the seeds. Purple Hyacinth Beans thrive in an area with direct sunlight. They can grow in partial shade but along with fewer blooms, you will have the risk of fungal diseases.

Soil

Hyacinth Bean Vine plants prefer a rich, well-draining soils (At a pH of 6 to 6.8). Add some compost to the soil to enrich it with the necessary nutrients needed to fuel their fast, season-long growth.

These plants like a lot of water and nutrients, but they do not like wet soil, their roots will rot in the overly wet soil. So it’s best to keep the soil moist, not wet.

Sowing

You can sometimes buy Hyacinth Bean Vine seedlings in nurseries. The seeds are very hard, it’s best soaked overnight before planting to improve germination.

Plant your seeds after the last frost has passed. Seeds will not germinate well in cold soil and the new plants can be killed by a late frost.

It’s best planted in late spring once the weather is warm and settles and nights stay above 50 °F (10°C),

However, direct sown seed is easier and plants will catch up to the seedlings in no time, seeds can also be started indoors several weeks before transplanting outside.

Plant the seeds 1-2 in deep into the soil with about 6 inches between them. If you worried about poor germination, you can sow the seeds closer and thin them out when they are 2 inches tall.

Dampen the soil to make moist. Adding mulch can help increase the appearance and prevent weeds from growing. Water every day unless the rains occur. Seed should germinate in 10 to 20 days.

When the seedlings are a few inches tall, thin them out to space them 8 to 10 inches apart. This will help the remaining seedlings grow stronger to form a healthy plant without sharing resources.

Fertilizing

Purple Hyacinth Beans need a lot of nutrients. Fertilize often, at least once a month. Add fertilizer when planting and every month during the season. Use a high phosphorous formula just before the first blooming period.

Maintenance

“No plants” is “no maintenance”, but this vine is certainly “low maintenance”. Once established, this vigorous vine can grow well even if it is left unattended. Plants require moderate water twice a week to keep the soil moist, not wet.

When you see the buds appearing, use a high phosphorous formula to promote profuse flowering and seed bearing.

Before flowing starts, you can expect to get a lot of leafy growth. As your plants grow, you may want to support them with a fence or a trellis. Make sure it is sturdy enough to support 10 to 20 feet of vine growth. Once your plants find the support, they will train themselves to grow up it.

It’s a great idea to prune all dead stems and flower deadheads. As a vine, they tend to entangle each other, so prune some inner stems can increase air and light circulation and also promote flowering.

Pests and Disease

One of the best features about Hyacinth Bean Vine is it seldom bothered by insect and disease but will require mild treatment with insecticides, fungicide or repellents as needed.

Sometimes, you may see butterflies’ eggs on the leave and the caterpillars will munch on them for a short period.

Expect more butterflies once they’re done.

When to harvest the Hyacinth Bean seedpods?

Although Hyacinth Bean Vine is used as a food crop in some parts of the world, they are not recommended for eating. Instead, they are used as an ornamental plant in the landscape.

It’s important to know when to harvest the Hyacinth Bean seedpods if you want to grow additional plants.

The best time to pick up your seedpods is just prior to your first frost. Just collect the seedpods and store them in a cool dry place until the next growing season.

Some Facts of Hyacinth Bean Vine

• Botanical Name: Lablab Purpureus
• Common Names: Purple Hyacinth Bean, Indian Bean, Egyptian Bean, Tonga Bean, Dolichos Lablab and Tobacco Vine.
• Category: Annuals; Vines and Climbers
• Season: Perennial
• Foliage Color: Blue-Green
• Foliage: Grown for foliage, Aromatic, Smooth-Textured
• Bloom Color: Purple & white
• Bloom Characteristics: Flowers are fragrant and attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds
• Environment: Full sun
• USDA Zones: 9 – 11
• Height: 96 inches
• Bloom season: Mid Summer, Late Summer/Early Fall or Mid Fall
• Days to Germination: 10-20
• Danger: Seed is poisonous if ingested

The post How to Use and Grow Purple Hyacinth Bean Plants appeared first on quiet hut.

The Miss Kim Lilac is one of the most adorable and fragrant of all Lilac bushes. It is originated in Korea and is also considered a “Manchurian” lilac (according to Fine Gardening). The taxonomy of this plant is Syringa pubescens subsp. patula ‘Miss Kim.’ Unlike many other lilac varieties, this shrub can withstand U.S.

“Miss Kim” usually starts to bloom three to five years after planting. It blooms from late summer into fall, extending the season with deep purple buds that reveal clusters fragrant, lavender-blue flowers. In fall, the dark green leaves turn a beautiful reddish purple.

This plant is one of the most widely grown because of its upright and compact form. This shrub grows slowly, especially during the first three years, but eventually, it can grow to a height of 6 to 9 feet and a width of 5 to 7 feet. The Miss Kim Lilac prefers full sun to thrive and requires little maintenance beyond regular watering and annual pruning. It can also do well in areas of partial shade but will bloom less profusely in lower light. It makes a wonderful shrub for foundation plantings and provides a great privacy screen when planted in groups.

The Miss Lim plant is a deciduous shrub and belongs to the olive family of plants. It is great for border accent or mass planting. The plants tend to draw butterflies and their flowers attract hummingbirds. Nature lovers will value them for the creatures that they draw to the landscape.

Planting

Choose a site where your Miss Kim Lilac will get full sun – (at least 6 hours of sunlight daily). Be sure the area is well drained. Miss Kim don’t like wet feet and will not bloom with too much water. The Miss Kim Lilac is likely to succeed with just a little effort on your part regarding site preparation.

These Lilac varieties grow best in well-draining, neutral to the slightly alkaline soil (at a pH near 7.0). If your soil is in poor condition (The soil’s pH level falls below 6.5), amend the soil with a small amount of compost to improve drainage and add lime. If you’re not sure, buy a soil test at the garden center or a local nursery and test the soil.

The soil composition also makes a difference between a blooming and non-blooming lilac. Ideally, you will want to work some hummus or loam into the ground, that creates a well-drained garden for the lilac’s roots. You can even add some gravel to this mixture to create an even airier soil composition, preventing root rot and blooming issues.

Caring

Watering

Water well. Keep your soil evenly moist, but not soggy, during the first growing season. Once the roots are established, your lilac will be able to cope with the dry condition, especially if you applied bark mulch when planting.

Check the soil regularly for moisture level. If the soil around your lilacs is dry, add water. Just be aware that overwatering lilacs can cause them to drown, therefore the need for a well-draining soil.

Pruning

In terms of pruning, the Miss Kim Lilac doesn’t require the amount of pruning that Syringa Vulgaris does. Since the brushes bloom on old wood, it’s critical to prune your Miss Kim lilac late in the winter or early in the spring right after blooming is done. Here is a tip: If your lilac flower clusters are getting smaller, it’s time to prune!

It’s a good idea to prune the oldest and most damaged branches from the shrub to generate a good blooming season. Leaving old branches on your shrub does not ensure you of a voluminous blooming season in the future. In fact, your lilac needs to concentrate its energy on the youngest branches to produce large and more fragrant blooms. If you leave your lilac brush to grow wild, the blooms will be small or fail to grow.

If you are trying to limit the lilac’s size, scale it back appropriately. Besides, you may want to lop off the heads of flowers as soon as they have wilted. This will help produce increased blooming next year, as well as possible reblooming in the current year. It’s also a great idea to promote air circulation by giving them enough spacing.

If your Miss Kim Lilac is old and in really bad shape, you may want to remove one-third of the oldest in year one, half of the remaining old wood in year two, and the rest of year three.
Another choice for old lilacs is to chop the whole thing back to around 7 or 9 inches high. It sounds drastic, but Miss Kim Lilacs are very hardy. The upside to this option is less work and more reward, as the Miss Kim Lilac will grow back bursting with blooms. The downside is that it may take a few years to grow back.

Fertilizing

Infertile soil, these shrubs rarely need additional fertilizing. If you choose to fertilize your lilac, it is recommended that you fertilize the shrubs in late fall to early spring to boost plant growth and again after blooming season ends to promote flower bud set for the following year.

Uses in landscaping

Syringa vugaris is often used to form a privacy border in landscaping property lines because of its larger form.

By contrast, the upright, compact lilac does well in foundation plantings. You can grow both so as to improve the sequence of bloom in your landscape since they bloom at different times of the year.

Best features

Because of Miss Kim lilac’s small form, it makes a good choice if you’re pressed for room in your yard. It’s also great for border accent or mass planting.

When growing a Miss Kim lilac, you will take advantage of the time it blooms. It means you don’t have to wait as long for the first blooms on a newly installed specimen.

Hardy, yet performs in southern regions, with excellent powdery mildew resistance.

So what about the drawback of Miss Kim lilac?

Miss Kim lilac’s flowers smell is strong and overly sharp to some noses, but many growers feel that the quality of the scent in inferior to that of Syringa vulgaris. It’s important to keep in mind that just because you heard someone say that the fragrance equals that of the French lilacs, it doesn’t mean that if you feel the same smell. So, views on smells are subjective, just don’t buy base on that!

Some Facts of Miss Kim lilacs

• Botanical Pronunciation: si-RING-ga pew-BES-senz PAT-ew-la
• Height: 6 to 9 feet
• Width: 5 to 7 feet
• Plant type: Shrub
• Deciduous/evergreen: Deciduous
• Growing zones: 3 to 8
• Growth habit: Round
• Growth rate: Slow
• Special features: Upright and compact form, Attracts Butterflies and hummingbirds, Easy Care, Fall Color, Excellent powdery mildew resistance, Tolerates Road Salt.
• Foliage color: Green
• Blooms: late in the winter or early in the spring
• Flower color: Purple
• Flower attributes: Flowers for Cutting, Fragrant, Showy Flowers
• Garden style: Cottage, Rustic
• Design Ideas: Foundation plantings, to place in the front of a border, or use as a low hedge along the drive or sidewalk.
• Companion: PlantsBoxwood (Buxus); Maiden Grass (Miscanthus); Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia); Juniper (Juniperus); Coneflower (Echinacea).

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