Japanese Aster, now classified as Aster iinumae previously Asteromea mongolica or Kalimeris mongolica: An Allen Armitage 'no-brainer' perennial! The white full daisies are held atop and among the rich green foliage beginning in mid to late spring to early summer and continuing into fall. The nectar laden flowers are composed of multiple outer rows of white ray petals that have a light tinge of lavender surrounding a dense rounded mass of lemon tinged disc flowers. Japanese Aster is a slowly spreading rhizomatous herbaceous bushy perennial growing to about 12-24"H x 18-24"W though some sources suggest that it may reach 36"H. This plant's reliability and flower power have garnered it a top spot among Dr. Armitage's list of "no-brainer" perennials. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, Inc., all rights reserved.

 

Ming Treasure Amplifora Iris, Iris x amplifora 'Ming Treasure': Everything about this Iris is BIG including the incredible show it puts on! The very large, to 5" wide, blue-violet flowers speckled with dark purple are perched on sturdy, 5' high, bud-laden stalks opening over a period of 4-6 weeks beginning in early spring. Ming Treasure Amplifora Iris, a Plant Delights Nursery introduction discovered by the Shanghai Botanic Gardens' Dr. Xiao, is a vigorous evergreen clump forming perennial developing into a 3'H x 6'W mound of rich green, sword like foliage that can be up to 4" wide at its base. *Note: Most Irises prefer a full to mostly sunny site but Ming Treasure seems to do best where it receives at least some shade, particularly during the hottest portion of the day, with light, bright, or filtered shade being considered optimum. Provide a fertile, average moist to moist, well-drained soil for optimum growth and vigor. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved.

Dyson's Joy Salvia, Salvia x 'Dyson's Joy': The sweetly contrasting bicolor flowers are composed of two large soft shell pink lower petals and a bright rosy pink tube and hood all emerging from maroon tinged calyxes and spikes. Dyson's Joy Salvia, or simply Joy Salvia, is likely a selection or hybrid of Salvia greggii or Autumn Sage, and develops into a compact rounded plant growing to about 2' x 2' that can be enjoyed as a container plant as well as in the garden and landscape. The brightly colored flowers attract low flying hummingbirds, occasional butterflies, and other pollinators with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winner! Images courtesy of Jadelty Plant Propagation Nursery, all rights reserved.

Bandolista™ Red Chili Lantana, Lantana camara 'Bandolista™ Red Chili': Perfect for hanging baskets! The large rounded clusters of flowers open a deep orangey yellow and mature through orange tones and finally to deep fiery red all on a mounding to semi-trailing plant. Bandolista™ Red Chili Lantana was developed with container culture in mind, specifically hanging baskets, with its naturally spreading to semi-weeping and mounding habit it is sure to provide spring to frost color with minimal fuss. The flowers of this cultivar are sterile meaning the plants can spend more time and energy developing new flower buds instead of ripening fruit. Utilize Bandolista™ Red Chili Lantana as a spiller or filler in mixed container gardens, use it as a colorful, pollinator attracting groundcover in the garden and landscape, and as specimen container plants. Excellent for attracting a variety of pollinators including butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and other garden beneficials. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-draining, average moist, fertile soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Syngenta Flowers, Inc., all rights reserved.

SUMMERIFIC™ Edge of Night Hardy or Perennial Hibiscus, Hibiscus 'Edge of Night' PP34359, CPBRAF: The exceptionally dark, near black foliage acts as the perfect foil to compliment the summerlong display of bright bubblegum pink, 7-8" wide flowers that are accented by dark pink to red veining all on a neatly compact rounded plant. SUMMERIFIC® Edge of Night Perennial Hibiscus tops out at just 36-40" high and is considered one of the most compact Hibiscus on the market today as well as boasting some of the darkest, practically black, foliage to date. The SUMMERIFIC® Hibiscus are indeterminate types meaning that they flower all up and down the stems instead of just on the upper half of the plants creating a knockout display in the garden and landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in moist to average moist to wet, moderately fertile soils. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved.
 

Kalama™ Papaya Esperanza or Tecoma, Tecoma 'Balbahset' PP32394: New for 2023! Large clusters of dark red-orange trumpets are accented by deep red veining and are produced from summer to fall atop compact plants attracting low flying hummingbirds, larger bees, and butterflies. Kalama™ Papaya Tecoma, a.k.a. Esperanza, is a compact selection of this easy and rewarding heat and sun-loving tropical to tender perennial selected for its compact stature but with ample flower power. Small enough to be enjoyed in containers or even for planting beneath windows where the nectar rich flowers are sure to draw pollinators well within viewing range. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in an average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering! Images courtesy of Ball Flora Plant, Inc., all rights reserved.

Raydon's Favorite Aromatic Aster, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'Raydon's Favorite': Masses of 1" wide yellow-eyed bluish purple daisies absolutely cover this plant for weeks in late summer and fall. A selection of Symphyotrichum oblongifolium and the big brother of the slightly more compact October Skies, is a medium-sized, herbaceous, densely mounding shrub-like perennial that matures to about 3' x 3' at the time of flowering. Excellent fall color for the garden as well as drought tolerance and pest and disease resistance make this an excellent addition to the perennial or wildflower border and landscape. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators but seem to be especially popular with bees. Prefers good to excellent drainage and a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Named the 2016 Plant of the Year by the Garden Club of America and selected for the 2003 Theodore Klein Award. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, Inc., all rights reserved.

Kalama™ Pomegranate Esperanza or Tecoma, Tecoma 'Balkalgran' PPAF: Large clusters of deep orange-red trumpets with a complimentary yellow throat are produced from summer to fall atop compact plants attracting low flying hummingbirds, larger bees, and butterflies. Kalama™ Pomegranate Tecoma, a.k.a. Esperanza, is a compact selection of this easy and rewarding heat and sun-loving tropical to tender perennial selected for its compact stature but with ample flower power. Small enough to be enjoyed in containers or even for planting beneath windows where the nectar rich flowers are sure to draw pollinators well within viewing range. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in an average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering! Images courtesy of Ball Flora Plant, Inc., all rights reserved.

Angel Eyes Hardy or Perennial Hibiscus, Hibiscus 'Angel Eyes' PPAF, CPBRAF: One of the earliest to begin flowering and new for 2023! The large, to 8" wide, full white flowers are centered by a deep burgundy eye that is surrounded by a halo of contrasting raspberry red veins that fade out toward the edges of the petals. Angel Eyes Perennial Hibiscus develops into a full sized 5' x 5' plant cloaked in rich green foliage that acts as a foil for the contrasting flowers. Provide a full to mostly sunny location in moist to average moist to wet, moderately fertile soils. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved.


SOMBRERO™ Tres Amigos Coneflower, Echinacea 'Balsomtresgo' PP30750, US7982110, EU PBR58588: A 2018 UGA Trial Gardens Classic City Award and a People's Choice Award winner! The large, lightly fragrant flowers open a coral pink, deepen through rose, and finally maturing to burgundy held on sturdy 18" high stems above the deep green foliage in summer. SOMBRERO® Tres Amigos Coneflower or Echinacea is a hardy clump forming perennial growing to about 18-20"H x 22-24"W making it compact enough for containers as well as being a colorful addition to the garden and landscape. Like all of the Echinaceas, the fragrant nectar rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, especially butterflies and bees. Provide a fertile, average moist, well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. Photos courtesy of Darwin Perennials, Inc., all rights reserved.

Gardening Tip: Water Hoses and Accessories

    Some of the less expensive water hoses use cheaper Aluminum connectors. Aluminum is prone to galling when in contact with dissimilar metals such as brass, zinc, and stainless steel. The friction of screwing the fittings together causes the Aluminum to literally be torn away and it effectively welds itself to these dissimilar metals. Often, the only way to correct this is to replace the ends once this has occurred, as it is virtually impossible to get them apart. Aluminum is usually silver to gray and brass is typically gold, deep bronze, to brown colored. One way that you can avoid this is to use a plastic shutoff valve or plastic hose timer between two fittings of different metals. Alternatively, you can use an anti-seize grease on the threads when you have to connect two different metals together. 

     Water hoses come in two basic grades. There are the inexpensive $15-20 hoses that usually last about one year and then start to crack, break, and kink. The more expensive hoses (e.g. $35-50+), are usually made of a quality rubber, often come in larger diameters, such as 5/8" or 3/4" and so can carry a higher flower rates, are often available in longer lengths, and typically have brand honored multiple year warranties. With average care, the higher quality water hoses can often last five years or more saving you time, aggravation, and money in the long run.

     Don't forget to run the hot water out of a hose that has been laying out in the sun before watering your plants or spraying yourself, your children, or your pets. In the sun, water can easily reach scalding temperatures of 130-140^oF! This hot water in hoses has contributed to the old wives tale that you shouldn't water during the day or it will burn your plants. If that were true, then why wouldn't rain or our watering here at the nursery cause the same damage.

  Thank you for taking the time to peruse our 2023 Summer Newsletter and if you know of anyone who would be interested in reading it you can forward it to them by copying the below link:

Almost Eden’s Summer 2023 What's New Newsletter

Textual version of the link: https://www.almostedenplants.com/shopping/c/ae2023summernewsletter/

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Thank You & Good Growing,

John, Bonnie, & Jeff McMillian

& the Crew at Almost Eden

1240 Smith Rd

Merryville, LA 70653

337-375-2114