Epimedium Flowers

Epimedium “Epemedium grandiflorum” is also called “bishop’s hat” is one of favorite ground covers. It is one of those plants which look like maidenhair fern, that looks dainty and delicate but is really as tough as they come adaptable, easy to grow, and hardy  to zone 3. The small spurred flowers are supposed to resemble a bishop’s miter, but they look to me like miniature columbines.

 

They come in various colors depending on the variety white, pink, red, lavender and yellow, appear in late spring. Rose Queen is a good red and Nivum has large, showy white flowers. The heart shaped leaves are pinkish when they first emerge in spring. They overlap in beautiful soft looking mounds and last even into early winter, after turning a reddish bronze color.

Moreover, Epimedium grows slowly when first planted. But it looks like the tortoise that beat the hare it slowly and steadily established large, vigorous clumps. It will grow well even around the bases of trees, where it is graceful addition. Epimedium prefers part shade but will grow in sun if you give it the moist, humusy soil in which it does best. Soil should be well drained and slightly acid. Since it is shallow rooted, try not to cultivate around it, but instead apply a light mulch to control weeds. Divide in spring, preferably while plants are dormant cutting the tough roots with a knife. Source: Charismatic Planet

 

Queen Anne’slace Flower

Queen Annne’slace “Daucus Carota”  flower is so common that you might assume t to be an American native, but it’s really from Afghanistan and was introduced to the Europe in colonial times. Meadows roadsides and overgrown fields are full of it lacy, flat umbels made up of many tiny white flowers and a solitary purple one right in the center. They bloom a long time, from June to August in most areas, which means you have them throughout the summer to lighten and soften bouquets of brighter, less delicate flowers. You may like the way the flowers look when they are fading and start to close up like little cups. They are the same species as our common garden carrot, and in fact if you pull one up you will see a carrot shaped, carrot smelling taproot, though its stringy and white instead of fat and orange. The plants are hardy.

Moreover Queen Anne’slace will grow in cultivated gardens, although if the soil is very fertile and stems may become leggy.  It will tolerate dry, infertile soil quite well but needs at least a half day of full sun. In spite of the fact that it chooses to live in meadows, it cannot compete with vigorous rooted perennials and grasses. It is best simply to naturalize a clump of it somewhere and keep the soil weeded and cultivated so that the plant will self sow abundantly. Like many members of umbelliferae, Queens Anne’slace does this well anywhere, but in cultivated ground it will do so best. On the other hand, if you don’t want it to self sow, deadhead the plants or just pick them. There’s always a place for another bouquet of Queen Anne’slace. Like other tap rooted plants they can’t be divided but seeds can be collected when dry and sown outdoors in late spring.