[PLANT PROFILE] HELLEBORE

March 13, 2025 Karen Logan

HELLEBORES

LENTEN ROSE

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On a walk through Coastal Maine Botanical Garden last year at the beginning of May, one of the many surprises I stumbled upon were the enormous array of Hellebores dappled throughout the shade gardens. I was mesmerized by their range of colors from deep red to shades of pink and white. In the shade of the Giles Rhododendron and Perennial Garden, swaths of Hellebores were groundcover for the Rhododendrons and Azaleas. I have always been in awe of Hellebore’s unique flower structure and evergreen foliage but witnessing it in these numbers was just glorious.

Hellebores awaken in mid April when they begin to put on a show with their abundant blooms. Their flowers last for several weeks and once the petals have faded, the sepals, which look like a flower, remain attractive for several months. The sturdy evergreen foliage is appealing well into the winter months. With all their different stages they are the plant that keeps on giving from spring to winter.

Hellebores are perfect in woodland gardens and in shady areas under deciduous trees.

Helebore at Maine Coastal Botanical Garden

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GROWING CONDITIONS & CARE

Easy to grow
12 x 24” H. Spreads over time
Drought tolerant but thrives in slightly moist conditions
Sensitive to poor drainage
Cold hardy and tough
Rabbit and deer resistant
Perfect along shaded borders and woodland gardens
Beautiful when planted under deciduous trees as a ground cover
After a long winter, the large evergreen leaves look flattened and tattered. Remove the worst of these before the flower stalks begin to grow. Do not remove leaves prior to that or may harm plant.

Hellebore

Helleborus orientalis 'Pink Lady' Lenten Rose

Helleborus x hybridus

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HELLEBORES AVAILABLE AT VINEYARD GARDEN

Hellebore Ice N' Roses® Bianco (Monrovia)
Hellebore Ice N' Roses® Red (Monrovia)
HelleboreIce N' Roses® Rosado (Monrovia)
Helleborus x iburgensis Ice N' Roses® Merlot Hellebore (Monrovia)
Hellebore Ice N' Roses® Rose (Monrovia)
Helleborus Paris in Pink (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus Rio Carnival (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus Romantic Getaway (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus Maid of Honor (Walter’s Garden)

Helleborus Wedding Bells (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus Spanish Flare (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus New York Night (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus Rome in Red (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus Snowbells (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus French Kiss (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus Sandy Shores (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus Ivory Prince (Walter’s Garden)
Helleborus Irish Luck (Walter’s Garden)

A hardy, deer resistant perennial with evergreen foliage, long-blooming flowers and multi seasonal interest!

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APRIL GARDEN TIPS

EARLY SPRING COLOR

ECHINACEA 30% OFF

August 1, 2024 Karen Logan

*Echinacea purpurea illustration by karen blackerby logan*

ECHINACEA 30% OFF

CONEFLOWER

Echinacea comes from the Greek word echinos meaning hedgehog or sea-urchin in reference to the spiny central cone.

Natives Vs Hybrids

We grow several species of Echinacea, such as Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea pallida and Echinacea paradoxa. Starting plants from seed adds new DNA combinations to the species and the population. This is thought to increase chances of populations being able to adapt and fight off disease. Thus the hybrids may not be as adaptable. The native cone flowers exist in pink and yellow.

We sell countless hybrids that the horticultural industry has created from mostly Echinacea purpurea. It can take several years for a hybrid to be stable enough to be sold in the market. It is possible that some of the hybrids, which are mostly asexually propagated by cuttings or tissue culture, may not be as adaptable or hardy as the species but boy are they beautiful. The hybrids now exist in all sizes and colors including orange, red, pink, yellow or even bicolor. We carry the Sombrero series, like Salsa Red and Adobe Orange which are two of our favorites. We love many of the Echinacea hybrids like Green twister and White Swan.

*If food for pollinators is your #1 reason for planting Echinacea, either plant the native species or pick the single hybrids. The doubles are not believed to be good food for pollinators. Many of the doubles are sterile and produce no seed.

Coneflowers come in a rainbow of colors!

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ECHINACEA AVAILABLE AT VINEYARD GARDENS

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SOMBRERO SERIES
*(Continues to be one*
*of our favorites!)*
**Salsa Red**
**Adobe Orange**
**Hot Coral**
**Lemon Yellow**
**Rosada**

**Summer Solstice**
**Tres Amigos**
**Sangrita**
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SUNSEEKER SERIES
*(Tall with beautiful flowers that*
*often transition to other colors as*
*they mature. Some can be*
*double.)*
**Rainbow**
**Salmon**
**Perfection**
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**Green Wizard**
*(The flower petals are*
*yellow-green*
*on the tips and*
*bleed into a pale*
*pink closer to*
*the cone.)*
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**Old Fashioned Hybrid**
**Ruby Giant**
*(Quite tall with*
*large pink flowers)*
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**Ruby Giant**
Green Twister
*(Very hardy)*
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*New this year!*
*We are testing for hardiness.*
**Dark Shadows Wicked**

**Orange You Awesome**
**The Fuschia is Bright**

**One in a Melon**
**Summer Song**
**Fire Finch**
**Baja Burgundy**
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USES

Attracts all types of butterflies, birds, bees and other pollinators!
Let the later blooms stand throughout winter, where the characteristic central cone swollen and full of seed offers an excellent food source for birds. Once spring arrives, simply cut back your coneflowers to the ground.
Medicinal use: to help boost the immune system and shorten the duration of the common cold and flu. Echinacea flowers are often associated with health and healing.

GROWING CONDITIONS

Herbaceous perennial that is native to the mid west prairies of the US.
An adaptable plant that is tolerant of drought, heat, humidity and poor soil.
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun.
Coneflowers are not fussy. They aren’t particularly bothered by pests and do not require fertilizer.
Mid-summer bloom

An excellent, long-blooming flower for massing in the border, meadow, native plant garden, naturalized area or wildflower garden. Often massed with black-eyed Susans.

[PLANT PROFILE] ECHINACEA

June 18, 2024 Karen Logan

ECHINACEA

CONEFLOWER

Echinacea comes from the Greek word echinos meaning hedgehog or sea-urchin in reference to the spiny central cone.

Natives Vs Hybrids

We grow several species of Echinacea, such as Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea pallida and sometimes Echinacea paradoxa. Starting plants from seed adds new DNA to the species and the population. This is thought to increase chances of populations being able to adapt and fight off disease. Thus the hybrids may not be as adaptable. The native cone flowers exist in pink and yellow.

We sell countless hybrids that the horticultural industry has created from mostly Echinacea purpurea. It can take several years for a hybrid to be stable enough to be sold in the market. Then it must be propagated asexually, by cuttings or tissue culture to become that hybrid. The hybrids now exist in all sizes and colors including orange, red, pink and yellow. We carry the Sombrero series, like Salsa Red and Adobe Orange which are two of our favorites. We also carry the shorter Pow Wow series, Pow Wow Wildberry and Pow Wow White. We love many of the Echinacea hybrids like Green twister and White Swan.

If food for pollinators is your #1 reason for planting Echinacea, either plant the native species or pick the single hybrids. The doubles are not believed to be good food for pollinators. Many of the doubles are sterile and produce no seed.

Coneflowers come in a rainbow of colors!

GROWING CONDITIONS

Herbaceous perennial that is native to the mid west prairies of the US.
An adaptable plant that is tolerant of drought, heat, humidity and poor soil.
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best in full sun.
Coneflowers aren’t fussy. They aren’t particularly bothered by pests and do not require much fertilizer.
Mid-summer bloom

USES

Attracts all types of butterflies, birds, bees and other pollinators!
Birds also enjoy coneflowers in the garden. Let the later blooms stand throughout winter, where the characteristic central cone swollen and full of seed offers an excellent food source for birds. Once spring arrives, simply cut back your coneflowers to the ground.
Medicinal use: to help boost the immune system and shorten the duration of the common cold and flu. Echinacea flowers are often associated with health and healing.

An excellent, long-blooming flower for massing in the border, meadow, native plant garden, naturalized area, wildflower garden or part shade area of woodland garden. Often massed with black-eyed Susans.

[PLANT PROFILE] LOBELIA

September 12, 2022 Karen Logan

LOBELIA

30% off

A North American native plant that has spires of colorful hood-like flowers that open from bottom to top. Lobelias are typically found in wet, swampy soil or woodlands. They are a perfect choice for low spots in your garden that stay too wet for most plants. Although, given enough water Lobelias will be fine with more sun. They are an excellent choice for partial shade gardens.

Two perennial species we carry are Lobelia siphilitica, the Native Great Blue, and Lobelia cardinalis, Cardinal flower.

We carry the Lobelia cardinalis in its native green leaf form, as well as Queen Victoria, a red leaf form that won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. A newer cardinalis hybrid we are offering is the Starship Series. This series is a little shorter and better branched. We usually have it in scarlet, rose and sometimes blue.

**Lobelia Starship Deep Rose & Scarlet Bronze Leaf**

**Lobelia Starship Deep Rose & Scarlet Bronze Leaf**. Rich bronze or purple foliage throughout the growing season. Adds a bold color for the late summer to early autumn garden.

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CARE

Prefer fertile, evenly moist soil.
Can be divided every 2-3 years in spring.
Allow to self sow.
Winter over with stems on.
Can be pinched back before flowering to produce more compact plants

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USES

Woodland paths
Perennial beds and border gardens with moist, well-drained soil.
Given enough water they can be fine with more sun.
Great choice for partial shade gardens
Well-suited for use in rain gardens, around ponds and streams and other moist areas.

Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Pairs well with ferns or heuchera.

[PLANT PROFILE] CRAPE MYRTLE

September 6, 2022 Karen Logan

Lagerstroemia

[CRAPE MYRTLE]

An all-season performer that shows off colorful foliage in fall, attractive exfoliating bark in winter and showy flowers in the summer! Crape Myrtle bloom from July to September, with some varieties blooming until first frost. Flowers have a crepe like texture and range in color from red, purple, pink, orchid and white. There are several varieties that range in size from 2-foot shrubby dwarfs to large trees.

Crape Myrtles’ showy flowers adds a punch of color in late summer & early fall.

Crape Myrtle (front), Rudbeckia & Hibiscus

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HISTORY

Better known by their common name of Crape Myrtle, Lagerstroemia is a genus of about 50 plants native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The Genus is named after the director of the Swedish East India Company, Magnus van Lagerstrom, who supplied Carl Linnaeus with plants he collected.

Only 2 species are primarily used in gardening and landscape horticulture. The Lagerstroemia indica from China and Korea was introduced to Charleston, North Carolina in 1790 by French botanist Andre Michaux. In the wild it is a large multi stemmed shrub but 200 years of cultivation have resulted in a huge number of cultivars with varying characteristics.

Another species from Japan Lagerstroemia fauriei is becoming increasingly important as a landscape plant and as a parent in hybrids with L. Indica. This species is more resistant to fungal diseases, has highly ornamental bark and is more cold hardy than L. Indica making it valuable as genetic material for hybridization.

FALL IS A GREAT TIME TO PLANT. allowS CRAPE MYRTLE time to establish their roots before going dormant in winter.

CARE

Prefer full sun. The more sun the more blooms!
Once established, Crape Myrtles are quite drought tolerant.
They need good drainage.
A common mistake is over-pruning.
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USES
Crape myrtles make great additions to any size garden. Some ideas for how to use them:
Plant multiple dwarf or medium-size varieties together to form a hedge.
Use dwarf varieties as colorful additions in borders and beds.
Dwarf varieties make excellent choices for large containers.
A good choice near walkways and driveways.
Use larger varieties as an individual accent

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we have dwarf varieties available to add to your garden if you don’t have space for a larger speciman.

Crape Myrtle ‘Like a Latte’ [photo: walters gardens]

CRAPE MYRTLE VARIETIES WE HAVE AVAILABLE

Lagerstroemia 'Like A Latte' (Dwarf)

Lagerstroemia 'Barista Cherry Mocha' (Dwarf)

Lagerstroemia 'Tuscarora'

Lagerstroemia 'Tonto'

Lagerstroemia 'Muskogee'

Lagerstroemia 'Muskogee Lavender'

Lagerstroemia 'Natchez White'

Lagerstroemia 'Cherry Mocha' [photo: walters garden]

Crape Myrtle ‘Tuscarora’ [photo: monrovia]

Crape Myrtle ‘Muskogee’ [photo credit: monrovia]

[PLANT PROFILE] ANEMONE

September 1, 2022 Karen Logan

*Anemone [illustration by karen blackerby logan]*

JAPANESE ANEMONE

[WINDFLOWER]

A common name for Anemone is windflower because the delicate poppy-like flowers sway in the breeze. The Greek word anemos translates as "wind."

Japanese Anemones add a wonderful splash of color to the autumn garden when other perennials are beginning to fade. With one of the longest bloom times, they are a great season extender in a perennial garden. They spread when they are happy and can tolerate moist soils!

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CARE

Japanese Anemones are fabulous perennials that thrive ideally in a little afternoon shade. They can tolerate full sun as long as the soil is moist.
They prefer rich, moist soil. Water the plants regularly when it does not rain.
Bloom time: Mid-Summer to Late Fall 6-8 weeks

USES

Borders, cottage gardens, coastal gardens, naturalized areas such as meadows

White anemomes stand out nicely at night. White gardens are sometimes called moonlight gardens .where the white flowers light up at night.

Japanese Anemone and Impatiens balfourii [photo by keith kurman] *Anemones contain basal leaf clumps from which long flower stems grow to support delicate flowers.*

Japanese anemone bloom abundantly from mid-summer to late fall, giving gardeners a shade-loving alternative to the autumn mums and asters.

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JAPANESE ANEMONES WE CARRY AT VINEYARD GARDENS

Japanese Anemones are mostly hybrids. Some are taller than others, up to 3 feet. The more popular ones are single flowers but we often carry a pink double called Pamina. Next year we are ordering a white double called Whirlwind.

Wild Swan: White with a bluish tinge behind the petals
Honorine Jobert: White single flowers
September Charm: Pink single flowers
Robustissima: Pink single flowers
Bressingham Glow: Pink flowers
Pamina: Pink double flowers

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Japanese Anemone in their full glory and the bees taking it all in!