Some plants I loved last year. See part one here.
Gladiolus 'Atom'
I love plants that suck me in with
glorious, unique flowers, and then win my heart forever by also being
tough and carefree. 'Atom' fits the bill perfectly. The flowers are a
vivid, shade of red, with each petal edged in the faintest possible
line of white, somehow at once brash and elegant. All gladiolus are
pretty much trouble-free during the summer, unless they need staking,
which this one is thankfully short enough to avoid, but 'Atom' takes
that all to another level by also being completely zone 5 hardy.
That's right, no digging and storing the bulbs, just plant it and
enjoy year after year! Even better, it multiplies pretty quickly, so
from one plant you'll soon have a mass to enjoy and plenty to share
with friends.
Mint "Sister Julie's Wintergreen"
I talked about these mints when I first
purchased them, an amazing array of gourmet mint varieties bred by a
chef. After eating my way through the varieties I tried for the
summer, I've settled on a clear favorite. Quite unlike the standard
mints you might have grown, 'Winter Green' packs an enormous punch of
menthol, the compound which stimulates the temperature sensitive
nerves in our mouths to create the sensation of cooling, much as
chili peppers do to produce the feeling of heat. That makes this mint
a perfect counterpoint to intensely spicy dishes, and I love this
particular variety in the Indian sauce Raita. It is simple to make –
plain yogurt, cucumber, handfuls of fresh mint, and a little salt.
Dip some naan in it after a mouthful of fiery curry, or even a
tortilla chip after a mouthful of hot, hot salsa. The contrast of hot
and cool is wonderful, soothing, and primes your tastebuds for the
next hit of heat. I got mine from Richters Herbs
Primula x pubescens
Like most American gardeners, I've
spent most of my life being jealous of England. It seems, with their
mild summers and winters, that they can grow everything better than
we can. Well, now I've found something for them to be jealous of.
Look up Primula x pubescens, the auricula primroses, online or in
reference books, and you'll find all sorts of nonsense about how
finicky they are and how carefully they must be cultivated. Turns
out, all they really want is to be living in Michigan. Plop these
babies in anything from full fun to bright shade, and watch them do
their thing. Lovely, thick, fleshy leaves all year, topped with
incredible clusters of fragrant blooms in the most delicate shades
imaginable. I got mine from the always wonderful Arrowhead Alpines
Gazanias
Sometimes the best plants are right
under our noses. I'd seen gazanias countless times, and never given
the much thought. Little daisies... okay, whatever. But this year, on
a whim, I bought a packet of seed and grew out a patch of them, and
once I got down and looked closely at the flowers, I was amazed. Each
flower is incredibly intricately marked with the most mesmerizing
patterns of spots and stripes. Like most mainstream annuals, they
bloom profusely all summer, but unlike some, they are also require no
pampering whatsoever being wonderful heat and drought tolerant. It is
time I explored this group some more and gave this marvelous little
blooms the respect they deserve.
