This photo is one I took at Merriments Garden Center while we were in England, which puts the infamous verbena in another (equally stunning) setting, playing off the white birches and white sculpture. I was chatting with one of the b & b owners there, and he said they sometimes have difficulty keeping it alive. To that, I say, "Come to Georgia!"
I have Verbena b. in the Stepchild Garden, as well as in the cutting garden at the Big House. Not only does it love being in beds, but it also loves being in cracks in pavement, in the lawn, in the gravel paths, etc. It is a plant that I love, so I'm happy to tolerate its wayward behavior, and just know that throughout the season, I will need to yank out a few seedlings every time I walk through the garden.
It's easy to fall in love with this one.....but make sure you're not thinking it's going to be a "one nighter," because this one is "til death do us part......"
Ha! Yes, that's a lesson I had to unexpectedly learn. I didn't realize how it would self-sow and I actually spent money on some more mail order plants. What a waste as the seedlings came up everywhere! But I love its looks and how attractive it is to butterflies and hummingbirds. It's well worth the minor hassles to weed it out.
ReplyDeleteIt reseeds freely here in RI but I do love it for its airy dignity.
ReplyDeleteSo true! Ours constantly turns up in strange areas, blocking the front walk to the entrance--but I love it. I adore having it close to my office, because the hummingbirds visit it all summer. We don't have a large planting of it--but seeing your photo, that's going to change next year! So happy to find your site--what a fascinating and fabulous job you have!
ReplyDeleteI love a large swath of the same plant.
ReplyDelete"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful"
Mae West