Mary Claire Rowe

Cool, rainy days, lush green growth, spindly, full-sun loving flower-heads looking for sunlight, this is our late spring condition this year.

The gift of all this rain has been gratefully received by gardeners and others alike. If I recall correctly, we were beginning to fear the worst last year about this time, as the rains had stopped earlier and would not come again for the rest of the year.

Our unusual weather patterns, and more frequently occurring storms let us know that our climate has changed. It will be a challenge for all of us, but right now, we gardeners are enjoying the rains and the coolness. If we have planted our gardens successfully, and mulched thoroughly, our chores in the garden might just be a little lighter.

Of course, change brings a whole 'nother set of challenges. Because we have had so much rain, and overcast skies, I realize that the lavender I planted outside my office window is not getting enough sun, and the flower heads are about two feet tall, with the most miserably small flowers I have ever seen.

It is too rainy to move them, so I am just hoping they live through this time, and I can fix the situation later.

So many perennial plants are in bloom right now, that it is a joy to see them and sometimes a surprise. With so many other things on our minds, it is easy to forget what was planted years ago, until it comes into bloom during its time to bloom.

The fact that plants have a certain time of year, as well as the right weather conditions in which they come into bloom, was one of the first things I learned as a young homeowner and inexperienced gardener.

I thought that the plants that I purchased at the local nursery could be put into the ground, and then they would bloom all spring, summer, and fall until the first frost. Because they had been forced by the nursery growers to bloom for the market in the spring, I just thought that was the normal progression.

It took a few years to learn that the perennials had their own time, and that it was not necessarily the time I thought would be good. Gardening is a lifetime of learning, and that is what makes it so interesting and challenging.

That is why a savvy gardener will avail herself of the incredible experience of walking through the Rose Garden Complex. There in the south end of the large garden are located three sub-gardens: the Shade and Camellia Garden area where plants that love deep shade are grown; the Heritage Garden filled with wonderful roses and plants that have been loved for generations of gardeners; and the amazing IDEA Garden, which is stocked with perennials that might be unfamiliar to the local grower, but have been shown thrive in our area. A trip to these gardens would really be pleasant during this cooler weather time of our year, and the plants are in their prime.

The featured plant today is an annual in our area called Osteospermum (os tea o SPER mum). The Latin name "osteon" means "bone," and "spermum" means seed. With imagination the little seeds look like tiny dried leg bones. A member of the Calenduleae Family, it is a hybrid called "Lemon Symphony'' which loves sun to part shade, grows to a height of eight to 14 inches and has a trailing growth habit. The plants should be placed 12 to 14-inches apart. It likes a warm and sunny position and rich soil. If watered and fertilized well it will flower continuously this summer into fall. It is a Proven Winner brand, which means it will do very well here.

However, if the roots dry out, it will go into "sleep mode" to survive, and will not come back to flower easily. It is sometimes called "Blue-eyed Daisy" and comes from Africa originally.

It is evergreen in zones 9-11, is obviously heat tolerant, and cold tolerant to 25 degrees.

I urge you to go to the gardens and see what else you can find that you would like to have in your own garden.

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