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Set your alarm clock, get your checkbook and get in line at the JC Raulston Arboretum on Saturday morning. The PAX plant sale (mentioned by blog-partner Melissa last month) begins at 8 am. PAX is the horticulture Honors Society at NCSU and their sale is not to be missed. You’ll always find something special–like Red Buckeye for $20 bucks. Exciting stuff. Here’s a link to the plant list and more info. All profits go for scholarships and grants for garden building–a good cause.
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/pialphaxi/plantsale.html
Then get in the car and travel South. Apex Gardener Rita Mercer is opening her splendid garden on Saturday and selling plants from her on-site nursery. This is a great chance to see a successful garden on a difficult site– a dry, shady slope. And since she lives right down highway 64 from me, all her plants grow really well at my house.
Be sure to try the roof Iris if they’re available. Here’s Rita’s link.
http://www.ritasgarden.net/pages/sale/
And coming up in May, two more favorite garden tours. Go ahead and clear Saturday 5/14 for the Hillsborough Spring Tour and Triangle Land Conservancy Tour which will feature Durham gardens this year. More info coming…but save the date now.
This week the Persicaria “Red Dragon” finally wilted.
I was impressed.
During this long, hot, dry September when so many plants have needed watering– that’s the first time Persicaria (common name: Knotweed) has needed any help from me.
Which means it’s a super-tough, drought tolerant plant that’s easy to establish. My three little rooted sprigs were planted just this Spring.
That’s very good news. I’m always looking for new plants for my woods garden which even in the best of summers gets really dry.
Another plus--It's nice and tall, knee-hi at least.
Red Dragon Knotweed came from the annual Raleigh Garden Club Sale at the State fairgrounds–a recommendation from noted Apex gardener Rita Mercer who lives just down the road.
When Rita speaks, I listen. Her garden is very impressive–she opens it to the public each spring– and since Rita’s Garden is on a shady slope it’s even drier than mine.
So I put down another plant and picked up the Knotweed. And it’s been a wonderful purchase for me.
Not only is Red Dragon tough and drought tolerant, it’s has a subtle beauty, small white flowers and looks good all summer long–a rare combo in my woods.
The airy white flowers last a long time--
Persicaria “Red Dragon” –You should grow that.
Another note about plants you should grow–Check out the Garden Section of today’s Raleigh News and Observer for a great article about what plants local gardeners are buying this fall. Columnist Carol Stein picks one of my favorites, the locally propagated beauty, Blue Chip Buddleia. This plant still looks fantastic, as it has all summer, in my sunny garden by the street. Campbell Road Nursery has them for 15 dollars each. Nursery boss, Lane is co-propigator of the variety. Love this plant. You should grow it.
Pretty blooms and then some--a good looking Butterfly bush for the front of the border--
