What’s in Bloom

Summer is winding down, it’s hard to believe that Labor Day is this weekend!  However, the gardens at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum continue to bloom and thrive. Lisa Bencivengo was at the Arboretum recently and captured the following beauties: A close-up of the unusual, vivid deep blue flowers of Clitoria ternatea (butterfly pea). This legume is native to the Indonesian island of Ternate. Its roots form a symbiotic association with soil bacteria known as rhizobia and is often used to improve soil quality through the decomposition of nitrogen rich plant material. The other photo shared by Lisa is of the Gravel Garden, located on the small hill above Matilda’s Cottage, now several years old and maturing nicely.

Thank you Lisa!

Including native plants in your garden adds beauty to your landscape and provides food and shelter to butterflies, bees, birds, etc. Following are four beautiful plants that are native to our area, unless otherwise noted:

Silver gem prostrate blue violet (Viola walteri) is a compact, multi-stemmed herbaceous perennial with heart-shaped leaves and tiny violet flowers which forms a slowly spreading groundcover. Viola walteri grows in partial shade and is very drought tolerant once it’s established.

Solar cascade goldenrod (Solidago shortii) is a clump forming perennial with beautiful, miniature golden-yellow flowers borne in axillary clusters along the stems from late summer into fall. Grow it in full sun to part shade in moist, average or dry soil.

Great blue lobelia or blue cardinal flower (Lobelia siphilitica) is a gorgeous native perennnial with a strongly upright habit and covered in tall stalks of strikingly blue flowers from mid to late summer. It’s a bee and butterfly magnet and will thrive in full sun to part shade.

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata ‘Ice Ballet’), native to MIssouri, is an herbaceous perennial, offering clusters of white, vanilla-scented flowers in mid-summer. This pollinator plant is especially attractive to the larval stage of Monarch butterflies. The flowers are followed by attractive seed pods which split open, releasing the silky haired seeds to the wind.

All of the above thrive in my garden and the plants were all purchased at various plant sales held by the Friends.

Member Michele Blustein visited the Arboretum recently and shared the following photographs with us. A closeup shot of an Echinops ritro flowerhead (globe thistle), followed by a vignette including globe thistle in front of a group of Achillea millefolium’s pastel flowers (Yarrow). The genus name Achillea comes from the mythical Greek character Achilles, who legend tells us, carried it with his army to treat wounded soldiers. Michelle also sent a picture of the Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper vine) in full and glorious bloom. Native to Eastern North America, the trumpet creeper flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies and can be used in erosion control as well as for herbal remedies for women’s health issues.

Thank you Michele!