Perennials: Post photo of your favorite perennial combinations, Part 2, 1 by kosk0025

kosk0025 wrote:
Oh thanks. But I forgot to mention our many months of rain (Nov. thru April/May--this drives many people away from the Pacific NW bc they crave sunshine) plus the two months where we don't get a speck of rain (July/Aug)---requiring irrigation. So it's not perfect here. But as a gardener, I welcome the rain. We are coming off of 2 weeks of glorious sunshine (had to start irrigating, believe it or not), and we are getting a nice soaking rain today thank goodness. The plants are happy.

My baptisia is the 'Purple Smoke' variety. I bought 3 of those as 1 gallon plants last year locally. (they were really healthy plants from a really good garden store), and I am amazed at how large they are this year already.

You will have good success starting the lupines from seed. In my opinion, they are by far the easiest perennials to start from seed. Big seeds, fast growth. All of the lupines in my yard I started from seed. (Lupinus polyphyllus, Russell's Hybrids). I also started some Texas bluebonnets (lupinus texenis) and Lupinus elegans 'Dwarf Pink Fairy' this year. Easy from seed. Texas bluebonnets should do well in VA, right?

Pic: the power of purple. more lupine with Spanish lavender in the background. Pic from last week.