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I have a question about a few plants please.

14 years ago

There are a few plants mentioned on this forum,that alot of you grow,and i am curious if these are ones you grow every year,because you just love them?

And are the flowers beautiful, or do you grow them for a different reason(such as for butterflies)?

1.Salpiglossis-painters tounge?

2.Silene?

3.Ageratum,leilani?

4.Viola***good for the butterfly garden????

There are so many more,just thought i would start with a few i have questioned to my self.

Thaks every one.

cAROL

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Comments (8)

token28001
14 years ago
Ageratum is a butterfly and bee magnet. Violas are winter bloomers here, like pansies. The other two, I don't know.

Johnny jump ups, an orange/purple viola reseeds well in an unmulched bed.
floodthelast
14 years ago
While I would like to try the other's listed I have only done violas. I do these every year for several reasons. I have wild ones from my own yard and some from my Mom's that I've transplanted in my beds and I add some to hopefully get going from the Johnny jump ups too. They are just so cute and bright. They are edible I've had them sugared on cakes. They bloom early and for the longest time if they get enough water. They also work in the shade and I have a lot of that. There is a lot of variety in their colors as they cross.
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carrie630
14 years ago
Silene takes two years to bloom - first year beautiful green - which was evergreen over the winter here - and the second year - gorgeous pink flowers - but then they were pulled because they only last one season. I grew them because they are pretty.

I do ageratum every year because it is a gorgeous blue, tolerates our drought conditions and the heat and lasts without deadheading all summer. Easiest plant for me.

Carrie
sheltieche
14 years ago
I grow silene because there are so many different ones and I keep trying. My recent find is absolutely stunning- Silene Purple Prince from PWS. It is most gorgeous purple foliage in the spring and stunning magenda flowers all, repeat- all summer, it takes a part shade well.
Violas are just like pansies- am not sure what difference is I grow them every year for spring show, this year they bloomed all through summer since it was pretty cool.
Carol, if you would be interested in silene seeds I have some. Am totally outdated on my seed page and have not been trading at all.
trudi_d
14 years ago
Silene is a large family with annuals, biennials and perennials. One of the more common annual silenes is Silene armeria which makes small, electric hot-magenta flowers. It's best grown as a patch of plants to get the total wow effect of the blooms. It does attract butterflies--just gorgeous!
carrie630
14 years ago
I am glad I read your post, trudi... I love Silene and will look into the perennial Silenes - yay! Didn't know some were perennials - I love this plant!

I thought what I have is the Armeria - because the flowers are hot magenta - but I only get green the first year and second year blooms - maybe I have the name wrong (?)

Carrie
floodthelast
14 years ago
Now I need to go through my seeds again and see if I have any silene. I've seen it around but haven't tried it yet. Looks like I aught to.
just1morehosta
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks every one,this helps a lot.
Lindalana,
I did send you an e mail.
cAROL

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