All the Dirt on Gardening

Artemisia vulgaris Some gardeners call Artemisia a weed but this European native has made itself at home in America, Artemisia, also called wormwood, Sweet Annie or Mugwort, has scented leaves so it is rabbit and deer resistant.  In ancient times Mugwort was an herb of protection to ward off evil spirits. Its Latin name, Artemisia, comes from it being dedicated to Artemis and Diana.  Roman soldiers put Mugwort leaves in their sandals to help them walk longer and faster. Medicinally it has been used for pain, a stimulant, a sedative, an ingredient in beverages (Absinthe) and smoked as Sailor’s Tobacco. Some of the varieties available as plants and seeds include - Artemisia stelleriana, Dusty Miller, the familiar silver, plant that gardeners tuck into flower beds. There are several hybrids available that mature at  between 4 and 12 inches tall, with 1-inch wide, soft leaves and yellow flowers. Very adaptable. Artemisia frigida, or Fringed Sage, grow...

Summertime flowers that can take the sun and heat tend to have dusty colors and silvery leaves. Not all, but many. Wormwood is a good example of summertime beauty with cool, silvery, water-surface coloring. The drier the better. Here, the groundcover is gravel. Artimisia has been widely used as a medicinal herb , too. Sweet Annie can be started from seed in the spring. Agastache has come into its own with more colors than the familiar blues. Sunset Hyssop is sown from seed in the spring and blooms heavily in August's heat. Shades of Orange Agastache is available from High Country Gardens . Seseli elatum grown by Tom Clothier and gummiferum at Annie's Annuals are both August winners. Clothier's seed germination database says to sow seeds at 68-degrees and if they don't germinate in a month, chill them and try again. With all varieties of Oregano available, a gardener would be hard pressed to say there isn't a flower color to go with their scheme. This thorough a...