All the Dirt on Gardening

Most botanists put Joe-Pye-Weeds in the genus Eutrochium but most of us know it as  Eupatorium. I've never seen plants for sale locally, but the seeds are fairly easy to start. And, once started, the plants last for years. Plant them for the pollinators and for the sheer joy of their tall stemmed-beauty. Swallowtail Gardens sells both pink and white varieties - 50 seeds for $3. Jelitto Seeds is their source and Jelitto offers many more varieties at http://jelitto.com/index.php?lang=0&cl=search&searchparam=Eupatorium If Jelitto is new to you, be brave and order from them. They are the provider of seeds to many perennial growers including Pine Ridge Gardens .   Kansas State Extension Service has a great online reference called "Farming a Few Acres of Herbs: An Herb Growers Handbook" at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/ksherbs/farming_a_few_acres.htm . On The Deep Middle blog they agree, even in August in a drought, Joe Pye continues to fe...

Joe Pye Weed is a highly desirable late summer flower for the back of the flowerbed or in a large perennial bed. Tom Fischer shows them being used for mid-summer, late summer, fall and winter combinations in his book Perennial Companions: 100 Dazzling Plant Combinations for Every Season . After buying Joe Pye Weed plants for several years and seeing them fail, growing them from seed proved to be the most successful approach for my garden. I used seeds from Prairie Moon and the germination rate was terrific. Seeds can be sown in the fall. They germinate best if they are kept warm (64 to 72 degrees) for a month, then cold (25 to 39 degrees) for at least 6 weeks. A cold frame, a cold greenhouse or winter sowing outside in containers would work. Keep them moist. Eupatoriums bloom from July to mid-fall with a generous number of nectar flowers for butterflies followed by seeds for songbirds. Most want moist soil, afternoon shade and are easy to grow once established. They can thrive on the m...