All the Dirt on Gardening

Jewels of Opar, Talinum paniculata, is a native Central and North American edible plant similar to summer or Malabar spinach. The leaves of the Limon variety are bright green and the flowers form a spray of pink above them on long wiry stems, leading some to call them Pink Baby’s Breath. When the flowers fade, they are replaced by tiny, jewel-like fruits that resemble precious stones.  Southern Seed Exposure first planted Jewels of Opar seeds in 2014 and much to their surprise, the tiny flowers fed pollinators and the edible leaves tasted “surprisingly” appealing ( https://bit.ly/2JmtDK1 ).   Jewels of Opar Limon is very easy to grow. We started with a single 4-inch pot 6 years ago and the seeds have made new plants every spring since then, with no effort on our part. They grow in full sun to part-shade and require minimal water. Almost any soil will do; rabbits, pests and diseases leave them alone except for a small nibble here or there. Jewels of Opar is an old-fashioned gar...

Hypericum inodorum Hypearl Compact Red48" tall Plant Delights Nursery posted on their blog recently about a new St. John's Wort with Ornamental Fruit, Hypericum inodorum Hypearl Compact Red. It is really beautiful!  It's one of the hundreds of interesting selections in this year's catalog from plantsman Tony Avent and his crew at PD Nursery. Tony said the hardiness range is 6a to 9b so we are just barely safe to plant it but with winter protection ... .  Several years ago I received a garden writer sample plant of Hypericum Hypearls Renu from Blooms of Bressingham and it is thriving seven years later in part shade.  Just in case you were planning to go looking for Blooms of Bressingham they now call themselves Must Have Perennials  (wholesale) and  rozanne and friends (retail). Hypericum, St. John's Wort, in general, is considered a butterfly attracting plant and there are many varieties. Common St. John's Wort, Hypericum calycinum, has a...