July 2006
Astilbe
Leonard J. Buck Garden, Far Hills, NJ
Shade loving Astilbes bloom in July at the Leonard J. Buck Garden.
Drifts of summer blooming Astilbes make a beautiful show in formal beds and borders and along the edge of the woodland garden.
The airy flower plumes and handsome ferny foliage create a winning combination that welcomes summer and manages to remain good-looking after the star-like flowers have faded. This garden staple can be used as a background plant, an accent plant, or a lovely groundcover.
Astilbes are pest free and low maintenance. They thrive in constantly moist, peaty soil and grow well in partial shade. Astilbes are adapted for planting naturalistically in open woods and at watersides, but a few species are somewhat drought tolerant.
If your soil won't stay wet all season, try Astilbe chinensis or A. simplicifoli, the most heat-tolerant of the Astilbes. A few examples follow.
A. chinensis, Chinese astilbe, is a large blooming species with showy, pyramidal, erect panicles. Its foliage is deeply incised and coarse, and often bronze-green in color.
A. chinensis 'Finale' grows to 18 inches with spikes of mauve-pink flowers, and flowers near the Upper Pond. A. chinensis 'Purple Candles,' is much taller growing up to 36 inches with purple-rose-colored narrow, upright plumes. Purple Candles flowers on Primrose Path. A. chinensis 'Visions' is more compact and grows to 15 inches. This grape fragrant, Astilbe with raspberry red, plumes flowers in a bed near the Visitors Center. A shorter cultivar, A. chinensis 'Pumila,' grows to only 10 inches tall. It will spread to make a colony, resulting in a great ground cover, especially under trees.
Astilbe simplicifolia – is a dwarf Astilbe forming compact mounds of glossy medium to dark green leaves which are lobed and divided. It displays loose inflorescence and produces ornamental seed heads that give additional garden interest. There are three different cultivars of A. simplicifolia growing in beds around the Visitor Center. A. simplicifolia 'Hennie Graafland' has 16-inch arching light pink plumes above shiny dark green leaves; A. simplicifolia 'Siska' grows to 1 foot and has medium pink flowers from dark red buds over dark green foliage, and A. simplicifolia 'Sprite' has 12-inch light pink, arching plumes, over dark lacy foliage.
Astilbes are heavy feeders and benefit from annual topdressing with composted manure. Astilbes are beautiful herbaceous perennials that are easy to grow and there are so many species to pick from, I am sure there is one just right for you.
- Tricia Scibilia, interpretive gardener
....................
More blooming news
Print this page:
Printer-friendly page
Click Here for Site Map | Privacy Policy | Web site developed by SHiNYMACHiNE web development