Veronicastrum virginicum “Fascination” is blooming now in the half shade garden in Bow. This plant came from the plant sale area at The Fells, the John Jay estate on Lake Sunapee. It is three years old, and it is planted on the richest soil in the Bow garden.
Above is the Blue Vervain , Verbena hastata. It comes from pond sides and riverbanks, and we planted it at the base of a roof drain pipe so it would feel at home. Both the vervain and the Veronicastrum are native wildflowers.
More of a spike than a spire is the flower of the part shade loving Chiapas Sage, shown here in the Bow garden. It came from Annie’s Annuals in California , and has been blooming since I took it out of the box. Its neighbor, the Gold Sword yucca, is surprisingly shade tolerant.
Gardening On Granite 