Plant of the Week---Celosia

Celosias in Penn States' annual flower trials in Landisville, PA

 As summer transitions to fall, Celosias takes the stage as annuals that thrive in hot August temperatures and sustain beautifully unique blooms through October. 

A plume type celosia introduced at Cultivate, our industry's trade show

Celosia plumosa has feathery flowers atop robust leaves and stems. Many of them sport fall colors, like yellow and orange, but also have delightful red, purple and pink flowers. 

Cockscomb in the conservatory at Longwood Gardens

Celosia argentea var. cristata is know as cockscomb because the flower looks like the comb that tops a rooster.  The wavy crest is very distinctive and admired by gardeners for the shape, color and long-blooming qualities. We've had customers ask for the flower that looks like a brain...I see that. 

Celosia Intenz grows great in large pots. Consider pairing them with mums for fall. 

A close-up view of Intenz

Celosia spicata has bold color spikes that bloom freely summer through fall. The Intenz varieties are low maintenance, attractive plants for blooming spring, summer and fall. Like the other varieties of celosia, Intenz is attractive to butterflies and other pollinators. 

Celosia Kelos Candela Pink

One of my favorite celosias is this newer introduction, Celosia Kelos Candela. Their neon pink flowers bloom atop burgundy and green foliage. The blossoms can be as long as 15 inches! I'm not the only one that loves it; Candela won the prestigious  All-America Selections Award in 2021. Look through the AAS website as many celosias have performed in gardens across the country well enough to be chosen for an award. 

Celosias do well in pots or in the garden. Heights vary by variety; some grow to just 6 inches, others tower to 3 feet. All do well in full sun. Celosia flowers dry extremely well and hold their color as cut flowers in vases or dried in arrangements. This time of year you may see them with dahlias, sunflowers, grasses and mums in floral displays at the farmers markets in our region. 

Mixed pot with ornamental peppers, creeping Jenny and ornamental cabbage

Take a peek at the video below to see butterflies enjoying the celosia blooms. 

Plant of the Week---Rudbeckia

Black-eyed Susans

Rudbeckias are one of the most beloved perennials in the country. As Maryland's state flower, the Rudbeckia hirta is very popular in our state. It has been our 'Floral Emblem' as designated by the Maryland General Assembly since 1918. Rudbeckia was named by Swedish horticulturist Carl Linnaeus after Olav Rudbeck and his son, both professors at the University of Uppsala.

Rudbeckia growing in a mixed border

The National Gardening Bureau named 2023 the Year of the Rudbeckia. So chosen for its summer longevity and durability, Rudbeckia thrives across most of the continental U S. Many varieties of Rudbeckia are sold in our garden center for their beauty and ease of growth. The aforementioned Rudbeckia hirta is a biennial or short-lived perennial that easily reseeds in Maryland. Several cultivars of hirta are longer lived.

Rudbeckia fulgida is the best known of the Rudbeckia species. 'Goldsturm' was the Perennial Plant of the Year in 1999; 'American Gold Rush' is this year's pick by the same group. 'American Gold Rush' is also an AAS winner. Another popular fulgida is 'Little Goldstar', a variety that grows about knee high compared to the others that grow 2-3 feet high. 

Rudbeckias love full sun, well-drained soil and thrive planted in large masses or in a mixed border. Great cut-flowers, Black-eyed Susans are also wonderful pollinator attractors in the garden. They also provide food for birds long past blooming season. Do not cut back spent flowers as the seed heads will provide birds with food through much of the winter.

Rudbeckia maxima can grow up to 8 feet

The flower forms differ a bit between varieties. Echinacea crosses have appeared marketed under the name Echibeckia. New varieties at trade shows and at our trial gardens include a new Sunbeckia series as well.

Trade Show Temptations

Look for the incredible selection of perennial Rudbeckias in our Sun-Loving Perennial aisles at Valley View Farms. Ask us about our favorites. And check in our Annual shade house for less hardy varieties. 

Visit our Sunny Perennial Aisle at Valley View Farms

Plant of the Week---Crape Myrtle

The Crape Myrtle has taken over in our region as summer's blooming tree. Once considered a strictly southern tree, Crape Myrtles, Lagerstroemia, have worked their way into Maryland's USDA Zone 7 transitional hardiness zones. Breeding for better hardiness, including disease tolerance, has made this smaller tree a regional favorite. Our National Arboretum is responsible for much of the hybridization that has improved the Myrtle. Dr. John Creech introduced plants from a colder site in Japan that crossed the indica species with the fauriei species, responsible for so many new introductions over recent years.

Mottled gray and tan bark adds interest to the already beautiful tree with large panicle flowers in colors like purple, pink, red and white. Crape Myrtles also feature great fall color as the small leaves turn shades of gold and red in autumn.

Crape Myrtles do well in clay soil with slightly acidic pH. They prefer full sun for flowering; my dwarf Crape Myrtles struggle to bloom in a lightly shaded area. Water frequently when installed for the first year or so. They become drought tolerant once the roots are well established.

Suckers often grow from the base off the trees. Prune them as they appear. The tree requires only light pruning in the early spring. Crape Myrtles will begin to bloom in July in our mid-Atlantic region.

Use as a specimen tree as my neighbor has at his driveway's entrance, or in mass plantings as I've seen in area city scapes and parking areas. Small Crape Myrtles can also be used in container plantings, though they may need protection from winter's freezing temperatures. 

For more information on Crape Myrtles, visit Southern Living's website. Steve Bender, aka, The Grumpy Gardener, provides great tips for caring for this southern favorite that has migrated north to Maryland. 

Visit out nursery for a close look at the various heights, shapes, foliage and flower color of the many Crape Myrtles we carry. Click on the Plant Finder tab located on out Valley View Farms website for descriptions, photos, and more cultural information.

Enjoy Maryland's favorite summer flowering tree. You will seem them everywhere!

Plant of the Week---Water Lily

 The water lily is the undisputed Queen of the Water Garden. Its beauty takes center stage to of the other plants in the pond or water garden. But its function in the water is more than providing a pretty face. The water lily's large leaves shade the pond, its roots and leaves help to keep the water clear. Hardy water lilies will overwinter in our ponds while tropical lilies bloom in the summer.

Pond depths from 18-24" will give way to a planting depth of 10-16", allowing pots to be 8" deep with soil to for the lilies. Smaller plants can be lifted by using bricks in the pond. 

Check in with our water garden department for information about plants and pond health. We also provide seminars on water garden installation and pond care through the season. 

Valley View Farms' Nick with WBAL's Ava Marie