Today’s photos come from Cynthia in St. Louis, Missouri.
Zebra mallow (Malva sylvestris ‘Zebrina’, Zones 6–9) grows a little like a mini-hollyhock, with charming striped purple flowers and solid vigor and health.
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Carita’ (annual). Angelonias are sometimes called summer snapdragons for their spires of colorful blooms right through the heat of the summer.
A Japanese-style rock garden with raked gravel. The simplicity of Japanese Zen gardens invites the viewer to stop, reflect, and enjoy every little detail.
Containers are a great way to highlight special plants, such as this rose ‘Just Joey’ growing in white, ceramic pots.
These dianthus and alyssum (annuals that grow best in cooler weather) are growing in massed pots along the driveway. Plants in individual pots can easily be grouped and arranged to make pleasing combinations.
The tulip ‘White Bouquet’ and the viola ‘Penny Mickey’ give a cool, sophisticated spring show.
A mixture of annuals provides long-lasting color in this bed.
Cynthia poses with a white pumpkin in the garden.
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Comments
Love your little Japanese garden!
Thank you, treasuresmom!
I also had an area where I used large rounded dark gray rocks I collected in Wisconsin.
I enjoy visiting Japanese gardens. Last year I moved from St. Louis to Raleigh, NC. I used to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden a lot. I worked in one of the garden research buildings for a few years, too. Before the pandemic, I visited Duke Gardens in nearby Durham, NC and love the Asian garden areas there.
Also love the Japanese garden and the beautiful white pumpkin! Our next door neighbors contributed their Halloween pumpkins to my compost pile last fall and, lo and behold, when I went out to turn it over a couple of months ago, there were pumpkin vines growing! I got them out and gave some to the neighbors and planted a couple in one of my raised beds. Lots of blossoms now - will wait to see if I get any pumpkins! One of our neighbors' vines has one baby pumpkin started.
I appreciate your thoughtful comments, BTucker9675 – and your pumpkin stories, too. I remember having lots of pumpkin volunteers in the compost heap...
I loved being able to share some of the white pumpkins I grew with the children next door.
A white pumpkin in your garden, wow, it's so beautiful. I've only seen them in stores -off the vine- so it's nice to see it on the vine still growing!
Never heard of a Zebra mallow before, wondering if I can squeeze in another plant somehow, after seeing how pretty yours is.
Hi, SimpleSue.
Re: it's nice to see it on the vine still growing
Thank you for saying so! Ha - I staged the picture - told my husband what I wanted in the shot. I like taking pictures while plants are growing because often they get snatched away from me by animals, fungi, etc. That pumpkin was so smooth I can still remember what it felt like. And I worked hard training it into a long and narrow side yard (and those prickles on the vines hurt) over spent Peonies and tough Coreopsis. I just needed a photographic memento. And I don't like many photos of myself. That one is tolerable.
Re: zebra mallow
Yes - there's always room for one more...
So you no longer live in St. Louis - so sorry you had to leave MoBot behind. I love their web site, but live 4 hours away so have only visited their gardens once. Your are very creative in your means of gardening in an urban area - I love the roses in white pots, the Japanese gravel garden, and, of course, the zebra mallow. I used to have one of those, and lost it after several years of pulling out seedlings! Wish I'd saved the seedlings! Did you start yours from a plant or seeds? Any problem with it spreading?
Hi, cheryl_c. Thank you for your kind comments and for sharing something of yourself! Regarding the Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina' - I did buy it. The first three plants I bought and planted in the ground never got very big. Since they were in front of the house, I pulled them out after - maybe - two months. The next year I only bought one plant that looked really good, re-read several sources on the care of it, and planted it in a big tall container on the side of the house that only got morning and early afternoon sun. It did so fabulously! Cut it back - got some more stems the same season. I never got any seedlings? Maybe I was picking "weeds" out, though. I did not give it a chance to spread because I pulled the plant out after the foliage died back. But you are right, since it is in the same family as hollyhocks - it could come up a second year? Or there could be a plethora of seedlings?
May I ask - what are some plants you are happy with this season?
This year the eremurus, kniphofia, black eyed susans and light green nicotiana have been real stars in my gardens.
I looked up photos - lots of tall plants that probably attract hummingbirds. :-)
Beautiful!!!!!
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