Gardening Gone Wild… “Picture This” Photo Contest entry: February 2010: “Winter Light”
Frosted-over Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ mound, getting hit with early morning sun beams.
The plant recovered completely from this nipping a day or so later.
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Mine looks about the same Philip. I need to get you a start of my other artemisia, Snow Cloud. It is big and bushy and grows up a lot more. I know you like big and bushy. It is as close to white as any plant I know.
Hmm, I will check that one out Bob, artemisia is one of my favorite “cooling” plants, and Snow Cloud sounds even cooler! I did get the variegated variety last year “Oriental Limelight” and it sort of just disappeared over the summer. I recently noticed loads of it’s offspring popping up, and have read since that it can be quite invasive? Any experience with this one? Anyone?
Cheers Bob.
ESP.
I’m trying the Limelight in a stock tank planter, ESP. I planted it late in the season so didn’t notice any heat-related disappearing tricks, but yes, it is popping up here and there in the tank now. Since it is contained, I will wait and see what another season holds. But I’d be reluctant to set this one loose in the garden…
I think you are right Pam. I will take a picture and post it in my next entry so you can see how it has “spread”. I WILL be keeping a close eye on this one this coming spring, it seems there is always something that is just going bananas, last year it was my mother of millions, but the freeze soon took care of her!
Good luck with your entry. I am planning on waiting until we get the winter precipitation tonight!
Should have added. I love invasive plants in my garden so if you are giving away babies count me in! Alas, I will not be taking any more of your agave collection. I lost all of them. I think I am too cold out here.
They were in the greenhouse.
Hi Jenny and thank you, and good luck shooting the “winter light” to you to. These winter topics are hard for me, I just have very few shots to pick and choose from, now if the topic was “perspiration” or “plants spitting feathers” etc, I would be laughing!
Sorry to hear about the agaves, I too have lost quite a lot, but enough should make it through to perpetuate their mother’s genes. I will see just how mad the artemisia gets this year, I too like a good invasive challenge to keep me on my toes, and if it totally gets out of control?… Sure you can come over and help yourself :-)
Cheers Jenny.
ESP.
A wonderful shot – the light is so dreamy…
I had horsetail get out of a container and spread all around the back yard. It was just as tricky as bermuda grass in terms of going to ground and then sprouting back up in a surprise location, but easier to get most of it out once sprouted. Only took me the better part of a decade….. : )
That said, good luck with your limelight. If the deer like it perhaps I’ll get some. No reason not to let their trimming back proclivities work with a garden plan rather than against it!
Thanks TD, the artemisia is all cut back now and is looking pretty bad, though I did notice that it is already starting to bud-up, along with the mist flowers in the Patch.
Got to watch out for that horsetail, it can get completely out of hand, as bad as a running bamboo. It does make a great container plant though. Do not mention the dreaded Bermuda grass, it is a bad word in the Patch. I will leave the limelight alone for now, though I will keep it under tight scrutiny this coming growing season.
ESP.
Lovely picture & good luck! I cut back my artemesia a few weeks ago and it’s looking great already. It’s hard for me to find silvery plants that thrive in my soil and light, so I treasure this one. Interesting on the Limelight; I’ll check it out.
Thanks Linda.
I think I cut back my artemisia a lot more aggressively then a lot of people. I cut the running stems back to about a foot of the host plant, so it takes a lot longer for the plants to fill back into a “full” aesthetic…like three or four months! Like you, this is most definitely one of the best performers in the Patch, and one I have come to love and propagate whenever one of it’s runners takes a stance and sprouts roots of its own. The variegated Limelight is nice, but I still prefer the silvers. I am interested in Bob’s “Snow Cloud” though…cannot wait to try this one. Can you have too much wormwood?
Cheers Linda.
ESP.
Anything called ‘wormwood’ is good with me!
Unfortunately, try as I might, Artemisia just doesn’t get gorgeous in my garden – too shady. An I LOVE that silver! Sigh.
I’ll just love it vicariously via The Patch!
Wormy G.!
Hi Wormy G.
Artemisia is the silver workhorse in the Patch…and so easy to propagate! I agree, what a great name for a plant, and so steeped in history.
ESP.
Curious…do you like the smell?
Well the picture is good, but even more fun is reading your blog again. Lots to enjoy. Cheers! — jw
Hi John.
Good to hear from you again.
Glad you like the entry, I am somewhat short on winter pictures, well I am in Texas after all!
Thanks for dropping in.
ESP.