Today’s line up includes: Sphaeralcea ’Newleaze Coral’, Fuchsia hatchbatchii and Felicia ’Tight and Tidy’.
The globe mallow ‘Newleaze Coral’ is, to me, one of the summer jewels of the WG. We’ve had the same plant for six years now and it’s asked only full sun, good drainage and space to do its thing. Nothing, I mean nothing else in the WG has a flower color quite like this particular sphaeralcea selection, a delicious shade of orange-peach-apricot that even the pix below doesn’t quite capture. If you’ve room for this 5’ x 2’ semi-woody perennial that blooms for easily three months, put it on your list.
Felicia ’Tight and Tidy’ puts a smile on everyone’s face when they see it. How else can a sane person response to hundreds of miniature true-blue daisies with bright yellow eyes hovering above shiny tufts of foliage? It makes your heart break for all those Portlanders who can’t get the plant through a winter, but ours keep coming back. The trick is a cozy spot in yummy soil and weekly watering through summer. See it to believe it, as it’s blooming in the WG now.
Fuchsia hatchbachii has an amazingly accurate common name: Climbing Fuchsia. 100% true. Our mature specimen peaked at 8’ after working its way through the branches of an adjacent pine tree. Quite glorious. We’ve since taken the tree out and the fuchsia’s still going straight up, but looks way better with something to climb on. Full sun or part shade, rich soil and weekly watering in its youth for years of easy amazement.
hoffmanarts.org/events/wonder-garden-plant-sale-sep25/?datetime=10603
