Vintage Flowers From Your Grandma's Garden
My grandma died when I was about 7 (way to kick it off with a downer there, Pam), so there's not a whole lot that I remember about her. But I do remember her love of flowers. She was an avid gardener.
Her backyard was full of flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. But not the impatiens and wave petunias everyone and their brother grows today. They grew different flowers back then.
Here is a list of some flowers that are considered (by me) to be old fashioned. Or vintage. Or classic. Whatever, you want to call them, I think they're about due for their time to come back round again.
Heliotrope
The flowers smell like grape Popsicles. Some say they smell like cherry pie and some say they smell like vanilla. I think they are nuts. Clearly grape Popsicle. Clearly.
Although I love the bushiness of this plant and the beautiful purple flower clusters, there is some thought that it may be toxic to dogs if ingested, so please keep that in mind if you have a plant eater in your midst.
Marine Heliotrope (Heliotrope arborescens) part sun (4-6 hours direct) grows to 10-14" tall
Spiderflower
Gorgeous spider like flower blooms that grow on super sturdy long stems. Now, the bottom half of the plant is nothing to write home about, so it's best to plant them to the backs of your flower beds with lower growing plants in front of them to cover some of that blandness.
These can easily be grown from seed too. So if you can get rid of your arachnophobia, this is a great plant.
Clio Magenta Spiderflower (Cleome 'Clio Magenta') full sun grows to 24-30" tall
Plumbago
Hate to be redundant on the gorgeous thing, but . . . gorgeous blooms! They sort of resemble phlox.
Grows as a perennial for all the lucky people in the deep south and will look like a shrub (because technically it is a shrub). Can grow as an annual or in a pot for all of us who live in the world of four seasons.
Imperial Blue Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) full sun to part shade grows to 4' tall (mounding)
Coleus
The flowers on these plants are not important. At all. In fact, I pluck them off as soon as I see them.
Why grow them then? The foliage!!! To die for foliage that gives a nice contrast to a shadier area of the garden.
Wizard Mix Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) part sun or shade grows to 10-12" tall
Caladium
Another one grown for foliage only.
I strongly believe that every garden should have at least one of these. They're different. They're exotic looking. They're easy to grow. Enough said.
Candidum Caladium (Caladium hortulanem) part shade to shade grows to 12-18" tall
Portulaca
These are actually a succulent. But with masses of flowers.
And they thrive in drier conditions.
Not in your dryer, just drier soil. Just want to clarify that. We don't need any plants bouncing around your dryer.
Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora) aka Moss Rose full sun grows to 4-6" tall
Are there any plants you would add to my vintage flower list? Are there any ones that you remember from your grandma's garden?
BTW, Mr. Chicken hasn't been back the last few days. He belongs to one of the neighbors and it seems that since the corn has popped up in the farm field separating his home from ours, he doesn't like to cross the field to come visit.
So I can hear him crowing away peacefully in the distance. And believe me, crowing from a distance is a GOOD thing.
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