Monthly Tips

October - Plant of the Month

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides - don't you want to grow it just for its name? It's almost as good as Fraxinus angustifolia ssp oxycarpa 'Raywood'. C. plumbaginoides also goes by leadwort or blue leadwort or plumbago or blue plumbago. The flowers are - surprise - blue.

C. plumbaginoides is an herbaceous perennial groundcover. In other words it dies back to the ground in winter but comes back each year - assuming that the ground isn't too soggy. It has luscious blue flowers from August through October, and the leaves turn bright red as the weather cools. My planting has some garlic chives with white flowers next to it so it looks quite patriotic. This wasn't a look I was striving for, but hey, serendipity happens all the time in the garden, sometimes it's good and sometimes you have to go tear things out.

[Ceratostigma plumbaginoides]

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

C. plumbaginoides likes sun and well-drained soil. Expect a height of 8-12" and a spread of 18". Don't forget it's there; it is late to come up in the spring. Also, mine have taken a good 3 years to really get going so you might want to space yours at 12" when planting to get coverage more quickly. Cut back old stems to the ground in winter when the plant is dormant.

Perhaps I should do a year's worth of plants with interesting names. You can plant your Ceratostigma plumbaginoides under your Fraxinus angustifolia ssp. oxycarpa 'Raywood' next to your Ilex aquifolium 'Ferox Argentea' (hedgehog holly) with some love-in-a-mist (aka devil-in the-bush) thrown in or maybe a little love-lies-bleeding, and don't forget the chicken gizzard plant.

October - Tip of the Month

Leaf Mold

Leaves are beginning to fall. Don't send them out with your yard waste - use them. I reluctantly admit that I am at best a haphazard composter, but making leaf mold is just the thing for the haphazard gardener.

Leaf mold is just decomposed leaves. Mixed in with soil it loosens things up which your plants like. It has good water holding capacity which you like, and beneficial organisms think it is scrumptious. Leaf mold can also be used as a mulch. There are a couple of ways to go about making it.

The only other thing you need to do is make sure the leaves stay damp. Shredding the leaves (you can even run them over with the lawnmower) will speed things up a bit.

That's all there is to it. The perfect home-made soil conditioner for the laissez faire gardener.