I really enjoy gray green plants and have quite a few of them along our front walkway. Here is a favorite, Baths Pink, it makes this fantastic cushion of fine leaves all season and is covered with clove scented pale pink flowers for several weeks in the spring, it's a real winner. I was particularly taken by the reddish-pink of the sedum Autumn Joy in contrast to the dianthus. To the right is another grey-green that I like but that has a problem.
This is Artemesia Silver Mound, its lovely and ferny and soft in the spring but by mid-summer it has "mugged out" as my Papa used to say and the center turns this terrible rotten dead grey. Anyone have a suggestion for how to handle this? I've tried cutting it back and that helps, but I don't think I'm doing it soon enough. Any thoughts from you gardeners out there on dealing with artemesia mug out?
3 comments:
'Silver Mound' really doesn't cope well with heat and humidity. I had trouble with it even when I lived near DC.
Try cutting it back by about 1/3 to 1/2 in mid-summer, before it starts showing signs of splaying open. Don't ever fertilize it, don't let mulch near it other than pea gravel or such, don't let moisture near it, make sure it's in full sun, and don't let anything crowd it's air circulation.
If that still doesn't do it, think about getting some 'Big Ear' lambs ears or some other more southeastern climate tolerant gray plant.
Sounds like I should definitely try a different plant! thanks for the tips SC.
Hi Maria, I tried 'Silver Mound' this past summer and it got way leggy too in my garden. I cut them back to 2" so hopefully, they'll survive the winter. That dianthus mound looks nice!
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