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Heirloom Annuals - Page 2

© Susan Ward

Herperis matronalis

I consider Hesperis matronalis, or Dame's Rocket, to be a staple of the cottage garden; it provides a lovely scent from late spring through summer, and is a real insect attractor. Growing 2 to 3 feet tall, the purple, lilac or white flowers are borne in large, loose clusters, which will continue to bloom into fall if deadheaded. Grow Dame's Rocket in moist, well-drained soil in sun or light shade. A biennial, seed sown in spring will produce plants that bloom the following year.

Seed Sources

These are only a few of the graceful, lovely annuals considered heirloom plants that you might want to add to your garden this year and for years to come! You may find seed for these offered in your favorite gardening catalog, as none of the varieties described here are particularly rare. But if these have whetted your appetite for plants that have been treasured for generations, you might want to visit these three Canadian sites, all specializing in heirloom seed:

http://www.florabundaseeds.com/ Florabunda Seeds (Indian River, Ontatio). Specializing in preserving old species of flowers that were common in cottage gardens of the past.

http://www.cottagegardener.com/ The Cottage Gardener (heirloom plant nursery in Newtonville, Ontario), specializing in plants "your grandmother grew".

http://www.slugsandsalal.com/local/allma... The Garden Path (Victoria, B.C.), specializing in heirloom seeds of plants grown in Victoria, B.C.

Sources

Brickell, Christopher, Cole, Trevor, and Zuk, Judith D. (Editors-in-Chief). Reader's Digest A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Westmont, Quebec: The Reader's Digest Association (Canada) Ltd. 1997.

Hessayon, Dr. D. G. The Bedding Plant Expert. Norwich, GB: pbi Publications. 1992.

Time-Life Plant Encyclopedia. The Virtual Garden. 1994-2000. Available at http://www.vg.com/ .

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