Every gardener has a reference book or two or twenty, and one that would be a great addition to our collections is “Best Groundcovers and Vines For The Prairies” by Hugh Skinner and Sara Williams. These expert gardeners know all about prairie gardens, and the challenges prairie gardeners face.
This book offers practical information on choosing the best plants for condition in our yards, and one entry that I saw was for achillea, and after recently tidying up our achillea plants, I wanted to talk about that with you. Make a cup of tea and sit down for a few minutes.
Do you have any achillea in your garden? Achillea is one of those garden stand-bys that may have been forgotten in recent years. But it is an excellent groundcover because it is tough as nails and doesn’t require any particular care.
First, some background. The book tells us that achillea is named after Achilles, who used this plant to help heal the war wounds of his soldiers. In fact, another name for achillea is “soldiers woundward.” A name that most of us are more familiar with is yarrow. This hardy plant called Europe home long ago, and is well known for being a medicinal plant.
Achillea is like a tourist who heads to tropical climes: it enjoys full sun, and can thrive in dry conditions. It enjoys well-drained soil, and has the silvery grey foliage of heat-loving Mediterranean plants. It grows to about twenty four inches high, and spreads about eighteen to twenty four inches across. The blooms, which are in clusters on very strong stems, come in a multitude of colors, all lovely, but my favorites are the gentle pastels: cream, pale pink, and lavender-pink. Another plus, the plants attract butterflies and give homes to ladybugs.
Achillea is a perennial, and spreads by self- seeding and a vigorous system of roots. And because of the enthusiastic way it spreads itself around, which is one of its strong points, it has been given a hard time by gardeners. Some might call it invasive. But once again, it is a lesson for us in choosing the right plant for the right place. If you have a tiny two foot square gap in your garden, probably achillea is not the best plant for that confined space. But if you have a difficult area of gravel along a driveway or behind your garage; or if you have a lot of space and want an easy-care plant to fill up a perennial bed, this is it.
This great book has dozens of plants listed that would make excellent groundcovers: plants like basket of gold alyssum, bergenia, lily of the valley, cranesbill geranium, various grasses, and many more. The book gives guidelines for light and soil requirements, and tells us about growing habits. So if you are looking for groundcover ideas, this is a terrific reference. I never fail to find a great gardening book at the library; and as Great-Grammie always said, you never stop learning! So on a hot summer afternoon, take a gardening break and visit the library: there are books on all kinds of gardening, giving lots of inspiration!
The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be holding their annual potluck supper and wind-up on Wednesday, June 21. This gathering is for members only (and significant other). Members, for full details please call Liz at (306) 782-2830.
If you are interested in a little gardening getaway, the SHA (Saskatchewan Horticultural Association) is holding their 11th Annual Bus Tour July 18-20. This trip is open to all interested gardeners; Liz can give you details of that as well.
And don’t forget, The Yorkton In Bloom competition is coming up! More details to follow! Have a great week and visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca
