I F R OM THE BOARD | 



Expanding the Range of the Perennial Border 



Roger Warren 



By late summer, the perennial border be- 

 comes a little boring. The full palette of 

 June is reduced to predominant yellows. 

 And as the temperature rises, the colors 

 get hotter. Can the cooler earlier colors 

 be extended? Blues are of course the best. 

 Whites help to integrate the yellow. And 

 pinks, used judiciously, soften the effect. 



Here are some of the plants 1 have 

 found that will continue the colors of 

 spring into late summer and fall. 



SOME BLUES: 



Aconitum. Monkshood. These are the 

 poisonous aconites, of course, but they are 

 very hardy and provide excellent blues. 

 All grow well in rich, cool, moisture- 

 retaining soil. In the north, they can be 

 grown in more sun, especially if mulched. 

 'Newry Blue.' 3-4 ft. Early. 

 'Bressingham Spire." 3 ft. 

 Strong-stemmed and very long-blooming, 

 nape/lus. Common or English monkshood. 

 3-4 ft. Can be cut back for a second 

 bloom. 



henrii 'Spark's variety.' 3-5 ft. 

 carmtchaelii and 'Arerulsii.' 4 ft. bloom in 

 early fall with wonderful dark-green glossy 



foliage. Can be grown in full sun in rich 

 soil. 



Adenophora Uliifolia. Ladybell. 2-3 ft. A 

 good spreader. Looks like campanula. 

 Blooms in July, but perhaps in good soil, 

 with extra water, more shade and dead- 

 heading, flowering can be extended. 

 Aster amellus 'Joseph Larkin.' 24"- 

 Lavender-blue flowers in late summer. 

 'Rudolph Goethe'. 15-18". Violet 

 daisy-like flowers in late summer. 

 Centaurea montana may produce a second 

 bloom if the first bloom is cut back im- 

 mediately after flowering. 

 Delphinium, especially Giant Pacific Hy- 

 brids, will also produce a shorter, second 

 bloom if flower stalks are cut to the 

 ground after first bloom. Dwarf delphini- 

 ums bloom longer anyway, but may be ex- 

 tended by deadheading. 

 Echinops ritro. Globe Thistle. You may 

 not like it, but it is blue and it makes a 

 statement. 'Taplow Blue' is the best 

 (steel blue) and can reach 5 ft. 'Blue 

 Glow' is deep blue and 40". 'Veitch's 

 Blue' is only 3 ft. 



Gentians. Great Blues — we need more 

 gentians. They like partial shade and 

 may tolerate more sun in rich moist soil. 

 G. asclepiadea. Willow Gentian. 2 ft. 

 G. clausa. Bottle Gentian. Blooms in 

 September. 



G. maUinoi 'Royal Blue.' 3-4 ft. 

 G. paradoxa 'Blue Herold.' 2 ft. 

 G. septemfida lagoechiana . For the border 

 or rockery. Very tough. A great blue, 

 but a little floppy. 



Liutris scariosa 'September Glory.' 3-4 ft. 

 Purple. Blooming late August to Septem- 

 ber. Very interesting in bud. 

 Lobelia siphiliaca. A rtative plant, but may 

 be difficult to establish. Likes sun to par- 

 tial shade and moist soil. 3 ft. blue spikes. 

 Perovskia atripUcifoUa. Russian Sage. This 

 is a great plant. Delicate gray foliage 3 ft. 

 high with azure blue lavender-like flowers. 

 'Longin' has violet flowers. Plant in sandy 

 well-drained soil and mulch for winter. 

 Platycodon grandiflora. Balloon flower. 

 'Double Blue," 'Hakone Blue,' and 'Hime 

 Murasaki' are 20" and a wonderful blue. 

 'Mariessii' is 2-2.5 ft. Most bloom mid- 

 summer, but may bloom longer if the 



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From The Qriffin Quru 

 RESPIRATORS AND FILTERS 



Proper selection of a respirator can be made if you work 

 with a supplier who is familiar with the pesticides you 

 use. That supplier should be able to support your respira- 

 tor with a back-up supply of canisters and/or filters. 



Once you take charge of your own personal respirator, 

 it's your responsibility to your own good health to follow 

 some simple rules: 



1. Understand the respirator's limitations. 



2. Ensure a proper fit. An improper fit is a major reason 

 why a respirator fails to provide maximum protection. 



3. Wash, disinfect and service your respirator after each 

 day's use. All pre-filters (fiber outer filters) and chemical 

 canisters do have a time limit on them. 



4. Store your clean, ready-to-use respirator in a sealed 

 plastic bag with your name on it at a location away from 

 the chemicals. This will extend the life of the filtering 

 system. 



While the respirator or gas mask filtering system does 

 not stop working all at once, it will and can deteriorate 

 just sitting on the shelf. The most important fact to re- 

 member is that when the mask is properly fitted to your 

 face and the filters are doing the job, you will not detect 

 any chemical odor at all. If you do — it's not working! ^^ 



August/September 1992 27 



