View Fall Newsletter in PDF Format

Thinking “Outside The Box” With Martha
When you are planning your garden try to ‘think outside the box’. Using new and different plants always generates all kinds of comments - good and bad! As I plan my gardens for the York Harbor Inn I always try to utilize plants that will really catch your attention. Last year I used Papyrus Cyperus in my containers. It is a huge sedge type grass that garnered all kinds of comments.

Last winter I was perusing my plant catalogues when I saw amaryllis bulbs. These plants are always used in the winter and are a popular holiday indoor plant. So I thought outside the box – why not use them as a summer annual? At first they looked strange; the flower stalk stuck straight up and the color of the bud was too red. I almost pulled them out! When the flower opened the color softened to a pink and looked great above a mass of color. I will take them up in the fall and try to use them again next year. One guest took at least 20 pictures of them all while stating that amaryllis is not used this way!

Following the amaryllis came the big gray artichoke plants. Our season is too short for the plants to flower and produce fruit – I am just using these plants for their great foliage. And it is the most frequently asked question I get - What is this plant? And why did I use it? To get your attention! These cool gray plants can get to 4’ tall and have great big arching foliage.

Next summer look for another “outside the box’ plant. See you in the garden!