Pick up native, deer-resistant perennials at garden symposium
Penn State Extension of Allegheny County’s premier horticultural event, the annual Garden and Landscape Symposium and Marketplace, returns on April 27.
There, speakers of national renown will aim to inspire local gardeners heading into the upcoming growing season. In keeping with the mission of sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship, Master Gardeners have grown a curated collection of perennials that will be available for sale in the Garden Marketplace, along with itemsfrom other vendors.
The sale is free and open to the public at Hampton Community Center, 3101 McCully Road, Building No. 6, Hampton (15101).
Offerings include a wide range of perennials adaptable to every garden site, from sun to shade and moist to dry. Many natives or cultivars of natives are included in the mix, along with these deer-resistant perennials:
• ‘Fairy Hair’ dwarf goatsbeard ( Aruncus) has creamy plumes atop finely dissected foliage. Aruncus is a genus that adds a fern-like feel to the shade garden, with the bonus of flowers. Plants grow 20-24 inches tall, bloom early to mid-summer and prefer partial shade for best flowering. More drought tolerant than Astilbe, goatsbeard is deer-resistant and it contrasts nicely with chunkierleafed perennials like hosta, Heuchera and Helleborus.
• The ground cover goldenstar, also known as green and gold, is a great native replacement for invasive Japanese pachysandra or periwinkle
( Vinca minor). Goldenstar ( Chrysogonum virginianum var. australe) tolerates a wide range of growing conditions from sun to partial shade. Bright yellow starshaped flowers appear in early summer and continue blooming for weeks. Ensure that plants grown in sunnier spots have adequate moisture. Its foliage tops out at only 3-4 inches, and its stoloniferous habit means it will eventually grow into a nice-sized patch, effectively crowding out weeds without becoming invasive.
• ‘Dark Towers’ Penstemon is a cultivar of the native foxglove beardtongue ( Penstemon digitalis). ‘Dark Towers’ boasts large, lightpink flowers in late spring that are set off by its wine-red foliage. These clump-forming plants best perform in well-drained soil and full sun and reach 24-36 inches. They benefit from a loose winter mulch and their tubular flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds in
• Blue mistflower ( Conoclinium coelestinum, previously known as Eupatorium coelestinum) is native to most of the Eastern United States. With flowers similar to bedding Ageratum on a taller, more graceful plant, blue mistflower blooms in late summer into early fall. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and enjoys a long vase life as a cut flower. It’s perfect for naturalizing and puts on a spectacular late summer show with aster and goldenrod. Blue mistflower spreads vigorously by rhizomes and seeds and can crowd out invasive species such as Japanese stiltgrass.
The Garden Marketplace, which is part of the symposium but open to the public, also will include a number of growers and gift vendors. Returning favorites include growers of perennials, rare woodland plants, herbs, native trees, tropical plants, dahlias, houseplants and succulents. Once you’ve satisfied your need for plants, check out the garden clogs, landscape lighting, botanically
inspired jewelry and garden-related accessories.
Whether you’re looking for a Mother’s Day gift or plan to sneak a carload of new plants into your garden, the Garden Marketplace is the place to be.
For more information on the Garden Marketplace and the symposium, go to extension.psu.edu/garden-landscape
Carol Papas is a Penn State Master Gardener. This volunteer program supports the outreach mission of Penn State Extension and provides researchbased information on best practices in sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship. Information: alleghenymg@psu.edu or 412-4823476.