Perennials for Sunny sites, in well drained soil Part 1

List of some perennials for well drained soils in sunny sites

Zone 3

Botanical and common names

Part 1 of 3

Low profile –up to 30 cm (12 inches)

Artemisia Schmidtiana-‘Silver Mound’- Silver mound
Artemesia stelleriana- Artemesia, sage
Aubretia deltoidea- Purple rock cress
Aurinia saxatilis- Basket of gold
Cerastium tomentosum- Snow in summer

Coreopsis verticillata- Tickseed
Dianthus deltoids- Maiden pinks
Euphorbia polychrome-Cushion spurge
Festuca glauca- Blue fescue (clumping grass)
Gypsophila repens ‘Alba’- White creeping baby’s breath
Heuchera sanguinea ‘Amber waves’- Amber Waves Coral bells
Lilium asiatic- Asiatic lily

Nepeta x ‘Dropmore Blue’-Dropmore Blue Catmint
Oenothera fruticosa- Yellow sundrops
Papaver alpinum- Alpine poppy
Pulsatilla vulgaris- Pasque flower
Saponaria ocymoides- Rock soapwort
Sempervivum tectorum- Hen and chicks
Thymus serpyllum- Mother of thyme 

 Asiatic lily                                                               Snow in Summer
                                 
Cushion spurge with grape hyacinth                                                        Pasque Flower

                                           
                          

Dew Worms and Control of Castings

 

photo by:httpwww.dw.com

Many people complain about the presence of dew worms in their yards and their lumpy lawns.

Dew worms are ‘Nightcrawlers’ or Lumbricus terrestris. They live deep in the ground, with vertical burrows as deep as 2.5 meters, and can live up to 9 years. They come up to the surface to eat plant litter, and to cast off soil and waste products (resulting in the mounds on your lawn).

These are a few things you can do to reduce the damage they cause.

1. Remove the thatch on your lawn, as this disturbs the burrows.
2. Water the lawn less frequently, about every 10 days, will drive them deeper into the ground.
3. Improve the quality of the soil by topdressing the lawn. The clumps will be smaller and softer, if the soil is not compacted.
4. Rake the clumps to spread the nutrients around.
5. Raise the height of your mowing deck to 3” as its harder to see the lumps.

If you are planning an event and want a quick fix, you can roll the lawn with a heavy roller (available from rentals companies), power rake it, and let it dry.

                                         photo by:Photo by:20170705A Bwlch Mawr, WC.jpg