Three new wildflower species have been added to the catalogue Seeds 2014/2015 (PDF download):
- harebell – wild collected in central Ontario
- white wood aster – wild collected in Nova Scotia
- Canada burnet – garden source
Harebells are a lovely addition to a rock garden. After the first flush of bloom in early summer, the dainty plants will continue to bloom, a bit more sparsely, until frost, if the summer rains (or the gardener’s hose) keeps them growing. This circum-boreal species is also known as bluebells of Scotland.
White wood aster is very common in the Nova Scotian woods. It occurs along the St. Lawrence into eastern Ontario. In a shady garden, it makes a nice counterpoint to heart-leaved aster, which usually has blue flowered, with a different foliage texture.
Canada burnet is new to me. The seed I am offering is from a garden in Nova Scotia. The tall, white fuzzy candles of Canada burnet tip over sideways. They bloom late and the foliage is attractively coloured in the fall, so I think it must be the plant’s untidy habit which keeps it from being popular in gardens. I have never seen Canada burnet in the wild, but it is said to grow in marshy areas in full sun. If you can give the plants lean but wet soil in full sun, they will be more compact and upright. Otherwise, grow Canada burnets with other wetland plants and let them sprawl.
botanicalartstalk 