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Digitalis purpurea
For tall pink blooms in those semi shady
areas you can’t go wrong with the
common foxglove. They will also grow
in full sun in rich, well-drained soils with
medium watering. Sow directly into
flowerbeds and they will self-sow every
year. The tall spires, up to 1.5m, will
create a striking display in late spring to
mid-summer and will attract several bird
species. The flowers range in colour from
shades of pink and purple to cream and
white, with beautiful speckled throats.
Please note that the leaves are highly
toxic.
In the hybrids, look out for ‘Camelot’,
‘Foxy’ and ‘Foxlight’ in the taller varieties,
and ‘Dalmatian’ for the shorter ones up to
0.5m.Prairie or meadow gardens are enjoyed for their natural style of planting
that creates a long season of interest. Bold and colourful swathes of colour form
the backbone of this type of design, and you will find that most of the flowering
perennials, annuals and grasses are drought tolerant, low maintenance, great for
cut flowers and magnets for bees and butterflies. The three ‘pinks’ here are tall and
colourful to stand out in a crowd.Gaura lindheimeri
For a soft pretty pink plant that is ideal
for a meadow garden, you can’t go wrong
with gauras. Lots of pretty flowers appear
on free-flowing stems that dance in the
breeze like butterflies from early summer
into autumn. They are sun lovers but can
be planted in semi-shade. They are heat
and humidity tolerant and can survive
periods of drought. They do require well-
draining soil enriched with compost and
general fertiliser to start. Water three times
a week and watch them blossom. They
form clumps quickly and can be divided in
autumn to increase the numbers. Gauras
are great butterfly and bird attractors and
grow nearly 1m high.
For taller varieties look out for ‘Sparkle’ in
the hybrids, and ‘Belleza’ and ‘Little Janie’
for the shorter varieties under 0.5m.
Cosmos bipinnatus
From our experiences of cosmos flowers
along the roadside we can justifiably
presume that they like full sun and will grow
in just about any soil. The tall varieties grow
to around 1m in height and have single or
double blooms in wonderful soft pinks to
vibrant oranges, yellows and reds. There
are also compact dwarf varieties that grow
30 – 50cm tall. Sow seed in spring directly
into flower beds and they will reseed
themselves year after year. Plant in soil with
added organic fertiliser and water regularly
until established. Deadheading will prolong
flowering time until autumn.
Look out for ‘Sensation Mammoth
Mixed’ for tall traditional varieties and
‘Casanova’ or ‘Sonata’ for the more compact
hybrids.Pink prairie plants
TRUSTY TRIO