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 Peter Bowden, the most well-known gardener in the Capital Region of New York, has been writing gardening articles since the mid 1980's. Over 20 years of experience in the retail garden center industry as well as a life-long love of gardening make Peter's anecdotes worth the read, every time. Not only are these articles filled with pertinent information for the North American gardener, they are also packed with amusing stories, crammed with societal insights, and peppered with poignant points of practical procedures for the home gardener. August 8, 2000
The final days of summer seem so precious against
the backdrop of the coming fall and winter.
Our annual flowers and late-blooming perennials and shrubs are
bursting forth, adding to the "grand finale" of this growing
season.
One of my favorite late-flowering shrubs is
the althea or "Rose of Sharon" I've got a short hedge of double
purple althea that is putting forth one of it's best showings of blooms
ever. As I travel through the
area I've noticed several outstanding examples of this striking flowering
shrub. One of my favorites is
a lovely white, single flowering specimen just north of Edinburg on the
northwest shore of the Great Sacandaga Reservoir. It features a beautiful white flower with a dark throat.
Another of my favorite late summer flowers is the 'Mallow
Hibiscus'. Like the 'Rose of
Sharon', mallow hibiscus is a relative of the tropical hibiscus we
associate with Hawaii and grow here as a houseplant. While 'Rose of Sharon' is a woody shrub, the mallow hibiscus
is a perennial which dying back to the ground over winter.
These showy plants will grow from the ground
to a height of 4' to 6' each season. Mallow hibiscus flowers range from white to deep purple and
encompass every shade and combination of pink in between.
As this weren't enough, the flowers are the about the size of a
dinner plate! Dorothy could
easily have brought the late-blooming mallow hibiscus from her visit to
Munchkinland.
If you decide to plant either of these
northern members of the hibiscus family, you'll need to be patient in
spring. Neither the woody
'Rose of Sharon' nor the perennial mallow hibiscus will show any sign of
life until spring is well under way.
I've gotten used to this with my 'Rose of Sharon' hedge but my
mallow hibiscus still scares me every spring.
Just when I've convinced myself that it has succumbed to the
ravages of winter, it sends up a bright green shoot.
It's usually well into June by then.
If you have some space left in your yard
somewhere, I highly recommend either of these late bloomers for your
collection. Thanks for the read.
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