Drought-tolerant perennials

Three years ago I started experimenting with planting on the street, in front of the early summer-blooming old rose bed some drought-tolerant perennials flowering in late summer and autumn.

I think the experiment was successful. In this year’s extreme heat and drought this bed got absolutely no watering, and yet its plants not only live, but are beautiful, proving to be drought-tolerant not only in the books, but also in the reality.

The first one is the plant in the left lower corner of the picture, Aster oblongifolius (syn. Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) 'October Skies'. At us it starts to bloom in late August, early September, and in contrast to most description, it does not require full sun, but also blooms beautifully in part-shade.

The grass next to the Aster in the first picture is in the left upper corner in this photo: Panicum virgatum 'Squaw'. Now it is at the beginning of its autumn coloration, later it will take on beautiful red tones. In the middle, a yellow flower: Solidago canadensis. It came here by itself. I like it very much, but it is so aggressive that I do not dare to put it in the garden. Here, in the street, above dry building rubble, however, it works perfectly. In the right lower corner of the image, a Perovskia atriplicifolia (at us it is usually much larger than what Dave’s Garden writes, at least one to one and a half meters high and large). It is one of the most drought-tolerant plants I know. Its airy shape and pastel grayish blue color makes every composition lighter and more sophisticated. It should be planted in a way to feel its pleasant, spicy scent as well.

Behind the Perovskia, another excellent, drought- and shade-tolerant (!) Aster: Aster ageratoides 'Asran'. (Though I must say that Aster oblongifolius tolerates drought even better.) On the following picture, the same plants in close-up.

As they spread very aggresively, I would never plant it in good conditions, but they are excellent on hard-to-plant places, bad soil, in shade (!) and dry areas.

Finally, in the foreground, a Heterotheca villosa (also sold as Aster 'Golden Sunshine, e.g. by the Mocsáry Perennial Nursery in Budapest), together with the Panicum virgatum 'Squaw', already seen at the beginning of the bed. As it is really drought-tolerant and long-blooming, it can brilliantly associated with grasses and other drought-tolerant perennials. It would be worth to plant it more often.

Hydrangea arborescens 'White Dome'

It seems to me that it has grown a lot over the last three years (here you can see its photos of 2009). And I have to put myself right in relation of the post of 2010: in contrast to general belief, it grows much more than one and half meter. Even with strong pruning, this shrub is higher than two meters.


Undoubtedly there are more attractive hydrangeas than this, but this shrub is growing in an almost complete shade and with relatively little watering. In such circumstances I am very satisfied with it. I also have to add to the post of 2010 that Hydrangea arborescens, once stabilized, is not water intensive.



And it seems they are not demanding from other points of view either. This White Dome grows on a good ground, but what I propagated from it is also nice on relatively poor soil, although it remains smaller. The only problem with it is that you cannot buy it at us. Hopefully some nursery, at the sight of its good qualities, will feel like producing it. In the meantime you can buy it next to Vienna, in the Praskac.

The visit of the Hungarian Rose Society

Last Sunday the Hungarian Rose Society visited our garden. After my spring lecture they told they would like to see my roses, too. We organized the visit for now, the blooming of the roses. For those rose friends who are not yet members of the Rose Society, here I offer a virtual guide.

The first rose is 'Bonica'. I think this is one of the best roses on the market today. Healthy, nice even on poor soil and in semi-shade, very cold-tolerant (Z4), blooming from early June until the first frosts. It is also available in Hungary, the Nursery of Alsótekeres sells it for a few euros. I would like to specifically draw the attention of gardening shops to order from it, so that this excellent rose would spread at us as well.

This is how the big rose garden looks from afar. I usually see this view, from the place where I used to have tea in the morning.

English roses in semi-shade. To the left: 'Sharifa Asma', 'Heather Austin' and 'The Dark Lady'; to the right, one of my favorites, 'Cottage Rose' (which, according to Help Me Find, is not just my favorite).

To the left, a Canadian rose, 'Martin Frobisher', really shade and cold-tolerant, with repeated blooming, the only problem is that in the rain its flowers turn brown. The high pink one next to it is 'Delicata', one of the earliest blooming roses. They usually tell it one or one and half meter high, but here it is one and half with the strongest pruning, without that it would be probably at least two meters. Next to it, 'A Shropshire Lad' and 'Lucetta' which, unfortunately, blossom only twice a year here in semi-shade.

The garden path from the house to the garden leads through the roses. Our first roses in the garden were planted in the right-side part of the picture: these were brought from England back in 1997.

Another favorite of mine, 'John Clare'. The cream-colored one behind it is 'Comtes des Champagne', while the back one the beautiful 'Jubilee Celebration'.

'Cottage Rose' from the other side, behind it a 'Zaiga', an excellent Latvian, and 'William Baffin', a good Canadian rose. You should pay attention to these Latvian Rugosas and Canadian roses, they are really beautiful and cold-resistant.

Finally, once more 'Sharifa Asma', 'Heather Austin' and 'Dark Lady', with Noble Anthony behind them. The row is closed in the spice garden by a Delphinium, Karl Foester’s excellent 'Finstneraarhorn'. (After taking the photos, I cut it back, and now it is getting dry in the bathroom so that in the autumn it could be a main character of the large dry autumn bouquet.)

Helleborus orientalis

One of the earliest flowers, it has been blossoming for at least ten days in the warmer part of the garden. I think it is beautiful, and  it is absolutely not difficult to keep it.

It originally grows in Northern Greece, Northern and North-Eastern Turkey as well as in the Caucasus. Probably in the mountains, as it is extremely cold-tolerant (Z4-9). In places with mild winters it is evergreen. At us it also maintains its leaves, but in the spring, when the new leaves come, the old ones dry out badly. Then I usually cut them.

When fully mature, it is 30-40 cms high. Overt the years it forms a large bush. In smaller places it can be used as a ground cover. If you do not cut it for dried flowers as I usually do, then it abundantly reproduces from seed. It is a semi-shade or shade flower which likes to be watered, but it also lives in a dry place. In Hungary you can buy it in Hegede and Mocsáry nurseries. You can find further interesting information and pictures on it at the site of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Old grape varieties

The approaching Christmas reminded me of the grape with rum my grandfather used to prepare for every Christmas. He filled a jar with large grapes, and filled it first with sugar, then with rum. Then we put it on the top of the cupboard and opened it on Christmas evening. He usually used the grape sorts “Goat’s udder” or “Queen of vineyards” for this, or “Muscat of Hamburg” for a dark version.

I thought I’d see if any of these varieties are now available, and I am glad to have found a number of internet stores where they sell many old sorts of grapes:

János Kovács vine and graft nursery, Gyöngyös – also selling varieties recommended for bio production

Kert-tó web store

Nyír-Salix Ltd

Dessert grape store – They sell both dessert and vine grape, including some which can be grown without spraying. Their photos are beautiful, so you are recommended to check them even if you did not want to grow vine – at least until then, because they will make you wish to do so.

Dessert grape and graft center, Abasár – They also sell vine grapes and resistant varieties.

If you know more shops or you have more experiences in this topic, you’re welcome to share them!

Molinia arundinacea 'Zuneigung' és 'Karl Foerster'

Tomorrow I want to cut back the perennials and the herbs at least in the upper part of the garden, so today I made a quick last picture of it.

In the middle there is a Molinia arundinacea 'Zuneigung'. I have just checked back – this is possible with Gaissmayer –, I ordered it from them in the spring of 2008. At that time it came in a 11 cm pot. In Hungary unfortunately you cannot buy this sort, but the 'Karl Foerster' – which is not this bending, but equally beautiful – is cultivated both by Hegede and Mocsáry nurseries. You may want to try it in any garden with at least as much irrigation that the soil never gets dry for a long period in the summer.

Persicaria polymorpha

The Persicaria polymorpha is the large white flower in the middle of the picture. In my opinion it is one of the most sensational perennials. It grows 150-200 cm high and the same large. It blooms from early summer to late autumn. It lives both in sunshine and in part-shade, and on every soil. Although originally a marsh plant, it quite well tolerates dryness, but it does not like too wet soil. Nevertheless, it is fond of regular irrigation. It is extremely frost hardy (Z3). Its only flaw is that nobody produces it here at us. (But perhaps now, after this post, someone will.)

You can read a detailed description of it on the site of Bluestem Nursery. And since you are there, it is well worth to look around.

Heuchera villosa

I bought it some years ago in the Mocsáry Perennial Nursery. It was early summer, I could only see its leaves, but I immediately fell in love with it. Its leaves are large as a palm of the hand, as if it belonged to the undergrowth of a rain forest. I took away nine at once. Towards the end of the saison I saw that it did not impress others this much, as more or less these nine pieces were missing from the stock.

However, it has continued to attract me. Its leaves are beautiful all over the year. In the autumn, if it has a mood, it turns into red – unfortunately it does not always have the mood. And it does not require any extra care besides some watering, but it also suffers dryness pretty much. They recommend to plant it under sun or part shade, but here in our continental climate with very hot summers I would only put it in part shade. But it is extremely frost resistant (Z3). A perfect choice for cold, shadowy gardens.

And if it feels as well as at us, it delights you with so beautiful flowers from late summer until the first frosts.

American plants - Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania

Coreopsis tripteris. A coreopsis which suffers part shade and grows 150-180 centimeters high. It has just arrived from Staudengärtnerei Gaissmayer.

As usual, I have re-checked its characteristics on the web. It was then that I ran across the site of Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.

I have already found a number of American pages focusing on local plants and their use in gardening, but this one was especially interesting. Some of their plants are also known here in Hungary, but their majority is absolutely unknown at us.

Anemone Rotkäpchen

Translated to English: Little Red Riding-Hood. If you like warm pinks, then you will love this charming anemone.

Although it is usually considered of small stature, at us it grows about 80 cm high. It is important to know that it is invasive, like every anemone.

In our garden (Z5) it resists winter with no problem. It prefers part-shade, but it also tolerates rather much shadow, and if it gets enough water, it also grows on a somewhat sunnier place. However, you must not put it on open sun and dry places.

I think it can be best joined with purple, warm pink, apricot, pale yellow, butter-colored flowers, but nice combinations can be made with blue and white as well.

At us it is certainly sold by Hegede Kertészet, and perhaps by others as well.

Molinia arundinacea 'Zuneigung'

This photo was made this evening, but it has been blossoming for at least two weeks. It is this beautiful until the first frosts.

We bought it from Gaissmayer in last spring, and it has grown this large in one and a half year. This is more or less its final shape. It copes with all kinds of soil, but it needs regular watering.

In the last year I already wrote about another Molina, the Transparent.

On Sunday morning I made one more photo of it:

Paeonia 'Do Tell'

We have bought this peony from Miely's Pfingstrosengarten, too.

Haschberg elder, juneberry, cornel…

I hoped I would be able to complete an overview on groundcovers, but I’m still far from it. Thus I only post some new photos on the garden.

In the meantime I want to tell that recently I was in the Silvanus Nursery, one of the best retail sellers in the northern part of Budapest, to buy a Haschberg elder. This is an Austrian selection that produces much and evenly. In Hungary it is quite difficult to get it. In the Silvanus they sell plants of 40-60 cms in height for less than three euros. It grows quickly, so within two or three years even this small one will get a proper bush. And its price is pocket-friendly too. In the Praskac you get the same for 11.80.

Besides elder, they also have a very good kind of juneberry (Amelanchier lamarckii) on sale, for about the same price. In the Praskac this size is 9.70 euro if you have much luck, but more probably 17.70 or 26.50. It will grow four or five meters on any soil, it tolerates dryness, has a beautiful autumn color – and produces very tasty berries, similar to those of cranberry in size and taste. They also had some nice cornels and inermous rose-hips as well, for about two euros a plant. They also had a large offer of cranberries, but it is only recommended to those whose garden has sour soil and plenty of water.

Paeonia Pink Hawaiian Coral - Paeonia Coral Sunset - Paeonia Coral Charm

Paeonia Pink Hawaiian Coral


Paeonia Coral Sunset


Paeonia Coral Charm


The peonies are from Miely's Pfingstrosengarten.