Perennial of the Week

Volume 1, Issue 12
June 15, 2010
Perennial of the Week
Stokesia laevis
Table of Contents
Perennial of the
Week
pg. 1
Stokesia laevis is a native wildflower that makes a great addition for Georgia flower
gardens. Hardy in zones 5 through 9, these plants thrive in the hot, humid weather of the South.
Stokesia features 6 to 8 inch long evergreen leaves and 2 to 3 inch diameter blue flowers that
bloom from late May through July. Cultivars with pink, Georgia Garden
lavender, and even yellow flowers are available. The Lock- Destinations
pg.
2
erly flower beds include a nice white flowered selection.
There are many good cultivars of Stokesia laevis available,
including ‘Blue Danube’, ‘Purple Pixie’, and ‘Klaus Jelitto’, Hot Hot Heat!
pg. 3
among others.
Our favorite Stokesia cultivar is ‘Peachie’s
Pick’, which is in bloom this week. This plant was
discovered as a chance seedling in the Mississippi
Stokesia ‘Blue Danube’
garden of Ms. Peachie Saxon, and it is truly the best
cultivar on the market. This plant is upright, dense,
and compact, with lustrous dark green foliage. It
grows to about 18 inches tall with an equal spread.
The rich cornflower-blue flowers are two inches in
diameter and borne in abundance. ‘Peachie’s Pick’ is
a dependable garden performer that looks great every
year, regardless of weather, and unlike other Stokesia
cultivars, plants don’t flop over when in full bloom.
Its floral display is amazing, and the flowers last longer than any other Stokesia. Butterflies love them,
Stokesia ‘Klaus Jelitto’
but deer don’t seem to be interested in them at all.
They combine well with other summer-flowering perennials, and Rudbeckias fulgida or the light yellow
Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ make great companions
for color contrast.
Whichever cultivar you may choose,
Stokesia is sure to please even the pickiest gardener.
All do well given ample sun and adequately drained
soil. This is one heat-tolerant perennial that surely
belongs in your Georgia garden.
Stokesia ‘Peachie’s Pick’
Page 1
Stoke’s Aster
Georgia Garden Destinations
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Located only three miles from the University of Georgia campus in Athens, the State Botanical Garden is
a large, awe-inspiring garden that encompasses over 300 acres along the Oconee River. Originally founded as the
University of Georgia Botanical Garden (SBG) in 1968, it was renamed in 1984 as the State Botanical Garden of
Georgia. More than a great display garden, SBG has a strong focus on environmental education, plant conservation, habitat protection, and biodiversity. The SBG also features miles of woodland hiking trails in addition to the
outstanding horticultural collections. The Garden offers eleven horticultural and botanical collections, including
features such as the Flower Garden, the Herb Garden, the International Garden, the Heritage Garden, and others.
The Heritage Garden, one of the most interesting sections at SBG, contains plants with historic and
socioeconomic ties to Georgia. Such plants include cotton, tobacco, peaches, and peanuts, among others. This
garden also spotlights key historic events and people in the history of Georgia. For example, the garden pays
homage to James Oglethorpe’s colonial Trustees Garden once located in Savannah, as well as other aspects of
Georgia horticultural history, like the development of the commercial peach and pecan industries in the 19th and
20th centuries.
The SBG is poised to enter a new phase in its forty-year history. They have recently appointed a new director
to succeed longtime director Jeff Lewis. William “Wilf” Nichols, a Briton who currently serves as the director of a
Canadian botanical garden, will take control of the SBG in September of this year. Additionally, work has begun on
their new Horticulture Complex, and many other exciting new features have either been recently installed or are in
the planning stage.
All in all, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia offers much to see and do. The Visitor Center, located in a
magnificent glass conservatory completed in 1984, provides an excellent starting point. Visitors can pick up a map
covering the multitude of gardens and hiking trails and view a plant-related art exhibition. There is also the Gardenside Café for lunch in a unique setting and the Garden Gift Shop where you can pick up souvenirs of your visit. The
313-acre garden on South Milledge Avenue attracts more than 200,000 visitors a year to view native and exotic plant
species in specialty gardens, special collections and a tropical conservatory. It is a trip worth taking, but we would
recommend reserving at least half a day to see and do all that the SBG has to offer!
Page 2
Hot Hot Heat!
Summer isn’t officially here yet, but Middle
Georgia has already resumed its familiar position as the
hottest place in North America. Actually, it’s hotter in
places like the Mojave Desert, but the heat index there
is far less because of the lower humidity. Temperatures
here climbed toward 100° F over the weekend, and
more hot weather is in store for the rest of the week.
High temperatures the past week have been about ten
degrees higher than normal, but it could be worse. In
June of 1998, a blistering heat wave set record high
temperatures on 14 of the 30 days that month! The rain
that was so abundant earlier this year seems to have
stopped too, so plants are beginning to feel the stress. In our
current conditions, we lose the equivalent of a quarter inch or more of rain everyday from the soil, so we need nearly two inches of rain a week, just to keep up. Our
extremes in climate certainly pose challenges for all Georgia
gardeners, but somehow we and our plants always seem to
endure. Let’s hope for some cooler weather in the coming weeks and
maybe even a little rain.