What's Blooming Now
in the Ellipse Garden?
May 19, 2007
The yellow wild indigo has just passed its peak of blooming but is still the most visible single blooming plant in the garden. Nearby the irises are providing splashes of vivid blues, yellows and red. The wildflower meadow around the bluebird house is beginning to burst with color, and the patriotic meadow is indeed red, white and blue, with the red poppies being the most prominent.
 
In the native woodland, the sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) is in bloom – the deep red flowers are intensely fragrant. Near the bird feeder, native lupines are blooming; the whorled leaves are as interesting as the blossoms.
 
 
Toadflax (Linaria Canadensis)
Scattered throughout the garden, and near the native grass area, are clusters of tiny blue flowers atop slim stems with small leaves. This is a Virginia native which has volunteered its presence – it was not planted in the garden.
May 5, 2007
YELLOW WILD INDIGO (Baptisia sphaerocarpa)
A tall early spring-blooming plant with leathery blue-green foliage, striking against the buttery-yellow pea-like flowers. In late summer through fall, the blossoms produce attractive gray-black seed pods.
Baptisias are easily grown in average to dry sites, full sun, and in poor soil, including clay. Other species carry blue or white flowers. All are deer resistant, attractive to butterflies, and native to Virginia.
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