A WEDDING GARDEN
It’s June! Time for graduations (congratulations to our Leah for graduating from UCLA!) and especially for WEDDINGS (congratulations to my husband, John Drummond, for marrying me 25 years ago. Smart move.).
In honor of June weddings, I thought it would be fun to design a garden that celebrates weddings. A “Wedding Garden” would be so exciting to design and install at the Chicago Botanic Garden or other venues so that brides could be surrounded by plants that add to the joy by virtue of their names. (I’ve designed but never installed a Dentists Garden and a Candyland Garden full of “sweet sugary” or “toothed” plants).
By the way, having reviewed long lists of plant names, my research reveals that plant hybridizers have their preferences (who knew?) in names. “Wedding names” mostly come from people who hybridize daylilies [Hemerocallis]. But other types of growers make some interesting choices. For example, Hosta hybridizers like…FOOD. There’s Hosta ‘Guacamole’, Hosta ‘High Fat Cream’, Hosta ‘Golden Waffles’, Hosta ‘Candy Hearts’, Hosta ‘Cherry Berry’, Hosta ‘Donahue Piecrust’, Hosta ‘Spilt Milk’, Hosta ‘Vanilla Cream’, and Hosta ‘Regal Rhubarb’.
On the other hand, rose hybridizers prefer proper names, especially if you are a Duke, Duchess, Queen, Dr., Frau, General, Kaiser, Lady, President, Princess Prince, Sir, or Saint. Check out this amazing list of Rose names: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rose_cultivars_named_after_people
Nonetheless, here’s my list of perennials, shrubs and trees that are good candidates for a WEDDING GARDEN: (If you have photos or more plant “wedding names”, please send them to me.)
SHRUBS and TREES
Abelia grandiflora ‘Silver Anniversary’: (Zone 6): a 3’x3′ shrublet with white-margined foliage with white flowers
Halesia tetraptera ‘Wedding Bells’: (Zone 6): 20′ tall rounded tree with white bells
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pink Diamond’: (Zone 4): 10-12″ flower clusters open cream and age to pink, rose and red
Hydrangea ‘Wedding Ring’: (Zone 5): 3-4′ shrub with reblooming bi-color lacecap flowers
Spirea thunbergii ‘Mt. Fuji’: (Zone 4): This is “Bridal Veil” Spirea, blooming white in spring
Syringa reticulata ‘Ivory Silk’: (Zone 5): ivory-white flowers in summer
Syringa vulgaris ‘Bridal Memories’: (Zone 4): Fragrant, creamy-white single flowers
PERENNIALS
Agastache foeniculum ‘Golden Jubilee’: 2o” lavender – blue spikes, July-Sept
Aster nova-angliae ‘Wedding Lace’: 36″-48″ white daisies in Sept-Oct
Astilbe arendsii ‘To Have and To Hold’: 28″ purple-pink plumes in June-July
Astilbe arendsii ‘Diamonds and Pearls’: 28″ silver white plumes in July-Aug
Astilbe arendsii ‘Vision in White’: 18″ conical white spires in June-July
Astrantia major ‘Ruby Wedding’: 28″ dark red frilled flowers from May-Sept
Buddleia davidii ‘Attraction’: 36″ magenta-red flowers from July-Sept
Chrysanthemum ‘Bridal Bouquet’: 6-10″ double ruffled white shasta daisy from June-Sept
Cimicifuga simplex ‘Black Negligee’: 60″ lacy black/purple leaves with white flower spikes in October
Delphinium ‘Sweethearts’: 36-60″ with pink/white flowers in June and Sept
Dianthus hybridus ‘First Love’: 15-18″ white aging to rose from April-Sept
Dicentra eximia ‘Burning Hearts’: 10″ dark red hearts from May-Sept
Dicentra spectabilis ‘Valentine’: 24-30″ red hearts in May-June’
Echinacea h ‘Fatal Attraction’: 26″ rich pink with dark stems in July-August
Echinacea h ‘Secret Desire’: 36″ multi-color pink and orange from July-Sept
Echinacea h ‘Secret Joy’: 24-28″ double pale yellow poms from July-Sept
Echinacea h ‘Secret Lust’: 25-31″ fiery-orange double poms from July-Sept
Echinacea h ‘Secret Passion’: 18-27″ coral cone with pink rays from July-Sept
Echinacea h ‘Secret Romance’: 28″ salmon-pink double flowers from July-Sept
Athyrium ‘Lady in Lace’: a 12″ frilly fern
Gaura lindherii ‘The Bride’: 36″ white flower aging to pink from June-Aug
Helleborus h ‘Sparklyn Diamond’: 12-14″ double white from March-June
Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’: 24″ heuchera with fuzzy lime-green leaves and white sprays from Sept-Oct
Hibiscus h ‘Heart Throb’: 48″ plant with 10″ wide burgundy-red flowers from July-Sept
Hibiscus h ‘My Valentine’: 48″ plant with 9″ wide deep red flowers from July-Sept
Hosta ‘Bridegroom’: 18″ green pointy leaves with purple spikes in July-Aug
Hosta ‘Everlasting Love’: 14″ blue-green leaves with wide cream edges, lavender spikes in July
Linum perenne ‘White Diamond’: 12″ dwarf white flax from May-August
Lychnis chalcedonica ‘Burning Love’: 16″ dwarf red clusters of flowers from June-Aug
Papaver ‘Royal Wedding’: 30″ poppy with white flowers in May-June
Peony ‘Bridal Gown’: 32″ double creamy white flowers. Midseason
Peony ‘Bridal Grace’: double bomb with a deep creamy infusion inside and some red flecking outside; 32″
Peony ‘Bridal Shower’: Ivory white double bomb framed by white guard petals; 34″
Phlox subulata ‘Maiden’s Blush’: 4″ pale pink flower with a lilac eye in May and Sept
Rose ‘Burning Love’: I couldn’t find a description: coral red, I think, but…
Saruma henryi: 12-16″ heart-shaped downy leaves topped by soft yellow flowers from May-Sept
Scabiosa japonica ‘Blue Diamonds’: 6″ lilac-blue flowers from June-Aug
Veronica ‘First Love’: 12″ bright pink spikes from June-August
DAYLILIES
Hemerocallis ‘Bride’: 40″, early-mid season, fragrant, yellow
Hemerocallis ‘Bride Elect’: 36″, mid-season, fragrant, coral pink
Hemerocallis ‘Bride to Be’: 28″, late, cream melon pink with gold edge and yellow pink throat
Hemerocallis ‘Bride’s Bouquet’: 30″, mid-season, very pale yellow
Hemerocallis ‘Bride’s Dream’: 21″, early, lavender wine spider with wide green and yellow throat
Hemerocallis ‘Bride’s Garter’: 26″, mid-season, fragrant, cream with purple eye and purple gold edge, green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Bride’s Halo’: 30″, mid-late, fragrant, orange pink blend with orange halo and green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Bride’s Kiss’: 36″, early-mid, rosy red
Hemerocallis ‘Bridesmaid’: 42″, mid-season, red
Hemerocallis ‘Bridesmaid’s Gown’: 28″, early, fragrant, light pink with gold edge and very green throat (Author: Bridesmaid’s Gown: this plant must be really ugly!)
Hemerocallis ‘Dayton’s Last War Bride’: 32″, mid-season, very fragrant, yellow with rose halo and green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Diva Bride’: 30″, mid-season, fragrant, ruffled cream with pink blush and butter yellow edge and throat
Hemerocallis ‘Fairy Bride’: 30″, mid-season, fragrant, orchid pink with yellow throat
Hemerocallis ‘Filipina Bride’: 30″, mid-season, blue pink with a slightly darker eye and yellow throat
Hemerocallis ‘Gypsy Bridesmaid’: 20″, early-mid season, rose edged white with green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Hopi Bride’: 28″, early, fragrant, cream with burgundy eye and yellow green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Journey’s Bride’: 32″, mid-season, fragrant, pink bi-tone with gold edge
Hemerocallis ‘June Bride’: 34″, mid-season, yellow
Hemerocallis ‘June Bridesmaid’: 25″, early-mid season, fragrant, light pink bi-tone with darker pink edge
Hemerocallis ‘Princess Bride’: 36″, early-mid season, very fragrant, white with green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Quaker Bride’: 44″, mid-late season, fragrant, yellow
Hemerocallis ‘Radiant Bride’: 29″, mid-late season, fragrant, red wine with chartreuse green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Sabbath Bride’: 14″, mid-season, white to cream with yellow to green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Seminole Bride’: 36″, early-mid season, fragrant, strawberry pink with darker pink eye and green throat
Hemerocallis ‘September Bride’: 36″, early-mid season, fragrant, light lemon yellow
Hemerocallis ‘Siloam Blushing Bride’: 23″, mid-season, light pink with green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Siloam Bridesmaid’: 20″, mid-season, pale pink with rose eye and green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Siloam June Bride’: 20″, mid-season, pale pink with green throat
Hemerocallis ‘Snow Bride’: 20″, early, fragrant, diamond dusted near white with green throat