Connecticut has, arguably, the best gardens in the United States. I don’t know why that is so, as the soil is thin and rocky in places and the winters long and cold. Nevertheless, every spring the gardens awaken from their dormancy, and, eureka! The colors erupt again.
Along with great gardens go memorable garden tours. One of the best to my mind is the garden tour in the village of Stonington-by-the-Sea, close to the Rhode Island border. The protected inlet combined with the moisture from the Sound give Stonington gardeners an extra edge—and they take advantage of it. We traveled down to Stonington for the garden tour whenever we could, often accompanied by our friends and fellow gardeners, the Smiths. In addition to the gardens tucked away behind the antique homes in Stonington, there are also a number of vendors displaying wares of special interest to the garden aficionados from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York. One year the Smiths took home a stunning lantana plant from our visit to Stonington. I had not previously known the lantana, which appears to be almost a hothouse hybrid, combining as it does hot pink and bright yellow in the same blossoms. A rare specimen indeed!
Imagine my surprise yesterday to see on my walk with Sammy the dog a bush in full bloom on some unoccupied property that I pass each day. Before the bush blossomed out, I had never noticed this modest plant. Intrigued, I walked closer and found—to my surprise—the same lantana I remember from Stonington! And now not in a small pot, but a sizable bush, growing wild.
An internet search revealed that the plant, lantana horrida, also bears the name lantana texana. And, yes, it is a native species—drought tolerant, salt tolerant, deer tolerant, and heat tolerant. The same plant purchased as a potted specimen grows wild in these parts. I will soon be seeking out lantana plants for my own garden—plants that are not only indigenous to the area, but also memories of dear friends in another place.
Along with great gardens go memorable garden tours. One of the best to my mind is the garden tour in the village of Stonington-by-the-Sea, close to the Rhode Island border. The protected inlet combined with the moisture from the Sound give Stonington gardeners an extra edge—and they take advantage of it. We traveled down to Stonington for the garden tour whenever we could, often accompanied by our friends and fellow gardeners, the Smiths. In addition to the gardens tucked away behind the antique homes in Stonington, there are also a number of vendors displaying wares of special interest to the garden aficionados from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York. One year the Smiths took home a stunning lantana plant from our visit to Stonington. I had not previously known the lantana, which appears to be almost a hothouse hybrid, combining as it does hot pink and bright yellow in the same blossoms. A rare specimen indeed!
Imagine my surprise yesterday to see on my walk with Sammy the dog a bush in full bloom on some unoccupied property that I pass each day. Before the bush blossomed out, I had never noticed this modest plant. Intrigued, I walked closer and found—to my surprise—the same lantana I remember from Stonington! And now not in a small pot, but a sizable bush, growing wild.
An internet search revealed that the plant, lantana horrida, also bears the name lantana texana. And, yes, it is a native species—drought tolerant, salt tolerant, deer tolerant, and heat tolerant. The same plant purchased as a potted specimen grows wild in these parts. I will soon be seeking out lantana plants for my own garden—plants that are not only indigenous to the area, but also memories of dear friends in another place.
2 comments:
We have huge mounds of lantana in our garden but don't know the variety. The blossoms are all pink and the plant grows year round with blossoms most of the year.
Does the foliage stink? If so, it might be lantana horrida!
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