Sunday, February 14, 2010

Valentine's Day Plants

Love Lies Bleeding is such an inappropriate name for this beautiful plant.  The year I grew this there were lots of  O's and Ah's from my neighbors.  I started them from seed and they were quite WOW in my front garden along a walkway.  This variety can  be grown in a container with complimentary plantings.  They grow approximately four feet tall and two feet wide.  There are different varieties of Amaranthus Caudatus ( red, green and purple).  The green is especially lovely dried.  Amaranthus dates back to Aztec civilizations used as a food product even into the current day in certain cultures (toasting and grinding of seeds).


Amaranthus 'Love Lies Bleeding'


Amaranthus Green

A similar looking plant is Kiss-Me-Over-The-Garden-Gate (Persicaria Orientle).  It can grow to twelve feet tall and two feet wide and can be planted in containers (although you would require a huge container to hold this height) or in borders.  My photo was taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden last summer where it was planted in the ground with dahlias framing their entrance.

I have included my photo of inky fingers coleus crawling through my raised bed (this is just one plant).  I had to go back into my 35mm prints to find these.  It sure makes it a lot easier when everything is digital.

11 comments:

  1. Oh the 'Love Lies Bleeding' is quite stunning. Do you grow it with the 'Emerald Tassel' as they would certainly complement each other beautifully.
    I grow the 'Tricolour' myself and just love it ... such a statement in the garden. I also grow 'Inky Fingers' another of my favourites ... it's seems we have a few plants in common.

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  2. I have grown both of these from seed but have not planted together. The green has a lot more tassals and smaller. They are lovely dried in arrangements.

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  3. Dear Eileen, Your mention of these plants at this particular time I thought to be highly original and definitely different. The very name 'Love Lies Bleeding' is so evocative of so many things!

    The foliage of your Coleus 'Inky Fingers' is truly splendid, an excellent foil for so much else.

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  4. Not familiar with 'Love Lies Bleeding' or 'Kiss Me ...", but are indeed lovely and perfect for your Valentine Day post. ♡♥

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  5. I love anything persicaria/polygonum but when you wrote about Inky Fingers, like Bernie, I have to tell you that we also have a few favorite plants in common. Inky Fingers is the most polite plant ever. It grows well and looks good with others and self-branches or does whatever it does without help (unusual in coleus that usually need constant pinching). Btw-that Emerald Tassel is gorgeous. Since I've never grown that before, I'm going to have to put that on my list for this year. :-)

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  6. Thanks Maria,

    I love your website,all the scenery and animals. Spring can't come soon enough!

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  7. Aw, thanks. I'd have more "garden" if the turtles didn't stomp all over everything.

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  8. I have debated with myself for a couple years about growing Love Lies Bleeding (I love those romantic old names). Based on your photos I may try it this spring.

    I will definitely look for Inky Fingers. What a stand out. It sprawls kind of vine-like, right.
    Marnie

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  9. Inky FIngers does weave. It is pretty sturdy, and you just need to clip it if it gets out of bounds. This year mine did not crawl as much as in the picture, which was about three years ago. My boxwoods in this bed are much bigger and I think they restrained it some.

    Eileen

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  10. Gorgeous flowers! It's that time of year again here in AZ where I live. Spring time! Time to plant our veggies and warm whether flowers. CHeers~

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  11. I am so jealous! We still have a foot of snow on the ground. I love Arizona, wish I was there!

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