#YouShouldGrowThis: Sedums thrive on benign neglect

You Should Grow Sedums

Sedums are hardy, long lived perennials with many sizes, shapes, colours and descriptions. All bear starry flowers that are great nectar sources for bees and butterflies and most bloom in mid to late summer, making them valuable additions to a sunny border. Some grow as large, upright clumps and others grow as ground covers. Most are very hardy and easily adaptable. They have succulent foliage and are best in well drained, average to poor soil. Give sedums too rich a diet and they will flop all over like lettuce and flower poorly! 

Give sedums too rich a diet and they will flop all over like lettuce- Lyndon Penner

Upright Sedums
Without question, my favourite is 'Autumn Joy'. It was developed in Germany many years ago and grows about 2 ft. tall. The flowers begin to open in late August and are sort of a greenish pink. At first it looks rather strange, but wait! From here the flowers deep to pink and then a rich, reddish rose. This all happens very gradually. It flowers all through September and into October, ignoring frosts and cold and blooming until the snow buries it. It has no pest or disease issues, establishes quickly, and thrives on a diet of benign neglect. 'Matrona', 'Mohrchen', and 'Chocolate' are three other sedums I love; all with dark tinted, purple stained foliage and showy flowers over a very long period.

Groundcover Sedums
Sedum cauticola var. lidakense has steely blue leaves and hot pink flowers. 'Vera Jameson' has burgundy foliage with pink blooms and is fabulous in a rock garden. 'Angelina' is one I like to use in containers for its gorgeous, chartreuse foliage that becomes orangey in the fall. If that's not enough, what about 'Frosty Morn'? This is a stunning sedum from Japan with apple-green leaves edged in crisp, cool silver margins. Like many variegated plants, it is less vigorous than its solid green counterparts but who cares!?!? For something this beautiful, I'll take a chance!

Trending now
Sedums have experienced a surge in popularity recently because they are succulents. Succulent is a term that applies to any plant that uses its leaves as storage devices. Portulaca, jade trees and kalanchoe are all very common succulents. Hens and chicks also fall into this category. Succulents have become very trendy in the last few years and right now, they are definitely "in". This is great for prairie gardeners because they are well suited to high heat, sharp drainage, and can handle wind. They are also untroubled by pests, disease, or hail storms and even the deer usually leave them alone.

#YouShouldDoThis: Top 3 list for June 11

1. Check your delphiniums:  Delphinium worm is right now at its most active period and could be snacking on the buds even as you are reading this. Do a little judicious snooping and squish any of these rude interlopers that you find.

2. Eye up those irises:  Many irises are in bloom or just about to be in bloom now. Do you have any clumps that have died out in the center or are flowering poorly? They may need to be moved to a sunnier area or they may need to be divided. Mark carefully the ones who are having "performance issues" and they can be divided later in the summer. Marking them is a good idea because later, it can be hard to tell or hard to remember which ones you want to move! 

3. Prepare for battle:  As we move into high summer, make sure you are well stocked on meds and lotions! Good idea to make sure that you have mosquito repellant, plenty of sunscreen, a good hat, and some allergy meds because there is LOTS of pollen in the air right now. Be prepared as you go to war!

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