On the plus side it gave us a chance to rediscover some of the plants tucked away underneath it all. The dotted horsemint (Monarda punctata) is even more prolific than we had realized.
Some 'Coral Nymph' Salvia coccinea is doing pretty well under there as well, along with some purple Lantana montevidensis.
Nearby, after pulling some overgrown grass and other weeds, we found some brilliant pink Pentas lanceolata, along with an orange zinnia that must have popped up from seed.
So, we found some hidden treasure in the garden, which was nice. Oh, and don't worry about the sulphur butterflies who were using the Partridge Pea as host plants - they've got plenty of room on the nearby Cassia bicapsularis for their caterpillars!
I really value your blog. It was here that I first found out what our horsemint would look like in bloom! Do you cut back your horsemint at a certain point? Ours are so tall and flopping over now.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful discoveries you've made! Enjoy your fall plantings!
ReplyDeleteI usually cut back my horsemint in the late fall, when I have lots of other plantings around it. Right now, it's filling a hole in the landscape. :) You can trim it back if you want to, but remember that the flowers stack up on the stalk as it grows, so you may lose some flowering temporarily. So glad my blog is helpful to you! If you haven't already, visit the Birds & Blooms blog, where I provide lots more info for gardeners in the southeast! http://birdsandbloomsblog.com/category/southeast/
ReplyDeleteI am new to your site and I am enjoying it. I too am growing dotted horsemint and it's is huge I wondered if I could cut it back to keep it more manageable. Thanks for the insight. happpyyy gardening.
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