In 2000, I replanted this hypatufa trough that I made 30 years ago.
Planting troughs
is always an experiment to find plants that won't grow too vigorously and
swamp
their neighbors. In this photo, taken mid May, 2002, you can catch a
glimpse on
the left a the course growing form of Erigeron compositus with lavender
daisies.
It was from NARGS seed and identified as E. compositus var. discoideus,
although I don't believe it is that variety. It'll be ripped out and
discarded soon.
In the lower left is Antennaria straminea, a slow-growing dwarf pussytoe
from
New Foundland. The flowers aren't much to look at, and they get cut
off before
they lengthen and release the seed "fluff". But the
foliage is nice and intensely
silver, and for an Antennaria, it's very slow growing.
On the right is the beautiful little Penstemon procerus var.
formosus.
It came mislabeled as Penstemon procerus v. pulchellus, but there is
no such combination. The misidentification has it's roots in
England
where the corrupted name P. pulchellus, or the misapplied name
P. campanulatus pulchellus (a tall red to purple flowered Mexican species)
was applied to this tiny alpine form of Penstemon procerus from
Oregon,
California and adjacent Nevada..
In the upper center is Talinum
'Zoe', an ideal
trough inhabitant. It's a
hybrid between Talinum okanoganense and T. spinescens, both of
which are found in Washington to British Columbia (the latter species
is also found in northeast Oregon). In the photo above, the dark
reddish bead-like leaves conceal the numerous buds just starting
to develop. Click the link above to see this plant in full flower.
Also growing in this trough is Lesquerella arizonica, Eriogonum douglasii,
Eriogonum caespitosum var. nivale, Draba sierrae, and Silene suksdorfii.
(Click on the links for portrait photos)
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