Sedum

Well, after several days of "technical stuff", it's time for something a little more fun today.  Last Friday, I was able to drive to and from work in daylight.  Today, it will still be dark when it's time to leave for work.  Yup - daylight savings time- it's a sure sign spring must be on the way.  Spring on its way means time to start dreaming of digging in the dirt.

It will still be several weeks before my plant orders begin to arrive, but I'm excited for a few new plants I will try this year.  I ordered three new sedums, commonly called stonecrop, that will be great additions to two different theme gardens.

Sedum "Harvest Moon" and "Sunset Cloud" will go in the Sun, Moon and Stars Garden and "Blade Runner" will go in the Children and Butterflies Garden.

Sedum "Harvest Moon"

Harvest Moon is a ground cover sedum, growing only 4 to 6 inches tall.  Its small, succulent type foliage is silver and purple.  It is topped with stars of bright yellow flowers in late summer to fall.

Sedum "Sunset Cloud"

Sunset Cloud is a low growing sedum, about 6 to 8 inches tall.  It will form a nice mound of steel blue rosettes with plum accents on the edges of the leaves.  In late summer, it will put out a mass of rosey red flowers that will last late into the fall.





Sedum "Blade Runner"
 

Blade Runner is an upright sedum that will grow 12 to 18 inches tall.  Its leaves are bright green with a serrated edge.  In late summer and fall, it will burst forth with large umbels of purple red flowers that are held upright on red stems.





Sedum is a wonderful plant for harsh, dry climates. Most cultivars are hardy to zone 3 and all are very drought tolerant once their root system is well-established.  They prefer well-drained soil, which I have been able to accomplish by adding a great deal of organic ammendments to my heavy clay over the years.  They don't like added fertilizer and tend to get leggy and spindly if fed too well.  Sedum blossoms will last about four to six weeks, and they do not need to be dead-headed.  The spent flower heads add nice winter interest to the garden.  Sedum foliage is a beautiful addition to the garden even when it is not in bloom.  It thrives in places hot, dry places where many other plants complain.  Sedum are not attractive to deer and rabbits, although a deer or rabbit that is hungry enough will eat anything.  The blossoms of sedum are very attractive to butterflies and bees.  I will often walk through the garden and see butterflies clustered all over the tops of the sedum blossoms while the bees are busily buzzing from petal to petal collecting pollen.

Wiese Acres Children and Butterflies Garden

It's hard for me to choose a favorite plant because there are so many that I love and my favorite changes from season to season, even from day to day.  But, sedum is a group that will almost always end up on that list somewhere.