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Elisabeth C. Miller Library

Keyword: Baptisia

Baptisia from seed

I saved seedpods from my Baptisia this fall, and wonder about the best way to grow this plant from seed—when to sow, etc.

According to The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers from Seed to Bloom (Eileen Powell, Storey Publishing, 2004), you can sow directly outdoors in late autumn or early spring at a depth of ¼ inch.

You can also start seed indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. Germination time varies from 5 to 36 days. Powell recommends soaking the seeds in warm water for 24 hours, and then chipping them with a knife. Keep at 70-75 degrees F once sown. Transplant after the last spring frost, or in early autumn. Baptisia likes full sun to light shade, and well-drained soil. Plants grown from seed may take a couple of years to settle into the garden.

Miriam Goldberger, author of Taming Wildflowers (2014) and proprietor of Wildflower Farm, has additional advice, including an alternate outdoor method of putting sown seeds in potting medium out in late fall to winter to allow natural cold stratification (this applies only if your winters are cold enough!). “The seed will germinate in the pots in spring as the weather warms up. Be sure to water the pots regularly in spring and once the plants are 5 cm (2 inches) tall, transplant them into your garden.”

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plants for narrow planting areas

I am redoing the narrow planting areas (2-3′ wide) on either
side of our 20′ long entry. Garages from next door townhouses butt up
against the outer edge on each side, causing morning sun and afternoon shade on one
side, and vice versa on the other side. I have picked out some
euphorbias, heucheras, and carexes which should do well. I’m wondering
if I should have some taller, more dramatic plants to offset these and if
you have any suggestions of ones which might work. Also, any bulb ideas
would be appreciated.

 

Have you considered putting up trellises on one or both sides? Then you
could grow vines which require little width, but still have the
advantage of height. You could also grow taller plants (maybe some
grasses like Miscanthus or even a well-restricted–using root
barrier–Bamboo) in containers, and keep them shaped to suit the narrow
space. Some shrubs and trees are naturally narrow or fastigiate in growth
habit.

Here is a list of narrow plants compiled by local garden designer Chris
Pfeiffer, c2005. Some will be too wide for your planting area, but you
might want to research those that fit the site.

American arborvitae ‘Rheingold’ (Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’) 5’h x
3′ w

Barberry ‘Helmond Pillar’ (Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Helmond
Pillar’) 6’h x 2’w

Boxwood ‘Graham Blandy’ (Buxus sempervirens ‘Graham Blandy’) 8’h x 1-1/2’w

English yew ‘Standishii’ (Taxus baccata ‘Standishii’) 4’h x 1-1/2’w

Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’) 20’h x 4’w

Japanese holly Jersey pinnacle (Ilex crenata ‘Jersey Pinnacle’) 6’h x
4’w

Japanese holly Mariesii (Ilex crenata ‘Mariesii) 3’h x 1-1/2’w

Dwarf yeddo rhaphiolepis (Rhaphiolepis umbellata ‘Gulf Green’) 3-4’h x
2’w

Heavenly bamboo ‘Gulf Stream’ (Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’) 4’h x 2’w

Japanese euonymus ‘Green Spire’ (Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Spire’) 15’h x
6’w

There are also a good number of tall perennials you might try, such as
(for your afternoon sunny side) Helenium, Verbascum, Baptisia,
Eupatorium, and bulbous plants like Allium and Eremurus, and for your
shadier morning sun side, Macleaya, Digitalis, Filipendula ulmaria,
Anemone x hybrida, Actaea (formerly called Cimicifuga), Lilium martagon, Thalictrum, and Veronicastrum.

There are many excellent gardening books you could consult for ideas.
Since you have a small, narrow space, I highly recommend local garden
writer Marty Wingate’s book, Big Ideas for Northwest Small Gardens
(Sasquatch Books, 2003). You are welcome to visit the Miller Library,
where you can do further research and also borrow books.