Gardeners in the BC Lower Mainland area can visit the home of Heritage Perennials® during our annual PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE. Our 27 acre nursery in Abbotsford, BC will be open to the public for tours, Master Gardener consultations, plant sales (including a GREAT bargain area), seminars and more. Food and refreshments are available. Join us on Friday, September 9th, 2005 from 9am to 3pm at 1831 Peardonville Road in Abbotsford. Click here for directions and more details.

The Valleybrook Gardens Ontario GIANT PERENNIAL PLANT SALE will be taking place on Saturday, September 10, 2005 from 9am to 4pm. The sale is at our ONTARIO nursery, located near Niagara-on-the-Lake at 961 Line Four Road. Please click here for directions and more information. There will be BARGAINS GALORE!! We suggest you bring your own cart if possible, and a supply of labels could also come in handy. Master Gardeners of Niagara will be on hand to assist and to answer gardening questions.

I usually think the flush of early-summer blooming perennials is a sure bet, a time of year when it's hard to NOT have a beautiful garden. It was not so this past June here in southern Ontario and many other places, from what I've been hearing. Peonies are always fleeting at best, but this year they seemed to be in bloom only for hours instead of a week or two. Even sturdy June bloomers like Salvia and Siberian Iris just didn't last at all. Ah well, with a bit of judicious pruning and deadheading, perhaps cooler autumn weather will induce a second blooming on a few things. One can only hope... the number one rule of gardening is that nothing is truly dependable from one year to the next. This is what keeps it so interesting!

• If cool colours are your thing, try a classic mix of tall and bushy Russian Sage (pictured here), with Purple Coneflowers and 'White Profusion' Butterfly Bush. Or substitute white Coneflowers and a pink or deep-purple Butterfly Bush instead. Deadhead the Butterfly Bush and Coneflowers for extended blooming.
• another classic (maybe to the point of being overdone) is 'Goldsturm' Rudbeckia, Autumn Joy Stonecrop and Variegated Miscanthus. Spark it up a little with any other Miscanthus of your choice (like maybe 'Cosmopolitan') or in cold regions substitute Calamagrostis 'Overdam'.
• The jewel-like tones of fall asters are such a great contrast to more fiery fall shades. Combine the tall, magenta-pink 'Alma Potschke' with a white Japanese Anemone such as 'Honourine Jobert' and a clump of graceful 'Hameln' Fountain Grass. If you crave a bit more contrast, use Purple Fountain Grass instead — just remember this one is an annual in most regions.
• Big and tall clumps of 'Lemon Queen' Perennial Sunflower can hold their own with slightly shorter 'Gateway' Joe-Pye Weed. Down in front, plant a drift of Sedum 'Purple Emperor' or stick with deep-burgundy garden mums.
• A really dramatic grouping for you hot-colour lovers starts with 'Fireworks' Goldenrod, combined with red Cardinal Flower and an orange Helenium such as 'Coppelia'. Give this grouping a sunny and moist site.

QUESTION: "I bought a perennial last year called Euphorbia cyparissias. It has taken over my yard and from the little I could find out about it it is a VERY noxious weed. What can I do about it, and why would a reputable dealer sell it in the first place? Is there anything I could do about this? Right now I'm thinking the only thing I can do is SELL my house..." Jean — Surrey, British Columbia

ANSWER: We've never grown any of the selections of Euphorbia cyparissias (also known as Cypress Spurge or Graveyard Spurge) for exactly the reasons you outline, but I often see them available at garden centres, particularly the varieties 'Fens Ruby' and 'Orangeman'. I regularly see the plain species growing in gardens, obviously passed from neighbour to neighbour. In defence of the species, the spreading tendency varies considerably among the selections, though all make a patch eventually. It's a handsome plant with a nasty habit.

So... what to do now? Eliminate this plant to the best of your abilities. I personally would try RoundUp, and certainly don't disturb the roots or you will just create a Spurge nursery and make the situation worse. It may take several applications over the rest of this growing season, with a spot spraying needed now and again if they continue to pop up. Pay particular attention to the edge of the bed and look into the adjacent turf where roots may be lurking to re-infest.

You might be wise to sacrifice a few perennials during the process, if the roots have invaded into the clumps. The leaves of this species are somewhat succulent. If you get poor results from the first spraying, try a second time and add a couple of drops of liquid soap to the spray solution, which will help it stick better to the leaves.

The organic method would be to smother the plants, best done with heavy black plastic left in place for a year. Cover this with mulch to disguise it, but eventually remove the plastic before planting the clean area again.

Just an update for Club Members: we've had to push ahead the date for the inaugural issue of our brand new second newsletter, The New Perennial Insider. Plans are to send it out in about one week from now.

Our best-selling book, the Perennial Gardening Guide (4th edition, March 2003) is a handy reference used by gardeners across North America — written by John Valleau, horticulturist for Heritage Perennials®. Available at your local Heritage Perennials® Dealer.