I decided today I would share one of the less common flowers you see in the cottage garden. Several years ago a fellow cottage gardener from the midwest sent me these seeds. I had never heard of such a flower, she told me to make sure to scatter the seeds in the back of the garden as they are aptly named as "kiss me over the garden gate" (the botanical name is
Polygonum orientale) as they can get over 12ft tall!
The first year I grew them I think they were about 5ft--this year they are about 9-10ft. I snapped a pic of my cottage garden--you can see they are taller than my Lollipop Crab apple tree....they are a nice back drop and screening plant. They also reseed freely so you will never need seeds again!
I was sure they would be all laying on the ground when we had a nickle size hail storm recently. but these plants are sturdy--they only suffered some holes in the leaves. I will be saving seeds for anyone who wants them. Contact me thru my profile page and I will give you my mailing address--you can send me a S.A.S.E and when they are ready you will have them to scatter in your garden--I have a few mixed hollyhock seeds too, first come first served.
I also thought I would share this big sunflower peeking over my fence. We have new neighbors and they are as crazy about gardening as I am. The plus is that they grow different flowers than I do and our flowers intermingle between the fence boards. So I enjoyed her dahlias and she enjoyed my clematis as well as the "kiss me's....
8 comments:
I love them & would love too give them a try too! I have lots of shade & I think they look like they would do best in sunny areas?
I like things that reseed their selves as long as they don't try to take over the flower beds! Thanks for sharing you garden with me! :)
I think my grandmother in Michigan used to raise these . . . she had them behind her "glads" because they were the tallest. She also had Bridal Veil Spirea on the other side of the driveway. Thanks for sharing. Love, Linda
Beautiful..
I am wondering if you have the time to do your own gardening? My flower beds have gotten away from me this year and I am afraid I am going to have to start from scratch.
I am always awed by sunflowers!
These are pretty..and that Sunflower!! Your garden is lovely.
What a nice post!
love,
Shirley
I'll take some... Those would be pretty along one of the fences in the backyard. :oD
Your blog is just lovely and so are you! I rarely got to enjoy these flowers when I owned and operated a floral shop, they were sparse but oh so beautiful! Hollyhocks remain a favorite of mine as my kids would make little ladies with big skirts our of a bloom and a bud! *sigh*
There's no way our Aussie customs would let the seeds into the country but I have googled them and they are available here too - you have inspired me! I love your blog, and your garden - they are both beautiful. I wish I had the time and the energy to garden like you do - perhaps your garden will encourage me to spend less time doing minis and more time gardening vbg.
Sandra
Debbi, my mum used to talk about a flower called "kiss me over the garden gate" {I always thought it had such a romantic name} but I had never seen any seeds for them in our stores!
They are beautiful!
If you still have some available I'd love to add them to our gardens!
Do let me know!
Thank you so much,
Hugs,
Dolly
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