Something the Deer Won’t Eat–June 24, 2008

At least they leave the foxgloves alone. Digitalis — they’re poison. Aren’t they pretty, though? They’re scattered all over the garden, growing prolifically from the seed they spread. Most of my foxgloves are transplanted from the wild but the pale pink on the left is from White Flower Farms. The color is called Salmon so I was a little disappointed when it turned out pink – but it’s such a pretty pink.
 
            
The pot behind it rests in a bird bath. I love the idea of having bird baths in the garden. Unfortunately, so do the raccoons. They were forever climbing up to get at the water and knocking the bowl from its pedestal. The concrete bowl would crash heavily into the surrounding flower bed, crushing everything beneath it. Once I replaced the water with a flower pot the raccoons left it alone. The blue and white lobelia in the pot will soon cascade over the bowl, providing an elevated spot of color in the bed.


Most foxgloves are biennial — they spend one year growing, the next year producing flowers and seed and that’s usually the last you’ll see of that particular plant. The yellow foxglove, above, is a true perennial. It’s small and the color is subtle – not as magnificent as the biennials, but it has its own charm.
 
I’m on vacation this week and everyday I wake up with a list in my head, but today I found a little time for the garden. See you again soon! Have a great day!