Hill Gardens of Maine - Veronica...A Gem For Full Sun

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Veronica: A Gem For Sun!
by Fred Davis, Hill Gardens of Maine (To view other articles, click Archives)

Welcome through the Fred's Garden Gate! Among all time favorites of perennial gardeners for many generations is the charming and sun-loving veronica. Tradition says it was named after St. Veronica, who is said to have wiped the face of Christ during his final forced trek to crucifixion.

Veronicas are particularly desirable in the full-sun perennial border owing largely to the true blues of some varieties, their easy care and extended blooming season.

Flowering begins about mid-June and continues off-and-on into early August. As already mentioned, veronicas prefer full sun, but will tolerate no more than half shade. They like their home moderately fertile and moist but well-drained, especially in the winter. Poor drainage is just about the worst thing that can happen to veronicas. Allow some space for adequate air circulation, adjust the pH to between 6.5 7.5 and feed in the spring with granular 10-10-10 or organic equivalent. High, well-drained organic matter content is the secret of successful veronica growers.

Plant height varies between 6 inches to as tall as 2 feet, depending on varieties selected. Veronica spicata nana, for example, is very short (only 4 to 6 inches to the tip of its flower), while Blue Champion and Romily Purple may reach 30 inches. One, V. incana (Wooly Speedwell) has blue-gray foliage and lilac-blue blossom spikes at about 18 inches, but when not in flower remains an attractive 4 to 6 inches tall. This one is particularly suited to the rock garden or front of the border.

PROPAGATION: Veronicas can be grown from seed, division of plants in early spring and softwood cuttings during the summer. For the average home gardener, spring division is clearly the method of choice since seed will probably result in variation of plant type and cuttings can be a bit slow and a little tricky. We dig ours at the first sign of growth in the spring, shake away all soil from the roots and cut or pull the crown apart into appropriate size sections—usually the size of a small hand—and plant them immediately into rejuvenated soil...or, for sales in the (now closed) nursery, into containers.

PROBLEMS: Almost totally insect and disease free, these tough little perennials just seem to grow on and on. Occasionally, they may fall victim to leaf spot, an annoying but usually not disastrous malady causing small circular spots on leaf surfaces. Another rarely seen problem is downy mildew, appearing as pale spots on the upper leaf surface, with corresponding grayish mildew on the lower sides. Severe cases of both can result in near-total defoliation. They seem to have a predilection to powdery mildew, especially if planted in a damp spot with poor light and reduced air circulation. The solution: locate in ample sun and avoid crowding, and don't wet their foliage after 3 in the afternoon.

Aside from those three, as with almost all garden plants, passing caterpillars, slugs and other leaf-chewing insects—like grasshoppers—may nibble here and there but are not normally anything to write home about. Spittlebugs (early stage of leafhoppers) may carry a disease which causes leaves near their feeding site to twist and distort. A little rotenone dust for larger chewers, some Safers Soap for smaller nibblers and siphoners, and adjusting pH to near neutral to deter slugs and snails usually maintains control.

If they do get leaf spot or mildew, sanitation is of prime importance. Clean up all fallen or infected foliage, and destroy. You could also pre-treat with a copper-compound-fungicide to avoid the problem altogether. Most garden centers and farm 'n gardens have it.

Lest you become discouraged by all this talk of disease, Veronicas are actually among the most trouble-free of all perennials—given a reasonable amount of attention to general garden sanitation and good gardening practices.

VARIETIES:

V. spicata alba: pure white flowers at 15 inches.

V. ‘Blue Fox’: bright lavender blue at 15 inches.

V. ‘Red Fox’: deep rose flowers at 15 inches.

V. ‘Sunny Border Blue’: violet-blue spikes right up to frost at 18 to 20 inches

V. ‘Blue Peter’: deep blue flowers at 15 inches.

V. incana Wooly Speedwell: lavender-blue contrasted against gray-green leaves at 18 inches.

V. spicata nana: rich blue flowers 3 to 4 inches above tiny, compact 1 to 2 inch foliage.

V. subsessilis ‘Icicle’: pure white, June to September at about 24 inches.

V. ‘Minuet’: light pink, gray green foliage, at little more than 12 inches.

…and many more!

So, if your perennial border has a difficult bright sunny spot and a little empty space to be filled, consider one of these old-fashioned favorites. My personal favorite: V. incana – Wooly Speedwell! The mix of lavender-blue and silvery-blue is hard to beat!

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