We were all surprised, shocked and saddened to learn about the April 21 death of Prince at a youthful 57 years. We send our condolences to his family and friends.
We can commemorate some of our favorite Prince songs with a few plants in the garden. The entertainer used a lot of colors in his song titles and we all know that gardeners love color in the garden. Here are the selections.
‘Purple Rain’ Salvia. Photo courtesy willowaynurseries.com
‘Purple Rain’ salvia (S. verticillata) is sometimes called lilac or whorled clary sage. It has long spikes of purple blooms from late spring into summer and beyond, when spent flowers are removed (called deadheading). Plant this clump-grower in average soil in full sun. This perennial is somewhat drought tolerant once established. It gets 18-24 inches tall and wide. Plant in clusters of three or more for a spectacular show.
What makes this different than other perennial salvias are the gray-green leaves, which are broad and fuzzy. ‘Purple Rain’ attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees, but is resistant to deer and rabbit damage. Sometimes susceptible to powdery mildew, make sure this plant has good air circulation. Flowers can be cut for indoor arrangements. You should be able to find this salvia in local garden centers or through online retailers. It is hardy in USDA Zones 3-7. Most of Indiana is in Zones 5 and 6.
‘Raspberry Beret’ daylily. Photo courtesy petalpusher.plantfans.com
Although you can’t exactly wear it, ‘Raspberry Beret’ daylily (Hemerocallis) will dress up your flowerbed with 6-inch wide, yellow blooms splashed with raspberry. When this perennial blooms, it will be about 28 inches tall. It is hardy in USDA Zones 5-10.
A mid-summer blooming daylily, plant in average soil in full sun to part shade. ‘Raspberry Beret’ is available at Petal Pusher Daylilies in Fort Wayne, Indiana, (petalpusher.plantfans.com) for $10.
I found a ‘Little Red Corvette’ daylily at catrinasgarden.com in Wisconsin for $15. This daylily blooms in mid-summer with rich, red flowers 5 ½ inches wide on stalks 44 inches tall. Grow in full sun to part shade in average soil. It is hardy in USDA Zones 4-10.
Daylilies are very easy to grow and generally low maintenance. Each flower lasts for a day, but there are several on each stalk, called a scape. Daylily blossoms are edible. Cut the scapes for indoor arrangements. Spent blooms can be snipped off or left until all flowers on the scape have bloomed. Then, remove the scape. The foliage may be evergreen, depending on how severe winter is. Water daylilies during dry spells.
These three perennials could be planted together as a vignette one might call Party Like It’s 1999. RIP, Prince.