Bill's Favorite Native Plants: August

Allen, Sterling & Lothrop's nursery manager Bill Kennie has been working with the Falmouth Open Space committee to help eradicate invasive plants from the Maine landscape. Bill believes that it is very important to include native species in ornamental landscape gardens. Indeed, the more native plants a garden has the better--native plants are typically low maintenance, they provide food and shelter for wildlife and are visually in keeping with our native "wild" landscape.

Senna hebecarpa                                                             Wild Senna

Height: 3-4’

I planted Wild Senna in my field garden along with Veronica, Rudbeckia and Eupatorium.  It rewarded me with bright yellow pea-type flowers from July to September.  It has soft green leaves on sturdy stems and the flowers develop into nice seed pods.  I also noticed that beneficial wasps were really attracted to this plant…not to me!

Seed of the Month: Bright Lights Swiss Chard

Bright Lights Chard

Everyone at AS&L loves Bright Lights Chard—and, I think, we all grow it!  Bright Lights comes in a variety of vibrant colors (yellow, red, orange, white). You can pick chard early (after about 30 days) for tender “baby” greens.   

Chard is a member of the beet family and native to the Mediterranean –perhaps tracing back to Sicily.  The ancient Greeks and Romans used chard for medicinal purposes.  Chard is considered to be one of the most nutritious vegetables, it is rich in antioxidants (to read more about the health benefits see this article by Whole Foods)

Check out this recipe by Bon Appetite:

Spring Greens and Lima Bean Soup