"Penstemon 'Blue Lips' finished blooming for the summer"
Penstemon ‘Blue Lips’ is a High Country Gardens introduction (new plant to the gardening world) for 2009. While many gardeners judge a plant by only by its flowers, ‘Blue Lips’ is an excellent example of a perennial that is both dazzling in flower and sublimely beautiful with just its foliage.
‘Blue Lips’ is a hybrid plant I found in my home xeriscape some 4 years ago. It is a cross between Penstemon linarioides v. coloradensis and Penstemon crandalii. Its fabulous foliage comes from P. linariodes and its profusion of lavender and blue flowers are from parent, P. crandalii. It should prove to be a long lived, small shrub-like cultivar.
Showing where to cut off the old flowering spikes
To keep the evergreen foliage of ‘Blue Lips’ at its best, shear off the fading flowering spikes just as the plant is going out of flower. Gently bunch the flower spikes together with one hand and cut them off at the point where they go down into the mat of foliage with your clipper in your other hand. This process is known as “deadheading.”
Study the photos for a moment to see where to trim. A prompt deadheading will help the foliage grow out to form a thick mound of finely textured, blue-gray foliage that looks great summer and winter! After the plant has been groomed, it will continue to grow out along the edges, the stems rooting as
they move out across its space in the garden. Next year, the plant will have many more stems on which next spring’s flowering stems will emerge.
'Blue Lips' neatly deadheaded giving the attractive foliage room to grow
Other High Country Garden Penstemon that have finely textured or matted, evergreen foliage and benefit from the same deadheading technique include all the Penstemon pinifolius types (‘Compactum‘, ‘Mersea Yellow’, ‘Nearly Red’, ‘Magdalena Sunshine’ and ‘Tall Orange Mix’), Penstemon linarioides v. coloradensis and Penstemon virens.
Tags: blue lips, flowers, garden, Gardening, high country gardens, maintain, penstemon, perennial, plant
Have you any shade garden tips?
Deb:
In general, care of the shade garden is no different from the maintenance of a sunny garden.
- Deadheading is always beneficial; it keeps your plants healthier, more tidy and often extends blooming or can bring plants back into bloom.
- Mulching with natural materials and fertilizing with compost and other organic/natural fertilizers will build your soil and keep the plants healthy.
- Resist the urge to water frequently; too much water encourages snails to proliferate.
Can your recommend which Penstemon species are most easily divided? I thought of this idea when you mentioned that the ‘Blue Lips” variety will spread out from its edges if deadheaded properly. Is there an ideal size for the plant to reach before dividing, or is dividing not recommended at all for Penstemon species?