Our growing season is usually over around this time of year, but the mild weather continues. I saw a local meteorologist say our high temperatures haven’t been in the 50s (F) for 159 days now. That is supposed to change this weekend and early next week when the highs will indeed be only in the 50s, and we’ll get our first chance at a widespread frost.
Because there are still bees and a few butterflies around, I’ve continued to water the flowers that are still hanging in there. I’m extremely impressed with two Proven Winners.
I wrote about Cleome ‘Señorita Blanca’ back in July. The plants I bought were already blooming when I purchased them in May. Five months later they are still blooming and I have not done a thing with them other than give them water during our numerous dry spells.
This is what they look like now:
I can’t even wrap my head around how flowers last for 5 months. I have not cut a thing from these plants, and they endured 7 weeks of heavy rain and thunderstorms at the beginning of the season, and weeks without a drop of rain at the end. At $6.99 per plant I was hesitant to spend that much money on an annual, but I more than got my money’s worth. I will definitely grow some again next year.
And for the second year in a row, Proven Winner Verbena ‘Meteor Shower’ is still going strong in October. A handful of flowers did go to seed and I cut them off, but for the most part I haven’t done anything to care for these annuals either.
Pollinators love ‘Meteor Shower’. I’ve seen honeybees, bumblebees, many species of butterflies and even hummingbirds visit the little lavender flowers during the growing season.
I visited many garden centers in the spring, and all of them were selling these aptly-named Proven Winners. If you want to grow something carefree and long-lasting definitely try Verbena ‘Meteor Shower’ and Cleome ‘‘Señorita Blanca’.