Last spring, after planting my annuals in all of the backyard flowerbeds, I had some leftover plants. The new perennial bed in the front yard still had some bare spots, so I just haphazardly stuffed annuals wherever I could see soil. In mid-summer I was pleased to see I’d accidentally created a nice plant combination.
I thought my Calliopsis ‘Finest Mix’ looked awesome with the wispy, lavender tufts of Verbena bonariensis. I had my own little slice of the prairie.
I discovered Calliopsis ‘Finest Mix’ on a garden tour about 8 years ago. The seeds are insanely easy to sprout indoors and have an excellent germination rate.
The plants sometimes develop powdery mildew in late summer, but the foliage is so lacy that you barely notice it, and it never affects the flowers. They don’t have any insect pests with one exception. When I first stick my young plants in the ground in mid-May, something usually chews off all the foliage overnight if I don’t sprinkle them with Sevin dust. I rarely use chemicals in my flowerbeds, but I make an exception in this case. I’m guessing that earwigs are to blame since slugs would have a harder time climbing the delicate foliage, and earwigs can make quick work of plants while we’re tucked safely in bed at night.
Calliopsis ‘Finest Mix’ grows about 2 feet tall and will bloom all summer if deadheaded.