 | A Guide to the Garden
One outstanding feature of the Demonstration Garden is this kiosk with very clear photos and information on nearly every plant. The garden is positioned near the entrance to the park, which itself is located at 2400 S. Scenic Ave. in Springfield..
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 | Rebirth
It was early March when these Iris Reticulata emerged from the dead Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina). One of our earliest spring-blooming bulbs, these beautiful dwarf iris do well in sun or partial shade. They grow 4-6 inches tall and naturalize wonderfully in the Ozarks. Note: Because the bulblets may take years to mature, some gardeners plant some new ones each year.
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 | The Parade
The parade of color in the Demonstration Garden begins in early Spring when liberal plantings of spring bulbs come into full bloom, as with these tulips and grape hyacinths marching along at their best in mid-April.
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 | Scarlet Tulips
No spring bulb we know produces brighter or more striking blooms than these scarlet specimens photographed in 2009.
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 | A Daffodil Border
One engaging new feature is this border along the south fence of daffodils representing all 13 descriptive divisions of the plant: Trumpet; Large-Cupped; Small-Cupped; Double; Triandrus; Cyclamineus; Jonquilla; Tazetta; Poeticus; Bulbocodium; Split-Cupped; and Miscellaneous; Species, Wild Variants, and Wild Hybrids. Photos illustrating each type can be found here.
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 | Coral Bark Japanese Maple
Newly added to the garden for the 2008 season is. Famed for its red bark, this Coral Bark Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku') will soon sprout finely cut light green leaves with reddish and pinkish tinges. In time the leaves turn medium green, then yellow and red in autumn. This striking tree can reach 25 feet tall with a 20-foot spread. It does well in full sun or partial shade but in hot climates definitely prefers afternoon shade.
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 | Lilium Citronella
This lemon-colored lily with dark brown spots is likely the heirloom Yellow Turk's Cap (Lilium citronella). Turk's Cap lilies are so called because of their recurved petals. An Asiatic lily, it grows in full sun or partial shade to 4 feet or taller with 20 or more blooms per stem. A bonus: the flowers are wonderfully fragrant.
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 | 'Royal Candles' Veronica
This virtually stunning little plant is 'Royal Candles' Veronica ('Veronica spicata x 'Royal Candles'), Perennial Plant Association's Plant of the Year in 2001. Sending forth a great many flower spikes of the richest blue from June to September, it grows into a mound 12-18 inches tall and as wide. It likes partial sun and moist soil. It does beautifully in the Ozarks and, as a bonus, responds beautifully to deadheading.
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 | Zinnias
We're not sure of the variety of these zinnias, but since they're about 3 feet tall we think they might be 'State Fair' or 'Benary Giant'. In any event, they're zinnias for sure, and colorful.
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 | 'Sunny Border Blue' Veronica
Deep-green foliage and violet-blue flower spikes make 'Sunny Border Blue' Veronica (Veronica spicata 'Sunny Border Blue') extra-attractive in the garden. With deadheading the plant will bloom all season long in sun or very light shade, reaching 24 inches tall by 18 inches wide in sun or partial shade. It's very effective at the front of the border and makes a superb mix with flowers in the yellow-to-orange spectrum, as with the Butterfly Weed in this photo.
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 | Compass Plant
One of our most wonderful and most abundant prairie wildflowers, Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum) can reach skyward to a height of 10 feet. The name comes from the fact that the large basal leaves stand upright with the edges aligned north and south. Though it looks like a sunflower, it belongs to a different family altogether. It thrives even in dry, rocky soils.
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 | Sea Holly
This marvelous, spikey, exquisitely pale-blue plant is Sea Holly (Eryngium planum), a long-lived perennial thistle that grows to 30 inches high with a nice, mounded habit that can send out offshoot clumps of flowers. A sunlover, it tolerates drought. It's also a superb pollinator and can attract more different species of wasps and bees at one time than any plant we've ever seen. A must for lovers of the unusual.
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 | Another View
Another view of the Sea Holly, showing a clump of flowers that appeared about two feet from the mother plant. Oh, and here's a tip: it's thorny, too.
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 | Pee Gee Hydrangea
PeeGee Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) is a beloved old-fashioned shrub that bears beautiful panicles of white flowers from midsummer to September. It requires pruning to maintain any preferred size, for if unrestrained it can grow as tall as 25 feet with a 16-foot spread. A deciduous plant, it comes in several varieties. This one, 'Tardiva', is especially appealing for its longer, more open flower clusters. |
 | A Pee Gee and a Buckeye
A closer look at the Pee Gee Hydrangea and a familiar (and favorite) visitor to Missouri gardens, the Buckeye Butterfly. Buckeyes have the peculiar habit of chasing after passing insects, then returning to their previous spot.
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 | 'Persian Jewels'
Many think 'Persian Jewels' Nigella damascena) the most beautiful of the hardy annuals for its delicate, feathery foliage and gemlike blossoms. Easy grown from seed, the plant is said to reach 18 inches tall, but we've seen specimens as tall as 30 inches. It likes full sun but does well in partial shade. Flowers come in shades of blue, rose, violet, and white.
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 | Brown-Eyed Susan
Many plants of the Rudbeckia species go by the name Brown-Eyed Susan. From the number of petals (13) on each bloom, we think this one is Rudbeckia fulgida, sometimes also called Orange Coneflower and Black-Eyed Susan. An enormously popular garden perennial that provides masses of brilliant golden color the summer long.
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 | Garlic Chives
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) grow more quickly than regular chives and have a delicious, mild garlic-onion flavor. The flowers are borne in pleasing clusters on stalks up to 30 inches tall, much taller than the leaves. A perennial, its clumps can be divided and it also reseeds prolifically. Tip: The flowers can be a lovely addition to bouquets and floral arrangements.
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 | Sapphire Sage
The rich, dark blue flowers of the Sapphire Sage (Salvia guarantica) are among the largest flowers to be found in the sage family. A perennial, the plant grows to 3 feet tall and blooms throughout the season, making it a wonderful specimen plant in any garden and highly effective in mass plantings as well. It attracts butterlies and hummingbirds and is good for cut flowers, too.
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 | Datura
One of the Demonstration Garden's showiest plants is Datura, whose trumpet-like pristine-white flowers can grow up to 8 inches wide. This shrubby perennial grows to 4 feet tall and. This plant is likely Datura stramonium, known commonly as jimson weed, a name it acquired after soldiers in Jamestown in 1676 ate a soup made from the leaves and were poisoned. Like all members of the nightshade family, Datura is poisonous, although it's reported that the plant is dangerous only if eaten in large quantities. Other common names are Sacred Datura and Sacred Thorn-Apple.
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 | Showy Goldenrod
One of Missouri's most beautiful wildflowers, Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) was the state flower until falsely blamed for causing hay fever. (The real culprit is Ragweed, which blooms at the same time.) A perennial prairie plant, it grows in full sun or part shade, blooming from August to October and attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Songbirds also feed on its seeds. Goldenrod has 67 species and several cultivated varieties. This plant is also known as Noble Goldenrod. |
 | Bush Red Fiesta Pepper
The Demonstration Garden grows vegetables, too, and these handsome plants are the ornamental pepper Capsicum annuum 'Fiesta'. Is it hot? We don't know. Want to try one?
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 | Okra
If you think these okra blossoms look like Hibiscus, you're right. Okra is Hibiscus esculentus in the Malvaceae, or Mallow family, which includes Cotton, Hollyhock, Hibiscus, and many other flowers. Native to Africa, Okra can do quite well in our hotter Ozarks summers. For culinary use, pods should be picked when 3-4 inches long. Let the good times roll! |
 | Fiery Sage
Fiery Sage, also known as Red Mountain Sage, is Salvia darcyi, one of the tallest perennial sages for the garden. It bears bright red flowers through summer and fall that hummingbirds love and can grow to 4 feet tall or more and 20 inches wide. |
 | Another Mystery
This engaging little plant with nicely rounded lavender blooms is another one we don't know but would certainly like to. It grows to about two feet tall with an open habit. If you have a clue, please let us know. |
 | A Pink Wonder
We can't identify this one yet, but it's certainly a wonder in this garden. If you know its name, please give us a clue. All we can tell you is that it stands almost 6 feet tall and is a delight.
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 | 'Lucky Yellow Lantana'
Blossoms of bright yellow and a neat, compact habit make the 'Lucky Yellow' Lantana (Lantana camarata 'Lucky Yellow') a cheery addition to any garden. Lantanas, which grow beautifully in the Ozarks, do well sun or part shade and can take dry soil. The "Lucky" series are considered dwarf lantanas. This one grows in a mound to about 15 inches high and as wide, making it perfect as edging for the border, or, for that matter, as a container plant. How can you lose?
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 | White Crape Myrtle
Just beginning to bloom on July 16 was this lovely white Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica). We're not sure, but it closely resembles the variety aptly named 'Coolly White'. Crape myrtles of all colors thrive and bloom profusely in the Ozarks. Some varieties grow to 7 feet tall, others tower to 20 feet. Easy to grow in most soils, they prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. |
 | Plumbago Leadwort
Plumbago Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) may have the most awkward name of all for a delicate-looking plant. Essentially a groundcover, it features sprinklings of pale blue flowers in late summer through fall amidst neat, attractive foliage. It can do well with as little as 2 hours of sun per day, spreads, and can grow to 18 inches tall. An excellent plant especially for perennial borders.
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 | 'Snow Hill' Meadow Sage
'Snow Hill' Meadow Sage (Salvia nemerosa 'Snow Hill') is a gardener's delight for its compact size and ease of care. The plant grows to 18 inches tall and 18 inches wide and bears dense spikes of white flowers from early summer on. (Removing spent flowers prolongs bloom.) It likes full sun and is most effective in the border among brighter colors and in mass plantings.
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 | 'Crimson Pygmy' Barberry
'Crimson Pygmy' Barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Crimson Pygmy') is a great answer for gardeners who need a good, small, slow-growing, hardy shrub to add year-'round color to the landscape. The plant does well in sun or partial shade. New growth is bright red and turns to a deep crimson-burgundy, and the plant bears small red berries in fall through winter. It grows to 2 feet tall with a 3-foot spread, and does well even in harsh exposures and poor soils.
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 | 'Little Kitten' Miscanthus
'Little Kitten' is a new variety of Dwarf Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis). It grows to only 15 inches tall with beautiful plumes up to 30 inches high in summer and fall, making it an ideal plant for small-space gardeners. Thanks to it's size, it's an excellent container plant, too.
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 | Red Twig Dogwood
Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) is a beautifully upright shrub that bears white blossoms in May and bright red berries in the fall. Its attractive red twigs and branches make it a colorful winner in the winter landscape.
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 | Ornamental Kale
This beautiful Ornamental Kale (Brassica oleracea italica) was in full color and a cheery note in the garden on December 2nd. Fun fact: If gradually acclimatized, this remarkable plant can survive temperatures down to 5 degrees.
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 | Reed Canary Grass
Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea var. 'Picta') is a variegated ornamental grass that bears showy white-to-pale-pink flowers in June and July. This one is just beginning to grow in early spring. An engaging addition to the landscape, it can reach 4 feet in height and spread 5 feet. It does well in full sun to part shade with at least medium watering.
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 | Variegated Canna
Variegated Cannas rank high among the most striking plants in the garden, and as you can see, they do beautifully in the Ozarks. This specimen, the variety Canna 'Bengal Tiger', is one of the most popular of all cannas for its beautiful variegated leaves and vivid orange summer blossoms. It likes rich soil and full sun and should be kept moist with timely deep waterings. Tip: This 'Tiger' will also grow in aquatic gardens.
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 | Golden Sword Yucca
Golden Sword Yucca (Yucca filamentosa 'Golden Sword') brings beautiful color and contrast to the garden with its rosettes of yellow-centered, spiky green leaves. Especially striking at the front of the perennial border, it's evergreen and forms clumps 3-4 feet tall and 5 feet wide. A "dry" plant that tolerates drought, with good drainage it will thrive in sun or partial shade. Bonus: When mature, it bears spires of fragrant white flowers in midsummer.
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 | Silver Feather Grass
Silver Feather Grass (Miscanthus sinsensis 'Silberfeder') is an elegant, slender ornamental grass named perfectly for its tall, beautiful blooms, which appear from August into November. Given medium moisture and well-drained soil, it does well in sun or partial shade, growing 4-6 feet tall and spreading to 4 feet. It's a winner in the garden or the landscape.
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 | Winter Grasses
The grasses can be even more dramatic in the dead of winter, as in this December photo of a flourishing Miscanthus.
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 | A 'Raspberry' Sage
Raspberry Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii 'Raspberry') is a dwarf perennial shrub native to Texas and Mexico that grows beautifully in the Ozarks. Ideal for dry garden areas, it can reach 4 feet tall with a similar spread and flowers from spring to fall. It does best in full sun and must have well-drained soil. Hardy to zone 7, it requires protection to make it through winter in the Ozarks. Its bright-raspberry flowers make it a standout in any garden.
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 | False Spirea
Astilbe (Astilbe spp.) is a deciduous shrub with beautiful, feathery flowers. Its hybrids come in many bloom colors and may vary in bloom time, leaf color, size, and shape. We think this remarkable dark burgundy variety may 'Key West' (Astilbe simplicifolia 'Key West'). Astilbes can do well in exposures ranging from full shade to full sun and moist soil, but soil must drain well. Many gardeners think it unparalleled for contributing marvelous color and texture to the shade garden. The plant is also known commonly as Feather Flower and False Spirea.
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 | Espaliered Apple Tree
"Espalier is the art of training trees to branch in formal patterns...." reads the legend on this beautiful espaliered apple. Developed in Medieval Europe hundreds of years ago, the technique shapes trees to take up less space and receive more light, resulting in better flowering, more colorful fruit, and higher fruit production. The picking's easier, too.
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 | A Pink Hyacinth
If it's edible-looking spring flowers you like, how about this sumptuous Pink Hyacinth? It's for looking only, though, as hyacinth blooms are toxic if eaten.
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 | Master Gardeners Plant Sale
The plants you see here are a tiny fraction of the plants you'll find at the Master Gardeners Plant Sale in April. We're not kidding--thousands of plants were sold at last year's sale. This is the Greene County Master Gardeners main fundraiser and it happens Saturday, April 24, in Nathanael Greene Park at 2400 S. Scenic in Springfield, Missouri. Starting at 7:30 a.m, it lasts till all the plants are gone.Our Advice: Arrive before 7:30 for the best choices.
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 | Red Hot Poker
The vivid red-orange-yellow flowers of Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia alcazar) do indeed resemble their namesake, or perhaps even a flaming torch. While redder
varieties often are called Red Hot Poker or Poker Plant, there also are more subtly colored Kniphofias such as Kniphofia uvaria maxima. Of South
African origin, the plants are perennial in most zones. They like full
sun and can take drought but prefer plentiful water in summer. Some
varieties reach 5 feet, and all do beautifully in the Ozarks.
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 | 'Pretoria' Canna Lily
Gardeners and garden designers love the 'Pretoria' Canna Lily (Canna americanallis var. variegata) for its beautiful variegated foliage and bold texture and the clearly tropical note it brings to the garden. This imposing plant can reach 7 feet in height with leaves as much as 2 feet long, and the bright orange blossoms appear in midsummer to fall. In the Ozarks, the plant may or may not winter over outdoors. To be sure of having it the next spring, smart gardeners dig up a piece of each plant after the first frost, let them dry out, then store them in a plastic bag in a cool, dark, dry place. Note: Common names for 'Pretoria' include Bengal, Bengal Tiger, and Spider Lily.
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 | Mexican Sage
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 | Golden Tansy
Golden Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold') is a perennial aromatic herb with distinctive yellow-green foliage and small yellow "button" flowers. It grows to 3 feet tall and unlike its cousin, the common tansy, spreads slowly rather than invasively. Gardeners love the brightness it brings to garden settings when set among darker-foliage plants.
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 | Variegated Snowflake Rose
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 | 'Missouri Memories' Daylily
'Missouri Memories' is a reblooming daylily whose pale-pink hues, violet eye, and extended bloom time have made it a favorite of many gardeners since its introduction in 1992. The blossoms are up to 6 inches wide on 24-inch scapes, or stems, and the foliage is evergreen. If you find one for sale, best act quickly, and this daylily tends to sell out very early in the season..
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 | A Spray of Crocus
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 | Tatarian Aster
Tatarian Aster (Aster tataricus) is a monster in the garden, but a beautiful monster. Indeed, it often draws double-takes for its height, which can reach all of 8 feet, and its elongated leaves can be as long as 2 feet. In the late fall it bears flower heads with a great abundance of beautiful lavender blossoms with yellow centers. The plant is named after Tatar, an enormous area of Mongolia and Siberia to which it's native. Naturally, the plant is cold-hardy. It is not, however, drought-tolerant and must have moist soil. As you see, butterflies love it. Note: In ideal growing conditions, it can be quite invasive and should be controlled by digging out spreading rhizomes.
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 | Perilla frutescens
Ready for a perfectly wonderful plant? Okay, Perilla (Perilla frutescens Atropurpurea) is a marvelous annual herb of great beauty, with frilly, very dark purple leaves. It grows 2-3 feet tall and a foot wide in sun or shade and bears lavender flowers in summer. It is widely grown throughout the world for its unique, spicy flavor and is recommended especially for Japanese dishes. In the garden it makes a terrific accent plant or a beautiful background for any smaller flowers. A big treat: It reseeds wildly wherever it grows, but is easily pulled out where not desired. One gardener we know loves it that Perillas pop out helter-skelter in his lawn, where he pulls some but lets many others continue to grow for what he considers a lovely, other-worldly effect. Perilla is also known commonly as Beefsteak Plant and Shiso.
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 | 'Twilight Bluebells' Baptisia
'Twilight Bluebells' Baptisia (Baptisia australis x 'Twilight Bluebells') and related varieties are more commonly known as False Blue Indigo. We think this plant may actually be 'Twilight Prairieblues', a lovely perennial plant that grows to 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide and bears early spring flowers and attractive seedpods in late summer. Whatever the name, it's a clearly a winner for beautiful blue color in garden beds and borders.
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 | 'Autumn Red' Daylily
'Autumn Red' is an excellent choice for the garden, a reblooming daylily that reaches 3 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide in sun to part shade and produces deep-red, gold-throated flowers about 5 inches across in June through August. A nice bonus: Its elegant, fountainlike foliage is also especially attractive.
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 | 'Fujino Pink' Spirea
'Fujino Pink' Thunberg Spirea (Spiraea thunbergii 'Fujino Pink') is an exceptionally beautiful deciduous shrub with delicate, yellow-green foliage and gracefully arching branches filled with white blossoms lightly tinged with pink. Blooming in early April, it does best in sun but also performs well in light shade. The plant grows to 5 feet tall and as wide, tolerates drought, and requires some pruning to look its best. Common names include Thunberg Spirea, Breath of Spring Spirea, and Bridlewreath Spirea.
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 | 'Ogon' Spirea
'Ogon' Spirea (Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon') is another exceptionally attractive shrub. In early April it produces, as you can see, an amazing profusion of white blossoms on graceful, arching stems. The foliage is pale yellow green, finely textured, and turns an eye-catching orange in autumn. The plant grows to 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It does best in full sun but performs well in light shade. It does require some pruning to look its best. Common names include Golden Thunberg's Spirea, Golden Bridlewreath Spirea, Willow Spirea. Note: 'Ogon' Spirea is a cultivar of 'Fujino Pink' Spirea (see above).
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 | Oxeye Daisy
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 | Pale Purple Coneflower
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 | 'Ramona' Clematis
'Ramona' Clematis (Clematis 'Ramona') is a climbing vine that can reach 12 feet in height with a 3-6-foot spread and produces large, 7-inch-diameter pale lavender flowers from May into September. It likes full sun to part shade. This clematis is simply excellent for walls, trellises, arbors, porches, and other structures, and in addition makes an superb ground cover. Hot tip: 'Ramona' can also be trained to grow over and through large shrubs, stumps, or, for that matter, virtually anything to provide unusually beautiful, and novel, effects.
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 | Purple Clematis
We couldn't find a label for this remarkable clematis but decided to include it anyway because, well, we can't imagine anything more purple. (We'll find out the variety and post it as soon as possible. Honest. We will. We really will.)
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 | A Good Place to Relax
This pergola and bench make up a beautiful spot to relax and cool off while touring the garden. Facing the pergola is another most useful exhibit in the Demonstration Garden. a small herb garden.
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 | 'Red Fox' Veronica
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 | 'Emerald Gaity' Euonymus
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 | Sunset Hyssop
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 | Japanese Silver Grass
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 | 'Robert Poole' Garden Phlox
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 | 'Robert Poole' Up Close
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