 | A Guide to the Garden
One outstanding feature in the Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden is this kiosk with very clear photos and info on virtually every plant therein. The garden is near the entrance to Close Memorial Park at 2400 S. Scenic in Springfield, Missouri.
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 | Rebirth
In 2008 it was on March 12th that we found these Iris Reticulata emerging from a blanket of dead leaves of Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina). One of our earliest spring-blooming bulbs, these dwarf iris do well in sun or partial shade. They grow to 4-6 inches tall and naturalize beautifully in the Ozarks. Because its bulblets sometimes take years to mature, some gardeners plant a few new ones each year.
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 | Coral Bark Japanese Maple
Newly added to the garden for the 2008 season is this Coral Bark Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku'). Famed for its red bark, the tree 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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 | New Daffodils
Another addition for the 2008 season is this brand new daffodil border along the garden's south fence. Master Gardeners have planted daffodils here 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. Note: Photo examples of each type can be found here.
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 | Lilium Citronella
This lemon-colored lily with dark brown spots appears to be the heirloom lily, Yellow Turk's Cap (Lilium citronella). Turk's Cap lilies are so called because of their recurved petals. An Asiatic lily, this particular plant grows in full sun or partial shade to 4 feet or taller with 20 or more blooms per stem. A bonus: the flowers are exceptionally fragrant. |
 | '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 they're about 3 feet tall so we suspect they may be 'State Fair' or 'Benary Giant'. In any case, they're zinnias, and they're colorful. |
 | 'Sunny Border Blue' Veronica
Deep-green foliage and violet-blue flower spikes make 'Sunny Border Blue' Veronica (Veronica spicata 'Sunny Border Blue') especially engaging in the garden. If deadheaded regularly, the plant blooms all season long in sun or very light shade. It likes well-drained soil and grows to 24 inches tall by 18 inches wide. It's very effective planted at the front of the border and works best when mixed with flowers in the yellow-to-orange range of colors, 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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 | 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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 | 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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 | 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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