Agastache Color Spires In My Garden

Come down here where the bees be.

Color Spires Agastache by Proven Winners is another bee, butterfly, and hummingbird treat. These are very long blooming perennials. 

Cherry Million Bells love to dance along with the Color Spires. 

It is also known as Hyssop. There are quite a  few varieties of Proven Winners Agastaches. I think mine are Pink or Orchid. I’ve had both and plan on getting many more. They aren’t picky about soil conditions. It must grow in full sun to have an abundance of flowers.

The pictures above are from my garden and the ones below are from the Proven Winners site. 

Acapulco™ Orange
Agastache mexicana 
Mexican Giant Hyssop    Hardy to -20   No deadheading

Acapulco™ Salmon & Pink
Agastache mexicana 
Mexican Giant Hyssop

Below is the information on Salmon & Pink  but care of all Agastaches are basically the same. Growing heights are not all the same. Please visit the provenwinners.com site to get more details and pictures. 

 

 

 

Plant Details Growing Tips
Deadheading should not be necessary, you can trim back old flower stems if you feel they are unsightly. 

Exposure
Plant in sun or partial shade

Height
14-20″

Spacing
6-8″

Hardy Temp
-20°F (-29°C)

Uses
Use in mixed patio containers, window boxes, and landscapes

Features
Excellent heat tolerance; blooms all season; lemon-scented leaves

Chicks On A Cat’s Back

Some planters are favorites and this is certainly one of mine. She’s been everywhere. Some times she’s just sitting by my side door and past years she was inside another container arrangement. She’s a happy little thing and seems quite content to carry chicks around on her back. 

She got her tail broke once and I did a real good job of reattaching it. She’s complained every since that I put on tails about as good as a two year old coloring inside the lines. But, she says she would rather have some tail than none at all. She is home to the chicks that turn a nice deep purple on the tops this time of year. I love the lime green and deep redish purple combination. Looks good with her soft peach coat. 

 

I need to clean up the chicks a bit. Some years, clover gets in here and is a pain to pick out. I use my long tweezers to keep from getting pecked to death. There are in the family Sempervivums. It’s about the only thing that will grow in this container. There isn’t enough soil in the belly of the cat to nourish any showy annuals. I had Thyme in there once and it did pretty good. The plants above have done well for 4 years in the kitty. This may be the year I have to take a few and start the family over. 

Here is what a hen looks like when its all puffed up during peak season. In winter, they get skinny. 

Then the sun set and the hens took their chicks to bed.