We lean heavy on our own collections of rare and unusual plant life for planting in our gardens , but we blithely make exceptions for awful workhorse such as ‘ Amethyst Falls ’ ornamental oregano . We had no hesitation in giving pride of position to this perennial above a rock’n’roll face at the intersection of our crack and wry garden .
‘ Amethyst Falls ’ was choose by Bluebird Wholesale Nursery in Nebraska from seminal fluid given by Denver plantsman extraordinaire Panayoti Kelaidis . This evidently is the ware of happy bees in the Kelaidis garden , as it embody all the best of intercrossed vigor — tough , hearty , and floriferous
Our four - year - one-time flora has stem up to 12 inches tall , which bend under the weight of the many flowers so that while it is 30 inch across , it does n’t really outperform 7 inch tall . The lavender - garden pink ( OK , amethyst ) flower extend from the ranks of overlap greenish - turning - pinkish bracts , resemble the flowers on record hop ( Humulusspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) or on hornbeam ( Carpinusspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–8 ) . On our plant , the core of the flowers is heightened by the precipitous downhill drop , which make it look indeed like an amethyst waterfall .
What else does this essentially Mediterranean plant have going for it beyond the flowers ? There ’s the powerfully scented leaf , which in climates with summertime hot than ours can volatilize aromatic oils that scent the air . While we miss out on that in our location , we do revalue the deer- and rabbit - proof qualities these same petroleum impart . But the summertime prime , which go on for months , are rarely without appreciative bees and other eager pollinators .
‘ Amethyst Falls ’ is drought tolerant and happy with infrequent watering . However , it does not do well in the humid Southeast . Annual maintenance take roughly the metre it has taken to compose and compose this conviction , as it is just a simple cutting back of the pass stems in winter when the dry out flowers have lose their allure . This plant postulate very little fertilizer , if any , but it relishes a layer of round or chip off gravel mulch or fresh sand at planting prison term . you may see why we are partial of this plant !
This decorative winter sweet is an idealistic prospect for a Mediterranean garden or for any rock , gravel , dry , or hellstrip setting if break full sun . If only it had culinary chops , so that we could apply it in salsa di pomodora or salsa roja — that would possibly make it the perfect flora .
‘Amethyst Falls’ ornamental oregano
Origanum‘Amethyst Falls’
Zones:5–9
Conditions : Full sun ; thin , gravelly , well - run out dirt
aboriginal compass : Mediterranean , southwest Asia
Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken grow some of the coolest works on the planet at Far Reaches Farm Nursery and Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy in Port Townsend , Washington .
picture : good manners of Far Reaches Farm
Illustration : Elara Tanguy
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