Catalog V

VALERIANA officinalis (Garden Heliotrope). 3-4'. Very fragrant, white flowers. Self sows when established. Zone 4.

VERBASCUM (Mullein). Phoenicium (48") comes in a range of bright colored flowers on felted gray-green spikes. Weve become disenchanted with the short, Zone 5, Jackie. It has luscious apricot blooms, but it seems often to develop a rather ugly rust on its leaves. Many of you have bought it. Please tell us what your experience has been. Our favorite is still the white flowered chaixii we grew from seed, and weve finally been able to propagate it. We also have a yellow chaixii, and a few of the giant woolly olympicumyellow, too. Mulleins are great plants for dry, tough locations. Z3.

VERBENA bonariensis. Most verbenas are annuals in our climate. This one, which has many 1" vivid purple flower heads above spare, strong 4 ft. stems, sometimes overwinters and always self-sows. It is an incredibly lovely companion to ornamental grasses, and would complement Perovskia (Russian Sage) in any mixed planting.

VERNONIA noveboracensis (New York Ironweed). To 7 ft.

Native wetland plant looks like a huge purple aster. Fasciculata gives 3 ft. stems of violet flowers in August. Both species hardy to Zone 3.

VERONICA (Speedwell). The bushy veronicas are among the most useful>

Crater Lake Blue. 15-20" Masses of brilliant gentian blue

at Tall Bearded Iris time. But, its bloom period is short and

then it flops. Cut back hard in late June.

 gentianoides and g. Variegata. Lovely 12-15" species with     light blue gentian-like flowers.

Icicle. 18-24". White, obviously, with many strong flower

spikes, moderately glossy leaves. Periodic deadheading

insures bloom from June until frost.

oltensis. 1" rock garden species from Turkey. Lacy foliage,

deep blue flowers in summer. Slow-growing. Z4.

peduncularis Georgia Blue. True blue flowers on low spreading bushes to 12. Collected in former Soviet Georgia.

Sunny Border Blue. 24". Dark blue spikes on compact,

glossy leafed plants. Very sturdy, long-blooming but needs

fairly frequent division to look its best.  Best blue for sun,

former PPA Plant of the Year.

Trehane.6-12". Outstanding gold-green foliage mat, short

deep blue flower spikes.

Waterperry. 4-6". Dense creeper. Best ground cover

veronica in our experience, for sun or part shade. Large

sky-blue flowers, shiny foliage that develops pleasing

bronzy Fall tints.

VERONICASTRUM virginicum (3-4'). Summer-blooming native plant for sun or part shade. White flower spikes make a good cut flower. Zones 4-9.

VINCA minor (Periwinkle, Myrtle). Glossy leafed ground-cover with (usually) showy blue flowers in Spring. 1" dark green leaves are nearly evergreen; one of the three classic groundcovers. Tolerates dry shade or sun. Zone 4.

VIOLA (Violet, Viola, Pansy, Johnny-Jump-Up) This tribe seeds easily and interbreeds. Even annuals will often come back . Most will die back or look wretched in summer sun; keep them in shade for extended bloom. We like the violets best and use them as groundcover in the woods. We carry both named and unnamed varieties in blue, red, white, and yellow. Also our local white-with-blue-eye, and Labrador Violet, which has burgundy leaves and blue flowers. Viola pedata (Birdsfoot Violet) has deeply cut foliage and large blue flowers. Rebeccas lightly scented white flowers are edged irregularly with deep violet. Johnny-jump-ups (miniature pansies) abound. We dig these on demand.

VITALIANA primuliflora is a European alpine. Carpets of small gray-green leaves carry fragrant yellow flowers.