Patriotic planting

Add drama to your July garden

IF YOU ARE LOOKING to add a little drama to your summer garden, consider planting a few red hot poker plants. The dramatic and often two-toned flowers resemble bright, colorful bottle brushes and are often called torch lilies. They make a strong mid-border perennial.

Red hot poker plants need full sun. While they tolerate poor soils, they bloom best in rich but well-drained soils. They will slowly decline if planted in wet or heavy soils. This is a low maintenance perennial, but you need to mulch the crown in winter to protect it from moisture. Once established, it is best to leave the planting undisturbed—so choose your location wisely. 

Perfect for July, Rockets’ Red Glare is a new beautiful hybrid from Proven Winners. It has bright red flowers at the tips and white to cream flowers at the base of the bloom. It can be 3 feet tall when blooming. The flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. 

To keep your red hot poker plants blooming as long as possible, quickly remove any spent flowers and water plants in the summer if the weather gets dry. Red hot pokers are available in a variety of colors, from red to orange, and yellow and white. You can plant just one to make a nice statement in the garden, but they also look amazing when planted in groups of three or more. 

SHELLY NOLD is a horticulturist and owner of The Plant Kingdom. Send stories and ideas to her at The Plant Kingdom, 1000 E Market St., Louisville, KY 40206.