KY Garden Flowers - Festuca to Fuchsia

Felicia amelloides - Blue Daisy

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
light blue	12"- 24"	spring, fall	few	bedding, containers, edging	seed

Performance - Blue daisy is an uncommon annual garden flower used for containers and hanging baskets in Kentucky gardens. Even though the blue flowers are a big draw, blue daisy is a cool season plant and may not perform well for the whole Kentucky summer.

Comments - The long hot summer of Kentucky is the biggest problem for this plant. Be sure the plants are not over-watered during the hot summer conditions.

Varieties – ‘Astrid Thomas’, ‘Santa Anita’, ‘Spring Merchen’.

Festuca cinerea - Blue Fescue

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
brown, not important	6"- 18"	spring	few	mass, edging	division, seed

Performance - Blue fescue is a relatively reliable perennial ornamental grass for Kentucky gardens. Plant in well drained garden soils in a full sun garden for best performance.

Comments - The long hot summer of Kentucky is the biggest problem for these cool season grasses. Be sure the plants are not overwatered during the hot summer conditions.

Varieties - 'April Green', 'Blue Silver', 'Elijah Blue', 'Platinum', 'Superba'. Blue fescue is also called Festuca ovina 'Glauca'.

Filipendula ulmaria - Queen-of-the-Meadow

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
white	36"- 60"	mid-summer	mildew	border	division and seed

Performance - Filipendula is a striking, generally reliable perennial in Kentucky. It should be planted in moist soil in partial shade. Performs best in cooler climates, but will grow well in hotter climates if adequate shade and moisture are provided.

Comments - This species may self sow. The plants have a large root system so a knife is needed to cut through the thick roots during division. Related species have pink flowers.

Varieties – 'Aurea', 'Flore Pleno', 'Variegata'

Foeniculum vulgare - Fennel

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
greenish-yellow	36"- 60"	summer	few	massing, filling voids	seeds

Performance - Fennel is a reliable perennial in Kentucky, it self-sows readily and may be invasive. It grows best in full sun in moist soil. Fennel does not perform well in heavy clay loams. Fennel may need fertilizer to maintain plant vigor.

Comments - The flowers should be removed before seed set to avoid self seeding. Fennel is often grown for the leaves, stems and seeds which are used for cooking. The taste is similar to that of anise and licorice. The foliage resembles dill. If collecting seeds, it may be practical to cover flowers with a bag to catch the seeds.

Fuchsia x hybrida - Fuchsia, Lady's Eardrops

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
pink, lavender, red, white	24"-40"	spring, summer	whitefly, stem rot	hanging baskets, containers	cuttings

Performance - Fuchsia is a very common plant used in hanging baskets or grown as a container plant. It is a cool season plant used as an annual in Kentucky gardens. Fuchsia should be kept moist, but not wet and in indirect light, not full sun. To create a bushy blooming plant, pinch back frequently and fertilize often.

Comments - This plant can survive over winter by storing it in the winter at 40^o F. While in storage, water once a month and then in February cut back to the woody sections. This will promote new herbaceous growth and induce branching.

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