MySecretGarden

U.S.A., Washington State. USDA zone 8b. Sunset climate zone 5

Life Without Foxgloves

Foxgloves rule in my garden in June and July. You can see what I mean:

I published a lot of pictures showing foxgloves in their glory. But, those times are gone. The August garden has new stars - Joe Pye weed, perennial phlox, Russian sage, etc. The following pictures show foxgloves at the end of July when they passed their peak, had seeded and were pulled out.
Foxgloves are very important plants in my garden. I love them not only for their look, bold and beautiful, but also for the easiness of growing them. Honestly saying, I actually don't grow them. They grow on their own. I just pluck the plants that pop up in wrong locations. They are disease-  and pest-free, drought- and deer-resistent. 
They grow in all my gardens - terrace garden of perennials and vegetables, kitchen garden, front garden, etc.
They thrive in soil which was enriched with compost and in poor sandy soil which has never been improved. They grow in full or part sun. I don't see any difference in the plants' height, vigor and appearance.
By the beginning of August, many foxgloves bend and fall.
Since they have shallow roots, they might fall on their own, especially after rains and strong winds. 
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These flower stalks could stay longer, but were knocked down by heavy rain.
I used them for my last foxglove bouquets:
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 Foxgloves in my garden are always tall, but this year they were taller than ever: 8 feet (240 cm) and higher.
I usually start removing the foxgloves from the garden when the only flowers left are those on the very top:
I felt almost sad pulling them when some of them still had blooms.
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I take out some plants and leave some others which still have side stalks with flowers, like the one in the picture below:
New plants are already growing. Since foxgloves are biannual, these new plants will bloom next year. Actually, I am pulling a lot of foxglove seedlings now, especially those which grow on the garden paths.
Some of you wrote in your comments how difficult it is to grow foxgloves in your area. Would you hate me if I showed this? The new plants:
Guess who was saddened the most by the foxgloves disappearing? The bees and bumblebees! They were checking the flowers even on the plants in the blue waste can:
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The last to go were the white plants.
 I would like to have more white foxgloves. So far, the pink and purple colors are prevailing.
 White foxgloves look good together with white verbascum, daisies and dahlias.
 I didn't collect any foxglove seeds this year. I am sure they'll come back next year. They always do.
Bye-bye Foxglove!
Previous posts about foxgloves can be found usind a label Foxgloves on the bottom of the page.
This foxglove picture from 2009 is one of my favorites.

***Copyright 2011 TatyanaS

31 comments:

  1. Oooh..., Tatyana your foxgloves are so incredible beautiful and you have so many of them! I really enjoyed looking at your photos! I love them all, but the white ones seem so special to me. Yes, I have to admit I envy you about them - badly! They really do seem to love your garden. Here in inland San Diego, I think, I can't grow them, at least I haven't seen any in my neighborhood, I guess it is simply too hot and dry :-(.
    It would be such a blessing to have these tall spiky accent plants in my garden, too...
    Christina

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  2. I love Foxgloves and am one of those people who has trouble getting them established. I had one bloom this year and found many seedlings for next year so I have high hopes for next spring :)

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  3. They are amazing!!! Beautiful in so many ways.

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  4. Such beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing.

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  5. They look so good in your garden - they say Summer.

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  6. Our foxgloves pop up everywhere. I particularly like the white ones which seem to light up shady corners. By the look of all the seedlings I don't think you're every going to be without them, Tatyana.

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  7. I can't grow them. I've tried and tried. I always hear how easy they are. This year, I had 3 come up--they weren't even 6 inches tall. I have NO idea what the problem is.
    At least I get to enjoy YOURS--beautiful photos, thanks for sharing.

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  8. Hi Tanya,

    I'm loving your Foxgloves, here they grow easily and often not where I actually want them to grow! hahaha - that's always the way, isn't it?

    A couple of days ago; after some much needed rain I pulled up a lot of seedlings that are growing in my bark tier and planted them in the borders, I am sure more will pop up that I can place too.
    I also hope to have some whites/creams next year as I've sown seeds :)

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  9. Hi again, sorry if I said Tanya and not Tatyana!

    I've only just woken and obviously not quite with it yet! *blush*

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  10. Beautiful, Tanya !
    Even the compost bin looks amazing . I love foxgloves soooo much. Mine are gone for now ... I must wait the next summer ...
    Thank you for sharing - it was great to see those photos in the morning.

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  11. Tatyana,

    They are just stunning. I have never seen so many foxgloves in one place. I have Grandiflora which is a perennial foxglove but it sure looks nothing like yours. It is spindly and not very tall.

    Eileen

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  12. Happily I too have been fortunate with Foxgloves in the garden. They self-seed like mad. I grew yellow ones this year, it will be interesting to see if any yellow self-sowns result.

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  13. I love foxgloves too and mine are slowly increasing. I cant believe you have them growing to 8ft. Mine were quite short this year as it was so very dry

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  14. WOWOWOWOW! You have showcased them beautifully. I swear our gardens are quite similar regarding the foxglove. They were everywhere this year (garden path prolific) and tall, I've never seen them so tall (bamboo tall). The pinks are done and not looking so pretty but the white is in a shade spot and just started flowering, there are 2 actually, a white and off white/yellow. I will be spreading those seeds but not the pink, they do that on their own.
    Again you have captured them wonderfully.

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  15. I wonder if foxgloves would do well on our 'difficult' soil.... I'll just have to try it I guess! We have a bit of a shaded garden but you say these beauties don't mind abut some shade.... I'll have to look for some seed! So strange I never saw seed from these anywhere actually....
    Thanks for this post, I'm totally inspired and convinced to try and grow foxgloves now.
    Bye,
    Marian

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  16. Foxgloves are something every garden needs, but they don't grow here. :( Enjoyed seeing yours, though. Absolutely gorgeous!

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  17. Your foxgloves and photos of them in the garden are gorgeous! I tried growing foxgloves this past year. They were rather short and sad in my terrible North Carolina clay. Maybe after some more amending..

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  18. Apparently Foxgloves love your soil! I must try again, a little more shade and less water..hmm

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  19. And they grow where the Summer is much cooler than yours. Fantastic pictures of the Foxgloves Tatyana, I have to say I also prefer the white ones.

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  20. I couldn't help smiling when I saw the trash can bouquet. Sad to see so many fallen flowers though.

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  21. How can I forget the foxgloves in Tatyana's garden.

    I honestly think they are more successful over at your place than I've seen anywhere. Stunning.

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  22. They are beautiful. I love the art you have in your garden...the ball, vase with the foxgloves! That is so pretty and unusual.

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  23. I have a dream of growing all white foxgloves along a woodland path. But first I must greatly improve the shallow soil in my woodland garden. Yes, I am quite jealous of you with your happily self-seeding foxgloves!

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  24. Wow...Your Foxgloves are so tall! Mine are shorter. Love how you have them all over!

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  25. You gotta love a plant that practically grows itself with little or no intervention from the gardener. Your foxgloves are lovely. It's sad to see them go.

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  26. You are so lucky to have them volunteer everywhere Tatyana! They're gorgeous. I'd love to be able to pull them out in the numbers you do. So incredible to all of us foxglove lovers who have trouble getting them to thrive.

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  27. Hi Tanya, Love your foxgloves. Foxgloves (and lupines, echinacea and daylilies) are my favorites! I want to get a large drift of them established. I hope the ones I planted this year will bloom again next year and re-seed themselves. Time will tell. I do have ONE that is still blooming beautifully.
    Beth

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  28. Tatyana, your foxgloves are beyond beautiful! I've never seen such tall ones. I wish ours would reseed so much, I smiled when you showed how much yours do. I have been carefully moving around some babies so I can hopefully, next year have even more.

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  29. Foxgloves are one of my favorite bloomers. And yours are absolutely beautiful! I only have a few in a shaded corner of my garden, and they do not get as tall as yours. It is strange, but even bunched up in the garbage can they are still stunning.

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  30. Tatyana, I honestly don't think I've ever seen so many foxgloves in one garden. Incredible! The only ones here are the few rogues that volunteered themselves this year. I was fun to have them around, as they demanded absolutely no care from me at all!

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  31. Foxgloves require too much water to try to grow in the high desert. Your photos are stunning, especially the ones with the water droplets. I'll enjoy them vicariously on your blog.

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