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What’s Blooming Now - June 5, 2009
One of the glories of June at White River Gardens is the Virginia Fairbanks Sun Garden. Altough the wild blue indigo is almost finished, the lance-leaf coreopsis and spiderwort are in full bloom. The first purple coneflower has appeared, with Liatris and the white spires of Culver’s root to follow. The annuals are all in the ground, but this wet, cold weather is slowing things down. All the more reason to appreciate the roses and ornamental onions.
Up and Coming
 Three vines are starting to show off. Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris) has been in the Gardens since 1999 but had never done much. This is a very slow-growing vine even in the best of times and it just didn’t like  clinging to the brick wall. It has now been re-directed to go up wooden posts. It’s clinging and climbing more enthusiastically now and has produced several large clusters of flowers. These are typical white hydrangea flowers, with small, seed-producing flowers in the center and large, sterile flowers on the outer edge of the cluster. This vine will grow in sun or shade but is best on a north or east wall. It is hardy to zone 4. One of the best vines, if you have patience. You’ll find it in the Ornamental Allee.
 You’ll find a little sweetness in the Metaphor garden with candy corn vine. This annual vine (Manettia luteorubra) produces small red flowers tipped with yellow. It is a twiner - grow it on a trellis so it can go up and up. It flowers best when allowed to climb and prefers hot weather.
 You may have to hunt for the flowers on this one! New to the Hilbert Conservatory is Bengal trumpet (Thunbergia grandiflora). Also called sky flower, this tropical vine has large sky-blue flowers. It’s growing up a support on the south wall of the Conservatory, near the butterfly hatching chamber. You may have to take a stroll up to the mezzanine to find the flowers. This is a fast climber but it must come in for the winter. Probably not a good selection for your yard – just come and enjoy ours!
Mary Welch-Keesey
Consumer Horticulture Specialist
Purdue University
Dick Crum Resource Center
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