I think that one of the honest thing about gardening is that when I am weeding or planting or pruning , I worry a great deal less about losing my mind . The seed of insanity , or at least confusedness seem to lurk indoors-—in the stuffed - full file underdrawers , the paper - strewn desk , and the Everest - like laundry pile . If I do not get out into the garden for at least a few second every day , those come tend to take ascendent and the green shoot of pandemonium quickly institute themselves in my mind .
I was restoring my sanity in the garden a couple of calendar week ago , when I notice the green santolina ( Santolina virens ) that Iplanted last summertime in one of my sunny back beds . It was flourish at a time when more timid plants were just beginning to horn in tentative shoot out of the ground .
Santolina , sometimes know as lavender cotton , is an old - fashioned herb , aboriginal to the Mediterranean . It has been used in American gardens since colonial days , and was apprize in Europe long before that . Many of the one-time herbals tout its holding as a “ vermifuge ” . Fascinated by the word , I turned to the lexicon and found that a anthelmintic is a concoction taken internally to expel parasitic worm . It is reasonable to think that it is not used much any longer for this purpose .
Fortunately for the continued popularity of santolina , the plant has numerous other sterling timber . For one affair , the finely dissected gray leaves of Santolina chamaecyparissus ( the most common variety that is commercially available ) , and thegreen leaves of Santolina virensare pleasantly aromatic . you may put them in your linen paper closet or sweater draftsman and rest secure in the knowledge that moth recover the odor unappealing . One of the santolina species , Santolina ericoides , has been hybridized to raise a cultivar called ‘ Lemon Queen ” , that has citrus - scented leafage .
As we all know , sense expert is a definite plus in social situations , but looking salutary is usually what it ’s all about . Santolina has attractive yellow clitoris - influence flowers that contribute nicely to arrangements and can be cooked into a brilliant yellow dye . In mygarden last summer , the green santolina develop as if it had been treat with steroid , bloom gorgeously , and responded to a mid - summer shearing by doubling in size . I might add , that even at the height of the drought , it receive no supplementary water system . I cognize now that santolina treat those conditions as a challenge .
There seem to be santolinas for a host of dissimilar situations . All of them call for a sunny web site with reasonably full drainage . Gray santolina ( Santolina chamaecyparissus ) ofttimes find its way into knotgardens as an edging plant . Growing to a height of about 2 ’ , it is well sheared to whatever size of it fits your requirements .
If you are not ambitious enough to start a naut mi garden , gray santolina also is a good low hedging . For edging , there are gnome cultivars such as the gray leafed Santolina chamaecyparissus ‘ Nana ’ , or the green leafed Santolina ericoides .
If topiary is one of your passion , you’re able to incur rosemary leafed santolina ( Santolina rosmarinifolia ) . The needle - like leaves of thisplant make a tight conformation when pot , trained and clip .
The genus Santolina in my garden is already showing sign that it intends to take over the small bed where it currently resides . To keep myself and the plant happy , I will transfer it to a new sunny bottom , where it will doubtlessly go about its vigorous ways with no attention from me .
you may get genus Santolina in little hatful from many local greenhouse andgarden centers . For a large selection of cultivars , try Companion Plants , 7247 N. Coolville Ridge Road , Athens , OH 45701 ; tel . 740/592 - 4643 ; or get at the website at companionplants.com .
It is n’t lavender and it is n’t cotton wool , but lavender cotton is a flora that reek good , look unspoiled and necessitate focus off the gardener . It beat therapy .
