Annual Plants for a Garden of Love

By February, most of us are looking forward to the gardening season. Our plant catalogues are dog-eared and worn; lists of plants and seeds are being finalized, and we are anticipating a new garden season. February also happens to include the most romantic day of the year, St. Valentine’s Day. So why not consider adding a few plants that will extend romance into your garden this spring and summer! There are several annuals that conjure love and romance just by their names: love-in-a-mist, kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate, and perhaps for the not so lucky in love: love-lies-bleeding. All have been popular garden plants for more than 200 years, and the romantic symbolism given to them originated in the Victorian era, when many plant names were imbued with meaning. They are all easily grown from seed and are beautiful as cut or dried flowers.

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena), a native of southern Europe and northern Africa, has been grown in gardens in North America since the 1800s. The flowers symbolize mystery, love, and complex relationships. A member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), it blooms in late spring to summer. The flower blossoms grow on delicate stems 18–24 inches high. Leaves are light green, thin, and lacy, as are the modified leaves (bracts) that form the "mist" surrounding the flowers. When flowering is finished, showy, balloon-like seed pods form, which can be used in dried flower arrangements or harvested for seeds. Love-in-a-mist does best in full sun and well-drained soil, and seeds can be direct sown. Sow seeds where you want the plants to grow, as they have a long taproot; they do not transplant well. It is frost-tolerant but dislikes the heat. Love-in-a-mist is great as a border plant, as filler in a perennial bed, or grown in a container. Established plants are fairly drought-tolerant. There are a number of varieties, including: 'Miss Jekyll', deep blue; 'Midnight', a dark blue; 'Miss Jekyll Alba', white; 'Mulberry Rose', deep pink; and several seed mixes with multiple colors.

Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Persicaria orientalis) is another "lovely" annual and is said to symbolize romance. When planted near a fence, the long nodding branches of the flowers appear to be leaning over the fence, as if looking to be kissed. Native to Russia and northern and eastern Australia, kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate grows as a bushy plant 3–4 feet tall with long, branching stems. Along the stems, fragrant, bright pink flowers grow on 3–6-inch drooping clusters. Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate attracts pollinators, including hummingbirds. Growing conditions include full sun to part shade, moist soil, and spacing 12–18 inches apart. It is tolerant of clay soils. To use kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate as a cut or dried flower, harvest the stems when about half of the flowers are open and in the coolest part of the day to avoid wilting. The tall plants are affected by wind, so stake them or plant them where they are protected from high winds.

Lastly, love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus) may represent those instances when we aren’t quite so “lucky in love”. Amaranths have characteristic, long flower spikes, and those of love-lies-bleeding are especially eye-catching in the garden. Dangling spikes of bright red flowers, 12–24 inches long, brighten the garden from July until frost. These flower spikes, looking somewhat like dripping blood, were said to symbolize hopeless love. Even the genus name Amaranthus is from the Greek meaning "un-fading." The flower spikes may be cut and dried for arrangements or to enable harvesting the edible seeds. Known for centuries as a grain, and native to Central and South America, love-lies-bleeding seeds were an important staple of the Incas and Aztecs. Left in the garden, the seeds will provide food for birds through the winter. To grow love-lies-bleeding, direct sow after the last frost. It requires full sun to part shade, well-drained, moist soil, and is drought-tolerant. Reaching 2–4 feet tall, once flower spikes form, most plants will require staking. Many cultivars have been developed in a variety of colors from shades of reds to a bright green cultivar 'Veridis', as well as cultivars with more upright growth, such as 'Spikes' and 'Opopeo', and a short variety 'Ponytails'. 'Spikes', 'Opopeo', and 'Ponytails' would be acceptable to grow in a container; the drooping forms are lovely in a hanging basket.

So, if you are looking for romance this garden season, perhaps you will love adding one or all of these plants to your garden.