Dedekam Ornamental Terrace Garden

The Smoke bush plant found in the purple band of the rainbow is normally an upright, loose-spreading deciduous shrub that matures to 10’ – 15’ tall.  The shrubs in the Dedekam Garden are maintained at 3’-4’ tall by pruning every winter.  This plant gets its name from the billowy hairs attached to spent flowers that turn a smoky pinkish color in the summer.  These plants, because of the annual pruning, don’t exhibit the smoking, but are particularly outstanding in the fall when the stunningly dark purple leaves seem to glow.

Growing Conditions: average, medium moisture, well=drained soil, full sun 

Found in the blue band, this low growing relative of the Colorado blue spruce is an outstanding silver-blue, low growing plant.  Even though the Dedekam Garden is far from the Colorado climate one would expect this spruce to be happy in, these slow growing, mounding plants have flourished and provide a good structural element.

Growing Conditions:  most soils, full sun:

Sea Holly features prickly, teasel shaped flowers of steel blue that are a favorite for cutting or drying.  The steel blue color also infuses its stems and upper leaves.  These versatile plants are found in the blue band of the Dedekam Garden and bloom throughout the summer. They are perfect for well-drained, sunny borders but also do well in pots.

Growing Conditions:  full sun, low water, dry soil   

Found in the white band, this perennial is a wonderful, bold architectural plant.  Plants form evergreen silvery grey wooly leaves their first year then send up candelabra like spires of soft yellow flowers.   Native to the mountains of Greece, the Giant Silver Mullein is an extremely tough, drought tolerant plant.   As a bonus, it self-sows and is deer resistant.

Growing Conditions:  full sun, tolerates poor soil, low-average water