In the evenings, I gaze out the window and absentmindedly flip through gardening magazines. [Makes t.v. time loads more bearable.] Shining back at me, last night, was the nearly full, Super Moon. That one that everybody's yapping about. Extra big, extra bright, all set to smile upon us, come sundown, Saturday night.
Whatcha doin' to celebrate the biggest moon in 18 years?
Me? Not much. I jumped the gun. Earlier this week, I planted the first of the spring flower seeds, pretty new perennials to spruce up the ugly half of my backyard. Among them, this dainty darling, Mrs. Moon.
And, I guess I should have waited. Because according to lunar legend...
Plants respond to the same gravitational pull of tides that affect the oceans. Just as the moon pulls the tides in the oceans, it also pulls the subtle bodies of water. Tests have proven seeds will absorb the most water at the time of the full moon - and germinate faster during this time in the lunar cycle.
So, anyhoo, back to the baby moons -- Do you grow this perennial? She's a goodie for mountain gardens, flourishing in our wet clay soil during springtime. Dormant later in summer, when things are dry as a bone.
And, just like the big cheese up above, Mrs. Moon has phases, too. She starts out blooming pink, morphing to pretty shades of purple and blue.
Around here, she's the hardiest of the bunch, but if you garden in a normal environment there are plenty of varieties to choose from: Azure, Benediction, Blue Ensign, Lewis Palmer, Majeste... Rubra Red:
Blue Moons:
Pulmonaria saccharata Mrs. Moon, also called Bethlehem Sage, USDA zones 3-8, grows to about 12 inches tall. Pretty speckled foliage with silver spots on the leaves.
Pulmonaria blooms late in May in my mountain garden. Will likely bloom a bit earlier for you gardeners at the bottom of the hill.PS: Have fun tonight! A little bit of howling at that magical moon might be good for what ails us all. According to Big Brother, it might be bright enough to see lunar landings and more!
I wonder if that's the reason why my seeds are suddenly taking off! I just planted my first indoor seeds of the season 2 days ago and they're sprouting already. Couldn't believe my eyes this morning.
ReplyDeleteHi! I don't have Mrs. Moon, but she's lovely. I do have quite a number of other varieties, which I truly enjoy! This is one of the plants that began my education in Shade Gardening! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Kate, Great post. I love the colour of Mrs. Moon. I will be looking for her when the garden centre opens in spring.
ReplyDeleteIt was too cloudy here to see the super moon. I am sure Mrs. Moon will be more dependable!
ReplyDeleteDarn, I missed taking photos or watching the lunar landing. Completely forgot to look out and see the moon!
ReplyDeleteThe moon this past weekend was gorgeous, and I didn't even realize till yesterday that it was such a special moon. Wish now I'd planted some seeds this weekend--my grandfather always planted according to the phases of the moon. I don't have a single pulmonaria in my garden, and I don't know why. 'Mrs. Moon' is lovely, and a plant that likes it wet in the spring but dry in the summer is perfect for our Midwest conditions, too.
ReplyDeleteThose flowers are really amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteMrs Moons are amongst my favourite flowers. They have stunning colors and they are lovely!
ReplyDeleteHow fun! I didn't know the full moon was the best time to plant, and I started the first batch of my indoor seedlings over the weekend! Cool! Maybe I'll actually get a good crop of tomatoes this year!
ReplyDeleteHi Kate, This is one of my early spring favorites. I like the way the flowers changes color and the spotted leaves are nice too. I have never heard of it being referred to Mrs. Moon before however- interesting.
ReplyDeleteThese flowers are soo delicate and special! I really like them a lot.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about seeds, Kate. Come to think of it my Mache germinated with no gaps in the row- and faster, they popped up on the 18th- very interesting because I usually get spotty germination. I'll have to remember to start seeds around a full moon- maybe it will slow me down a bit!
ReplyDeleteKate girl ! I have pulmonaria "Moonshine" and it is a beauty .. it is my first pulmonaria and it was a trooper through its first year here .. now I have "Majeste" coming in an order and I can't wait to see it shine in the garden. We didn't get to see the super moon, it was way out of our range of view .. so I was a little moon mad ? I should have howled, right ??? hehehehe
ReplyDeleteJoy: )