question: years ago I grew what was purportedly stachys 'hummelo" and the foliage smelled so bad I got rid of it. Yours is so handsome and effective I'm tempted but not if it is as smelly as I remember. Thanks

Marie I don't recall it smelling bad.( For some reason that pic is distorted) I'll have to check and let you know. For me the worst one is salvia may night...yet I still won't part with it lol.

Lovely photos, thanks for sharing!

Sherry

Thank you Sherry.

If you can smell salvia you'd smell this'. They are similar but the mystery stachys was much worse.

Im sure Bluestone sent me the wrong plant because the leaves were different from hummelo leaves.

I never followed up. It was years ago

Things that make you go hmmm...

I'll give it a whiff tonight as I'm still curious. Will be out watering again...low 90's today!

Marie I had to give it a few whiffs after crushing it between my fingers. It did give me a slight tinge of nausea. The scent is very hard to describe. I had to think about it while watering. It reminds me of something toxic...perhaps freon? Sound familiar? Not pleasant that's for sure....

Shot a few more pics.

Fairy rose

Rudbeckia Cherry brandy with Miss Manners obedient plant

Phlox coral flame

Balloon flower

Cleome finally taking off

Hope I didn't spoil that stachys for you. I didn't have to crush a leaf to feel ill. Just moving by it raised the smell. The flower wasn't worth the pain. I have the variegated small leaved caryopteris with blue flowers. That is another stinky plant, but it is beautiful.

No...no problem. They're up in my far back bed. I've never noticed the smell before...Although I'll now be aware of it when dead heading lol!

Beautiful, looks like things aren't even bothered by the humidity and lack of water!

Lovely photos! Now I need stachys 'hummelo'... how much of a spreader is it? Shall I purchase five plants to make a grouping or would three suffice?

Katob thank you. We did get some rain the other day and more predicted this week ( keeping my fingers crossed ). We started out with lots of rain this spring and then it just quit . My butterfly bushes appear to be stunted from it as they are much smaller this year. The lawn is the most telling, as it's getting pretty crispy!

Cecily thank you. No it's not a spreader. My plants have only gotten a little larger. Here is another pic at a different angle to help you decide on how many you would like....I hope it helps.

Wow! Summer is pretty awesome.

I have hummelo self seeding here and there, but not at all a problem. I'm curious about the smell though, I'll have to check later.

Thankfully we are getting rain!

Planted this Quickfire hydrangea last week. It was white now changing to pink. It's loving the rain too!

Sloped bed

Love moonbeam coreopsis

GardenHo,

Very nice composition on your "Sloped bed"!

Quick question: I noticed that your obedience plants are nice and compact. Do you do the Chelsea chop on them?

I've been growing them for years & they usually get about 4-5ft and their flowering overlaps my monarda. However, this year I chelsea-chopped them & they STILL haven't bloomed. Wondering if I chopped them too late?

(I'm in zone 6a.)

Princeton thank you! My plants are approx 2ft (no chopping) and in their 3rd year. The soil is not the best in that bed so perhaps that's why? Now my pink ones, they get about 4ft.