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PAS Gardens: Peaceful Places

Broadcasting the Week of 05-17-10
Sometimes life can get really hectic. The garden provides a peaceful escape. We’ll visit Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery. Other topics include peace lily, ivy houseplants and chilled squash soup.

Featured Plants:
Peace Lily
Rose Veteran's Honor – Introduced around 2000.
Wisteria floribunda (Japanese Wisteria)

Proven Winners® Sunshine Blue® Carypopteris
I have to say that everything slows down in my mid-South garden during August. This is often the hottest and driest time of the year. I think of it as the quiet before autumn's flourish of bright colored flowers and foliage. To keep this transition period interesting I'm always on the look out for plants that shine during the later months of the growing season, but don't require much care. I have to say caryopteris fits that description. This carefree, shrub-like perennial produces tons of blue flowers in late summer. This will be the first time I've grown the variety Sunshine Blue®, but I've seen it in action at the Proven Winners display garden. The combination of the bright yellow foliage and deep blue flowers is amazing. It's a plant that is sure to add interest to my garden all growing season. Plus the butterflies and bees love it.

Click here to see details about this plant from our plant library

Feature Highlights:
Allen’s Mailbox: Ivy Houseplants
Shannon in California writes that she has a brown thumb when it comes to houseplants. A friend gave her an ivy plant and she needs advise on how to care for it.

Garden to Table: Chilled Squash Soup
Matt McClure with Ashley’s at the Capital Hotel demonstrates how to prepare a chilled squash soup with a surprise ingredient – a cinnamon stick!

Get the recipe.

People and Places:
Mount Vernon, home of George and Martha Washington, is a peaceful spot located on the Potomac River. Dean Norton, Director of Horticulture, takes us on a tour of the Pleasure Garden.

Arlington Natinal Cemetery is a breath taking memorial to America’s heroes. Director of Horticulture, Erik Dihle, shows us around.

Stone Mason Charlie Bates with Bennett Brothers describes how he carved a plinth placed in the west allee at the Garden Home Retreat.