Foxglove is a beautiful plant that grows up to six feet and produces trumpet-shaped flowers that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Blooms can be hues of lavender, pink, purple, red, white, yellow and variegated. If you have a partial sun/shade area that needs a splash of color, it is the perfect spot to plant foxglove. Though the plants can thrive in full sun, they flourish in a sun/partial shade environment.
If planting foxglove from seed, do not cover with soil as the seed requires sunlight to germinate. Press gently into the soil being certain that seeds are not covered. Foxglove blooms in spring or early summer the year after you plant the seeds, making them a biennial. The first year they grow strong stalks and prepare to give a large showing of blooms the following year. If you desire a few more flower stalks late in the year, cut the main stalk once it has finished blooming. To collect seeds, leave the flower head intact. When the seed pod splits, gently glean the seeds into a clean container or envelope. Keep until spring and plant for blooms the following year.
Every part of the foxglove is poisonous; flower, leaves, roots and stalk. If you have young children, avoid foxglove, or plant it in an area that is inaccessible to little ones.
Sweet William
Sweet William belongs to the carnation family. It grows in low mounds, six to eight inches in height and produces flowers of bright pink, purple, red and violet, which are most often variegated. It has a mild fragrance that resembles cloves and is an excellent choice for cut or dried flower arrangements. The flowers are edible and the taste, like the fragrance, resembles cloves. Sweet William is hearty and grows well in almost any soil that is well-drained. It prefers full sun but will also grow in partial shades in hot climates. Sweet William should be fertilized three times each season with a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10. It is an excellent species to plant in butterfly gardens and is a good choice for habitat gardening. It can be propagated using seeds or stem cuttings. Seed should be started indoors two months before the last frost for best results. Stem cuttings should be taken and planted in spring or early summer, but plants will not produce flowers until the following year.
If Sweet William plants seem to be dying back after two or three years, dig them completely out of the ground, separate the roots and replant. Keep plants well watered until the plants become re-established. Sweet William does not like to be root-bound.