Spikes of Purpleicious Color

Funny about Nature. We humans sometimes throw things together and hope for the best. Nature swoops in to make our work cohesive and beautiful.

I have a tendency to throw lots of colors together in the garden. Rather than plant in large swaths of color as I know I should, I invariably insert some new tone where it does not belong. Why? Well, I come across a plant I just can’t leave behind, and into the ground it goes.

This weekend, I had a gathering that was important to me. I was hoping my gardens would look their best and not too wild with color. I was aiming for a deliberate, harmonious look. That is where Nature stepped in to help. 

The apricot of Tulips had faded; the pink of Peonies was still hidden in tightly wrapped balls of petals that ants will need to coax open; the yellow of Daffodils was long gone. My broad mix of colors, all of a sudden and in time for the party, had turned to white and purple. That was it. Deliberate, cohesive… both described my garden on the weekend of the gathering.

Large Bearded Irises in grapejuice tones, Blue Flag Irises, white Shasta Daisies, large Alliums in white, dark purple, and lavender… all were out at the same time. It was as though I had coordinated things to make this happen. But I hadn’t. Nature had. And oh, was I pleased!

The party was great, and now I can relax. I have decided that, to add to the many purple flowering plants that looked so good over the weekend, I will focus on Veronica Purpleicious. Yes, the name is fun, but the plant is even better. Veronica Purpleicious will bloom throughout summer, adding even more pleasing purple to the garden mix.

I have white Veronica, so adding Veronica Purpleicious will feel like adding a familiar plant to my garden. But as familiar as it is, I still find myself confusing Veronica (Spiked Speedwell) and Salvia (Sage). Both bloom in colorful, long-lasting spikes. But recently, I learned that the spikes of Veronica Purpleicious take on their color from the bottom up. That means that Veronica Purpleicious may show pale green tips as the rich violet color makes its way skyward.

While that differentiates Veronica from Salvia, a more important difference between the two plants is the height of their spikes. Veronica Purpleicious will stay more petite than Salvia, maxing out at an overall height of a little over 1.5’. Salvia grows to 2’ or more. Either option would work fine for one like me, happy to add more purple to her gardens. But what I love about Veronica Purpleicious is that it is petite enough for an intermediate section of a garden bed, whereas Salvia may need to be placed near the back, due to its taller profile.

Veronica Purpleicious is perfumed and lovely. Pollinators will visit. And with its somewhat compact growth habit, Veronica Purpleicious can become the vertical interest in a container display without growing too “over-the-top”.

Veronica Purpleicious likes full sun and regular watering. As spikes fade, they can be trimmed to keep the top of this plant looking tidy. But the underlying mound of foliage will stay its best all summer, with little care needed. Healthy green leaves, a pretty overall form, vertical interest, and great color all summer… I want this. I am getting my gardening gloves ready. I cannot wait to add this perennial to my garden.

I am pretty sure that never again this summer will I see so much cohesiveness in my plantings. This morning, some pink Peonies began to pop open. More flowers will follow suit. But that purple and white sea of flowers got me inspired to add more purple. And what better way than with Veronica Purpleicious?