The Fourth of July always serves as a reminder to me that Crocosmia blooms will soon be showing off in the garden. I remember this because the last time I hosted an Independence Day barbeque I buzzed into the nursery with hopes of getting something flashy to add to my flower bed around the patio where we would be enjoying everyone’s company. Lo and behold there was the perfect flower for the occasion! Vibrantly red as if intended to be the fourth of July flower! I’m not the only one to appreciate this pop of red in the landscape either. Hummingbirds absolutely love Crocosmia. They can see that beacon of red from a distance and the trumpet shape of the flower makes a perfect vessel for nectar. With the seemingly never-ending frosts this spring however we may not get to see these pretty blooms in time for our celebrations but rather in the weeks to follow.
Since Crocosmia is a mid-summer bloomer you can plant them in bulb form in the spring time or wait for containerized plants to arrive at the nursery in the early summer. Their foliage looks similar to that of an iris but provides more movement and flow in the garden when the wind blows through much like an ornamental grass. This makes Crocosmia a wonderful border plant standing tall in the background or cascading over a walkway. Keeping the fall and winter garden looking tidy is yet another win for this charming perennial! When the foliage begins to die back you can simply cut them all the way down to the ground. Don’t forget to remind yourself to water the area that they are planted when springtime rolls around again though. Summer blooming perennials are the most likely to be forgotten when spring watering begins but they need water to encourage them to emerge.
Not every variety of Crocosmia is going to be hardy in the high desert. To play it safe here in Bend you want to make sure that you select a variety that is hardy to zone 5 like the Lucifer in the picture below to the right. If red is not your color, then you can find a George Davidson Crocosmia boasting the sunset yellow and orange blooms represented in the photo below on the left. No matter which color you choose I’m sure you will appreciate seeing this brightly colored perennial towering over what is left of your spring blooming perennials to get you through the rest of the summer. Stop by the nursery any summer day from 9-5 to take one home to your yard!
