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Favorite Plant Series – Yarrow
At Potted we love drought tolerant plants. And while succulents and cactus do flower (beautifully, actually, just ask any hummingbird), they don’t tend to be the kind of flowers you usually put in vases. In a perfect world I would love to have fresh flowers weekly but let’s face it…the world ain’t perfect so I also like to grow a few plants I can cut from easily to pick flowers… especially if they are flowers (or foliage) that can last for months. I’ve also learned that planting flowering plants in my raised beds is very beneficial. You might think that that’s because the flowers bring bees, which they do, but I think the benefit is more psychological, mainly because when the raccoons have decimated everything edible except the basil (for some reason they don’t like herbs), at least I still have my flowers.
And one plant I’ve really come to love is Yarrow.
This Yellow Yarrow grows in my raised bed. I know Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has many medical properties including blood clotting (here is a fascinating post), but I was mainly interested in it’s decorating possibilities. But beauty and brains…you gotta love it.
This lovely Maroon Yarrow from Shenandoah Farms in Virginia shows you how varied the colors can be. Grown easily from seeds, they come in colors like apricot, pink, red, rose, violet and several more.
Here’s a beautiful Teco Vase I have by my bed. I love how the yellow of the Yarrow picks up the yellow in my comforter cover and it’s so cheerful to wake up to each morning. Tip: Dip flowers in cool water for a few minutes to remove any insects that might be hanging out…especially when you’ve got them so close to where you sleep.
I also really love the drama of the same yellow Yarrow in this black bud vase against the backdrop of another black Bauer vase. Yellow and black is too beautiful. I remember once someone telling me that black wasn’t a color. Perhaps not…but it’s my favorite non-color then. And bud vases are such a quick way to bring a little happiness into a drab room.
What are your favorite flower plants?
Tags: Achillea millefolium, Yarrow
