A Plant’s First Season

Well, here I am getting my roots scratched out and feeling the warmth of the soil as I'm transplanted into the ground. Let me introduce myself. I'm Agastache rupestris, but you can call me Hummingbird Mint.

Agastache x rupestris 'Orange Flare'
Item # 11827 		Agastache 'Orange Flare'
Hybrid Licorice Mint Hyssop

each $8.99
3 to 6 plants $8.79
7 or more $8.59
Agastache rupestris
Item # 11825 		Agastache rupestris
Licorice Mint or Sunset Hyssop

each $7.99
3 to 6 plants $7.79
7 or more $7.59
Agastache Sampler Collection
Item # 99511 		Agastache Sampler
Hummingbird Mint Collection

each $28.69
2 or more samplers $24.69
  • Topic: Agastache
  • Author: David Salman
  • Keywords: growth, transplant, Agastache, hummingbird mint, hyssop
  • Date: March 2004

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Mid-spring in a Santa Fe, NM Garden

Well, here I am getting my roots scratched out and feeling the warmth of the soil as I’m transplanted into the ground. Let me introduce myself. I’m Agastache rupestris, but you can call me Hummingbird Mint. I’m excited and looking forward to my first season in my new home. I’m waiting for my douse of liquid seaweed and Superthrive. It’s just what I need to start growing vigorously.

There was a frost last night, but we perennials are adapted to freezing weather and don’t mind, especially if we are cold-hardened like I was. Also the area around my ankles is mulched with crushed gravel so I can feel a little extra heat at night after a sunny day. My gardener has been busy cutting the dead leaves off my neighbors and cleaning up the garden. I see that she’s also dividing and replanting pieces from big clumps of my friends, the ornamental grasses. They have gotten a little overgrown and needed to be reinvigorated; don’t we all. They love it when they get their stubble scratched out after their hair cut. They tell me it gets all the dead leaves out of their crown so they’re ready to grow this summer.

The bulbs are really beautiful this year, sunning themselves under the clear skies. But those darn rabbits—always nibbling on some of us. They don’t bother the daffodils. And they leave me alone too. I think it’s because my leaves are so strongly scented. But the garden is in an uproar. I wish our gardener would spray my friends with some Deer-Off. It’ll keep the rabbits away until the field grasses green-up.

Late Spring

Everyone is really excited, and we’re all growing rapidly. Everyday someone new is parading around, showing off their new flowers. It’s all very exciting. My gardener is out here practically every day, thickening up mulch where it’s gotten thin, transplanting more new friends, and tuning up our drip system. It’s been dry (as usual) so she’s been giving us a good deep soaking every week or so. I’ve been getting some extra root stimulator and water since I’m new and just getting started. It’s refreshing.

Summer

Whew. It’s a hot one today. And those vain oriental poppies. Always complaining about the heat—and there they go again, dormant. So many plants are coming into flower and the butterflies are tickling the coneflowers, so they giggle a lot. All my spring blooming friends are busy growing leaves now that they’ve finished flowering. My gardener hasn’t been as energetic as she was this spring. She spends a lot of time sitting in the shade reading and fussing with all our annual relatives, those petunias and geraniums, in their pots on the patio. I don’t know where they go in the winter but they sure are a lively bunch in the summer.

I’m feeling kind of funny. All of a sudden I’ve gotten very tall. My friends say it’s because I’m getting ready to flower. I’m so excited. They say that hummingbirds will be spending a lot of time kissing me. Oh my!

Early Fall

I’ve decided I really like my hummingbird. He keeps all the others away so he can have me all to himself.

Fall

There’s a little nip in the air at night. We’ve even had a few frosts! My hummingbird is off to Mexico and says he’ll be back next summer. A lot of the grasses are in full bloom now. They are awfully handsome and make amazing sounds when the wind blows through them. Our gardener is much busier now scratching in Yum Yum Mix. It feels so good to stretch out my new roots. The Maximilian’s Sunflower is in full bloom. My goodness, who knew she’d be so tall.

Guess what—I’m full of seeds! In fact, everyone is full of seeds and our gardener is busy shaking some of us and collecting them in little bags. I’m dropping mine into the gravel below. I’m really excited about having seedlings next spring. It’ll be fun starting a little family. I hope they’re as pretty as me.