I had a single plant of the native wildflower Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginica, and now I see that they are everywhere. Things could be worse. Though this one isn’t quite open to the bright blue it will become, I snapped it because its foliage is so handsome, too, and I love the way the flowers start a more subtle lavender.
never stop wanting more plants, my garden mentor instilled in me 20-plus
years ago, regularly reminding me of another gardener, past 90, who still lusts
for every new thing he can get a cutting of. I promise not to, until I myself
am back in the soil.
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We have a large area of Mertensia virginica – gorgeous this year – which is now spent. I have heard that one should not cut back that foliage, but let it lay. Dries to very dry flattened leaves… so have done so the last 2 years…
I would however like to tidy up the ‘mess’ of the dying plants. Any problem with gently clearing up the spent plants?
Would appreciate the advice!
Hi, Leslie. Same here — so once the leaves are washed-out looking and drying I figure they have done their job and cut them back. Ideally you let them “ripen” on the plant as with flower bulbs — so don’t cut back while still green and growing and doing their job of photosynthesis — but with my old patches of Mertensia by now I think they have done enough and it’s fine to cut it back.