Green Thumb Tuesday: Raising your Persian Shield

In planning your annual bed display, most will plan for and plant flowering annuals exclusively for their color. Another way to achieve a variety of color(s) and texture(s) in your garden's annual bed display is with foliage plants. There are many varieties of plants that have colorful and unique foliage. Research and experiment to find a foliage plant that best fits your garden and color scheme. Pictured today is Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus).

Persian Shield's leaves are purple on the lower surfaces and a combination of purple and silver on the upper surface. The Persian Shield grows to 24”-36” in. and likes moist soil and full to partial sun.

At the 57th Street garden in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh, volunteers planted Persian Shield along with Salvia ”Red Flare” and a mix of Petunias.

If you would like more information about becoming a garden steward, or volunteering for one-day plantings, contact Marianne Cola at (412) 586-2324 or mcola@paconserve.org.

Take an e-tour of our community gardens
Help WPC's community gardens grow this season

Guess the Peregrines' Due Dates
Only one week left -- From now until midnight Feb. 24th, WPC invites you to guess when the peregrines at Gulf Tower and Pitt will lay and hatch their eggs. You could win an as yet to be determined exciting prize.

E-mail Today's WPC Daily to a Friend!

Sign Up for WPC Daily