Good Golly!

We’re halfway through summer, and some of the heat lovers in the garden are really hitting their stride.

Buddleia is one of them: it loves summer. Heat, sun – it’s all good.

‘Miss Molly‘ does especially well in the heat. It’s the closest thing to a true red butterfly bush and actually gets redder the further south it is.

It looks pretty nice here in Michigan, too, even if our summer temperatures are relatively mild. What we like about the plant in our colder climate is that it overwinters better than other varieties because of its thick stems.

Along with the other ‘Miss’ plants – ‘Miss Ruby,’ ‘Miss Violet,’ and ‘Miss Pearl’ – ‘Miss Molly’ is a compact variety that grows about 4-5′ tall and wide. It doesn’t get weedy or rangy like older varieties, instead maintaining a full habit that is as nice in the front of the border as the back.

That compact habit makes it a good container plant, too.

Along with nicer habit and better winter hardiness, these plants are also sterile. This makes them a responsible choice for regions where Buddleia can be invasive. They are hardy in USDA 5-9 and will want full sun and well-drained soil.

From the early, early morning till the early, early night

Everyone is talking about ‘Miss Molly’!

Our friend Norman Winter has featured it in his newest article. He says, “At The Garden Guy’s house, it is a most beautiful, festive red, and in a strange occurrence, I have two of them. I never plant two of anything…”

If it’s good enough for Norman, it’s good enough for me!

Here’s ‘Miss Molly’ in a recent video tour of the trial and display gardens. Check it out – you’ll see some other goodies in there, too!