CARE. Ordinary soil, or rich and sandy loam (gritty for some plants). Drainage. Fairly sunny. Protect lightly where winters are severe.
PROPAGATION. Division, layers in spring, cuttings in early summer, seeds (not all varieties have seed, and seeds do not always come true).
SPECIAL USES. Pavements (plants not damaged), border planting, herb gardens, ground cover, edging, dry-wall planting, cover for bulbs.
Veronica Scrophulariaceae Speedwell
Most of the smaller veronicas are matmakers; some are clumpy, and a few are even woody or shrub-like. Also there is a fairly wide variation in the foliage. But the flowers are always arranged in spires; a few are white, purple, or pinkish, but mainly there is a wide choice of true blues from baby blue to royal blue. Here are a few varieties:
allioni—Carpet of little leathery leaves, violet flowers in July.
armena—Ferny, furry tufts of finely cut leaves on trailing stems, five-inch spikes of vivid blue flowers (from May to July). Provide drainage, filtered sun, or half shade.
filiformis—An idiosyncratic creeper that delights some gardeners and drives others crazy. It has been described as “pernicious” and a weed. Actually it’s rather pretty, with small rounded leaves and galaxies of starry-blue flowers in late spring. Grows in either sun or light shade.
fruticans (saxatilis)—Woody stems tightly clothed in dark evergreen leaves making a shrubby plant under six inches. In June and July sapphire flowers open their eyes with pinkish lids.
fruticulosa—Shrubby and semi-evergreen, about four inches high with half-inch leaves and pinkish-blue flowers in June.