The Plant Report No.3 - Southern Serbia/Kosovo
Spotted that one of the nuns at the monastery planted some milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. She must be wanting to attract some butterflies!
Snapdragons, Antirrhinum majus thriving in the most ridiculous of spaces at Peć Patriarchate. I love these flowers for their strength.
Never seen this one before- Salix integra, Smoothleaf willow is another favorite at the monastery. Its pink and white variegation are unique and quite pretty.
Catalpa speciosa is incredibly popular in Kosovo, almost to the point of monoculture in some locations. The lollipop shape is very popular and it seems to take the heat well.
Petunias, in a wide range of color and in robust glory.
Flowers in general and these for too are even more popular here than in the United States.
The monastery had a great amount of herbs planted on the grounds. Pictured here is some lovely Lavandula angustifolia, English Lavender
Also planted were rosemary, thyme and mugwort.
In Peć, the monastery had oodles of roses in stunning orange and pink color.
Dečani monastery had lots of potted amaryllis, (Hippeastrum spp.)
I want mine to look this strong!
And, some Plectranthus glabratus
Another very popular plant in the region and one I had never seen before is Plectranthus glabratus, white edged Swedish Ivy. It trails beautifully, as demonstrated in these baskets. They have a fuzzy pubescent leaf, and it smells like a lovely resin incense. This restaurant owner really likes them, and says that they repel insects.
This one has a place on my new favorites list and I hope to find some for my garden.
At the hotel, they had two planters and one of them was missing a Plectranthus so I snipped off a piece with my nail and planted it so they'd match.
If it's anything like Coleus, it will propagate with ease! I think of it as a chaotic good horticulture moment.
The poppies, Papaver rhoeas are in full swing everywhere from this field in the Dečani monastery to the side of the highway. They're opportunistic, and I like seeing their happy red color wherever I find them.
Ćao for now! Next time we will have warmer climate finds.
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