Skyward Pink Veronica: A Gardener's New Favorite

My mom has always given me great advice. On several occasions, she warned me of people who come on too strong early in a relationship, friendly or romantic. Red flag, she’d warn. And more often than not, she was so right. Which is probably why I’m slightly uncomfortable gushing about a Veronica that wooed me for only a season. It takes several years, or so they say, to really get to know a plant (or a person). After last summer’s performance, I’m eschewing mom’s advice as well as the ole’ sleep, creep, leap rule which amounts to three years of waiting before I have an opinion about a plant. I’m going to put myself out there for Skyward Pink Veronica from Darwin Perennials. This beauty came on strong and I’ve fallen hard. The bees have too!

Four-inch plastic pot — I wish I had taken a photo of Skyward Pink Veronica in its four-inch pot. Darwin sent three small plants in containers similar to the one pictured. In my experience, perennials tend to stay close to the size they were in the pot the first year. By the end of the growing season, you would have thought each plant began in a five gallon container.

Every May for the last several years, I’ve received plant samples from Darwin Perennials, a leading plant breeder and a division of Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, IL. I never know what they’re sending so it’s sort of like Christmas every spring. I also have to remind my husband that I didn’t pay for the boxes of plants delivered to our porch on a weekly basis from various breeders throughout the growing season. He’s still suspicious. I get A LOT of plants. Many have been winners after a few years in the garden. Few, however, turn out like Skyward Pink Veronica did in its first season. Which makes me wonder. Will I be disappointed this spring? Something tells me this beauty is just getting started so I’m cautiously optimistic.

Skyward Pink Veronica at the front of the border — *The lovely pink candles of Skyward Pink Veronica, seen here at the front of the side yard garden border, were non-stop despite the fact that I wasn’t deadheading as often as I probably should have.*

Three plants arrived in small four-inch pots and I planted them at the front of the border in the side yard garden. It’s a hot spot in full sun so anything planted here has to be determined AND beautiful AND pollinator friendly. I ask a lot of my plants. And I should mention I’m a miser with water. New perennials get just enough to set their roots, which amounts to about two weeks of supplemental water depending on rainfall. After that, it’s every plant for themselves. One of the three died in early August, having never grown much bigger than the day it arrived. The other two swallowed it up with their growth and carried on flowering until the first frost in mid October.

Skyward Pink Veronica in mixed border — There’s lots of color in the side yard, including Veronica ‘Skyward Pink’ (foreground), Heliopsis ‘Touch of Blush’, Verbena bonariensis ‘Vanity’ (grown from seed) and Cotinus ‘Winecraft Gold.’

The side yard garden is a mixed border full of color. I love lots of color! I also love shape and since my garden is heavy on daisy-like or flat flowers, the upright dense form of Skyward Pink Veronica added colorful interest to the front of the border. Flowering from June to early October, the plants were prolific despite my lack of deadheading. And that’s one more very important attribute. Maintenance. I did nothing for this plant other than give it what it wanted. Full sun, a bit of compost at planting time and the occasional watering during extended periods of drought.

While the other plants in the side yard garden looked like new plants all summer, Skyward Pink Veronica was anything but a “newb”.

Skyward Pink Veronica at Gardens at Ball — *Check out Skyward Pink Veronica planted with Glowstick Kniphofia at the Gardens at Ball in West Chicago, IL, last summer.*

Over the years, I’ve grown a variety of Veronicas. Most developed powdery mildew and fizzled out within a few years. And certainly none have done in three years what Skyward Pink did in a single season. For a gardener who’s mama warned her about the ones who come on too strong, I’m throwing caution to the wind and making room for more.