Lady's mantle performs without fanfare
Some perennials don't get the accolades they deserve. They don't demand attention with magnificent blooms of sweet-smelling perfume or display eye-popping shades. Instead, they are content to play a supporting role to their flashy friends — winning the hearts of gardeners with their sweet, simple charm and dependable natures.
Alchemilla mollis, commonly called lady's mantle, is one of those perennials.
Lady's mantle is tough — hardy to Zone 3 — and endures the most wintry weather Mother Nature snows or blows about Midwestern gardens. A mounding perennial, it grows 18 inches tall and a bit wider.
Lady's mantle has fuzzy, light green foliage. Tiny hairs blanket each gently pleated, scalloped-edged, velvety leaf. Those hairs hold droplets of water, from dew or rain showers, and hold them up proudly as if they were diamonds.
Airy sprays of dainty, chartreuse flowers, resembling baby's breath, begin blooming on long stems over the foliage in early June. Under the weight of the flowers, the stems eventually give way to gravity and rest on top of the foliage.
The flowers are a lovely filler in bouquets and are easy to dry, too. To dry, hang bundles of flowers, cut at their peak of bloom, upside down in a cool, dry spot.
Alchemilla mollis is adaptable to a variety of growing conditions. It prefers light shade all day or morning sun and afternoon shade but grows beautifully in full sun, if given supplemental moisture, and tolerates full shade, too. Lady's mantle is also not finicky about soil and will happily put down roots in most garden soils. The only condition it cannot survive is soggy soil for extended periods.
When planted in ideal conditions, lady's mantle may self-seed without restraint. If seedlings are not desired in the landscape, deadhead spent flowers or hand pull seedlings when they are small. If the idea of free plants gets your heart beating a little faster, move seedlings to new homes within the landscape or divide established plants in spring.
Lady's mantle requires very little maintenance. Deadhead to reduce seedlings or to keep plants looking tidy if desired, but it is not necessary. If the leaves begin looking summer-worn, cut them back and fresh foliage will quickly grow. Consider letting plants stand in fall, leaving their semi-evergreen leaves for spring cleanup. Or, if you are a blank slate sort of gardener, cut them back in fall after a hard frost.
Lady's mantle is rarely bothered by insect pests or diseases. And deer and rabbits tend to leave plants alone.
Plant lady's mantle at the front of borders or along walkways where the flowers can spill over, softening a path's edges. Their soft, mounding form makes them perfect partners for upright perennials like gayfeather and summer bulbs like lilies. Their rounded, soft green foliage contrasts dramatically with perennials featuring blade-like leaves, like Siberian iris and day lilies, and purple-foliaged perennials like coral bells and Husker Red penstemon.
Lady's mantle is spectacular tickling the knees of roses in a rose garden. It is also an ideal choice to perform the filler role in a container, too.
• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist, garden writer and speaker. She blogs at gardenwithdiana.com.