Dusty Miller: A Southern Gardener's Reliable Friend

I love Dusty Miller. My mother used to grow it in Virginia. She paired it with pachysandra in the front of her beds. The bed would wind around and underneath some gorgeous pink peonies. Such a loyal and hardy plant. Swings from the heat of summer right into the Southern frigid days of winter. I feel bad....I've taken it for granted for so long. Shame on me. It deserves high honors for making other plants and flowers look great! It's insane the different varieties now: wide leaves, lacy. Texture, no texture.

On 'Design Sponge' I love what they've done with Dusty Miller. You rarely think of it as a cut flower/plant, but these ideas are truly inspiring. It gave me some great ideas for next Christmas. Red camellias, pyracantha, and dusty miller in a gorgeous hurricane lantern vase.
http://www.designsponge.com/2010/11/flowers-a-z-d-is-for-dusty-miller.html

Here is my Dusty Miller, a photo taken yesterday, paired up with my waning, and nearly spent, impatiens. Still going strong. Next year I vow to pay more attention to putting the focus on IT!