With silvery, woolly leaves and small, bright magenta, rose, pink or white flowers, rose campion, Lychnis coronaria can be a wonderful addition to the dry garden. It is a relatively short-lived perennial, but does self seed (not invasively) and has few pest problems. Read more about this pretty plant…
Want to add a splash of purple foliage to your containers and plantings this season? One easy-to-grow plant is Purple Heart. This tender perennial can be used outdoors during the growing season, but makes an easy houseplant in the winter. To learn more about this species, read on…
Looking for an unusual flower that comes in truly blue shades (as well as purple)? There is a tender perennial sage that can be grown as an annual to add this unusual color in the landscape or in containers. To learn more about Salvia guaranitica read this article…
Ornamental grasses add interest in the landscape, especially at this time of year. Fountain grass, Pennisetum alopecuroides, is a nice short-stature grass for the home garden. Learn more about this plant in this article…
It has showy orange and red flowers that are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, and is a favorite food of monarch butterfly caterpillars. Learn more about tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in this article…
Most people are familiar with the purple or white-flowered biennial foxglove. Did you know there is a perennial species with yellow flowers? Lean more about this attractive plant in this article…
Do you want something different in your garden? Ranunculus gramineus is a small plant in the buttercup family that is not commonly offered as an ornamental. But it is quite attractive in mid spring, with delightful lemon yellow flowers held well above the blue-green, grassy foliage. Read more about this cute species in this article…
When most people hear the word hibiscus, they envision a gaudy tropical flower. But not all Hibiscus species are that splashy, and one is grown primarily for its fantastic foliage. The purple-leaved H. acetoscella is easily grown from seed or cuttings as an annual to supply beautiful palmate leaves reminiscent of a Japanese maple. Learn more about this interesting tender perennial in this article…
Did you know that “pot marigold” or calendula is considered an herb? This pretty flower is edible and can be used to color and flavor foods, as well as being used as a medicinal herb. To learn more about this interesting plant, read this article…
Picture a plant from tropical west Africa that has clusters of inflated white flowers with a red “bleeding heart” emerging from the center. Maybe you’d like to try growing this twining evergreen shrub indoors if you have plenty of light. You can learn more about exotic Clerodendrum thomsoniae in this article…
It might feel too warm right now to think about fall decorations, but now is the time to plan for colorful displays this autumn if you want to use cabbage in the mix – or at least the ornamental version of this crop. To learn more about colorful ornamental kale and cabbage, read this article…
Are you familiar with Cerinthe major, an herbaceous plant from the meadows and grassy plains of southern Italy and Greece? To learn more about this unusual flower grown as an annual in our climate, read this article…
