Division of Extension
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, but there also is a perennial species with yellow flowers. Learn 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…
Mot all Hibiscus species have gaudy tropical flowers. 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.
Calendula, or “pot marigold” is used as an annual in gardens and landscapes but also 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…
Nasturtiums are easy-to-grow, warm-season annual flowers with brightly colored flowers that make welcome additions the sunny garden. Read more about various nasturtiums available in this article.
Pasque flower is one of the first to bloom in spring. Learn more about this pretty herbaceous perennial plant in this article.
With unique flowers in blues and white, love-in-a-mist is an old-fashioned, self-seeding annual that is right at home in a cottage garden. This charming plant only blooms for a month or two, but can be seeded in successive plantings for a flowering display for most of the growing season. To learn more about this easy flower, read this article…
Commonly called Brown-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia triloba is an herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial with typical coneflowers with yellow rays and brown centers. This rangy plant with masses of small flowers works well in cottage gardens or in wildflower plantings.
