Achillea–commonly called yarrow–is a colorful addition to the garden. Yarrow has fernlike, fragrant leaves. Species and cultivars range in size from very small, creeping plants to very large—up to 4 feet (1.2m) tall. Achillea is easy to grow and grows well even in poor, dry soil. Achillea is a perennial. It is also known as […] More
Acanthus–commonly called bear’s breeches–is an imposing perennial with deeply cut, glossy dark green leaves, and tall snapdragon-like flowers. It is grown for its bold-textured evergreen leaves and sculptural beauty. The mauve-and-white tubular flowers bloom on tall, dramatic stalks for a month in early summer. The flowers can be freshly cut. Acanthus can be used in large […] More
Astilbe features plumy spikes of brilliant colors in mid to late summer. With its fern-like leaves, astilbe is a good choice for shady borders and under trees in cottage gardens. Astilbes cultivars range in size from 1½ to 6 feet tall. Astilbe is a perennial member of the Saxifrage family. Astilbe’s feathery trusses of tiny […] More
Sunflowers–botanical name Helianthus–are grown for their bright yellow ray florets and edible seeds. There are both annual and perennial sunflowers available in a wide color range. Some have smaller flowers; others have very large flower heads. The Helianthus genus numbers nearly 80 species. There are tall often coarse plants that can be planted as windbreaks […] More
Oriental Poppy, Papaver oriental, produces solitary saucer-shaped blooms in summer. The flowering season is short but colorful. The Good Products for Garden Care at Amazon: The Oriental poppy is an upright perennial with divided mid-green leaves. Oriental poppies are spectacular additions to mixed borders, cottage, and meadow gardens. Get to know Oriental poppy–Papaver Where to […] More
Scabiosa–commonly called pincushion flower–bears small rounded usually lavender-blue flowers that resemble pincushions atop wiry stems. Pincushion flower blooms in mid and late summer. It is a clump-forming perennial with lance-shaped, gray-green basal leaves. Scabiosa flowers can be single or double. They have small central florets that form the “pincushion” surrounded by larger petal-like florets. The […] More
Vinca–commonly called periwinkle–are slender stemmed evergreen subshrubs and perennials that bear lavender blue, five-petaled, pinwheel-shaped flowers above shiny dark green oval leaves. Vinca is a useful ground cover for a woodland garden, shrub border, or shady bank. There are two commonly grown species, Vinca major and Vinca minor. Vinca minor has smaller leaves and flowers […] More
Penstemons have narrowly bell-shaped flowers that are commonly seen in bright reds and blues, but some are soft pink, salmon, peach, deep rose, lilac, dark purple, and white. Penstemons are native to the American West, ranging from Canada to Mexico. Penstemons are widely distributed in the wild; some grow on mountains, some in the deserts, […] More
Helichrysum–commonly called strawflower–bears daisy-like flowerheads with papery, white, yellow, or pink bracts and central yellow corollas. The flowers are nearly stalkless growing above broad lance-shaped hairy leaves. Some species of Helichrysum are grown to be cut and dried as “everlasting flowers. They are often included in floral arrangements. Others are grown for their silvery, gray […] More
Linaria–commonly called toadflax–bears trailing stems with a succession of snap-dragon-like, orange-centered purple-violet flowers in summer. Linaria can trail over walls and raised beds or spread over a gravel bed. Linaria is a genus of rather low-growing annual, biennial, and perennial plants some trailing and some erect. The genus contains about 100 species. The flowers that […] More
Gazania, sometimes called treasure flower, is a perennial, sometimes treated as an annual. Gazanias are daisy-like flowers in pink, gold, bronze, or white with a yellow contrasting eye. There are two basic types of Gazania: clumping and trailing (see below). Clumping gazanias can be used as temporary fillers between young growing shrubs and a replaceable […] More
Felicia, commonly called blue marguerite, is a perennial commonly grown as an annual. Blue marguerite forms a bushy clump of small dark green leaves and a mass of yellow-eyed blue flowers from summer to fall. Felicia is a good choice for window boxes, baskets, and containers. Felicia is grown for its mass of flower heads. […] More
Stephen Albert