Professional Documents
Culture Documents
GARDEN ANNUALS
Armitage’s
GARDEN
ANNUALS
A Color Encyclopedia
ALLAN M. ARMITAGE
TIMBER PRESS
Portland · Cambridge
All photographs, except those of Cleome
‘Linde Armstrong’ (page 118, by Linda Askey)
and Clitoria ternatea (page 121, by Meg Green),
are by Allan M.Armitage.
Published in 2004 by
Timber Press, Inc. Timber Press
The Haseltine Building 2 Station Road
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450 Swavesey
Portland, Oregon 97204, U.S.A. Cambridge CB4 5QJ, U.K.
Preface 8
Part One. Armitage’s Garden Annuals, A to Z 11
6
Part Two. Selected Plants for Specific Characteristics or Purposes 359
7
Preface
8
disappointment, she turned to put them keep all this new stuff in perspective. Perennials; in that book, the information
back.However,herselectedplantscaught They will soon be recognizable, but until is far more specific and in-depth, and
my eye, and I was floored! Believing she then, there are some lovely new gerani- the images support the text. Between
had the entire contents of the green- ums I’d be happy to share with you. the two, you’ll learn everything you ever
house from which to choose, she had wanted to know about annuals but were
picked up a 4-inch pot of ‘Better Boy’ About the book afraid to ask.
tomato and a 6-inch pot of Leyland I wrote this book because people, in- It was also written to complement
cypress! Uncommonly common plants cluding myself, love pictures. It is de- another wonderful color book, Armi-
when surrounded by such beauty. I signed to provide well-researched and tage’s Garden Perennials. With the two
asked her why she had chosen these useful information, but in this book, the together, you can have your own photo-
(after all, I figured I was making the text supports the images shown. It was library of more than 2800 images, and
world a better place), and she looked me created as a complement to my larger some good reading to boot. I hope you
straight in the eye and said,“That’s all I annual book, Armitage’s Manual of enjoy yourself, enjoy your reading, and
recognized.” Now, thanks to Rachel, I Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy enjoy your garden.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Stephanie Anderson, who
helped with the incredible job of image
management, and to Judy Laushman,
who read over the text and provided
insightful comments. And without
doubt, the book is far better because
of my editor, Franni Bertolino Farrell.
9
This page intentionally left blank
part one
Armitage’s Garden Annuals
A to Z
12
Abelmoschus
I first heard of Abelmoschus in a botany
class in Canada, where we students were
provided with various cooked vegetables
to examine, identify, and taste. I looked
at this long mucus-covered green thing
in front of me and, after gagging on the
taste, I was told it was a favorite vege-
table for soups. It was called okra. No
wonder there are so few tins of Camp-
bell’s in our pantry. And what kind of a
name is abelmoschus anyway? If no-
body can pronounce it, how in the world
will anyone buy it for the garden?
Of course, the definition of conserva-
Abelmoschus moschatus ‘Pacific Scarlet’ tive can generally be found in the dic-
tionary under “Canadian cuisine,” so
when I moved to the South, I became far
more tolerant of weird things like okra
and grits. I tried okra again, and they . . .
well, they were as slimy and awful as I
remembered. However, when I had more
opportunity to reexamine the ornamen-
tal members of the genus, I found some
neat plants hidden in that long name
(pronounced “a bel mos kus”). And,
believe it or not, ornamental forms of
okra are among my favorites.
While I can drive by a field of corn
and hardly notice it, a field of okra
(Abelmoschus esculentus) is another
matter. At least I slow down, because the
plants can be as tall as a man and the
Abelmoschus esculentus ‘Little Lucy’ flowers are always ornamental. Fields
Acalypha
Acalyphas are schizophrenic. The flowers
of chenille plant (Acalypha hispida) are in
long braids, whereas those of copperleaf
(A. wilkesiana) are hardly noticed at all.
Some plants bear large leaves in an array
of incredible (some may say gaudy) col-
ors, while others bear thin, twisted leaves
in muted tones. Regardless, plants have
found their way to the garden, and con-
tainers and baskets of acalyphas are seen
Abutilon pictum ‘Thompsonii’, foliage more and more on porches and patios in
North American gardens.
The prettiest of all is probably chenille
plant, historically a gift plant, and its
long-flowered relatives. Sold for the long
tassels of pink to red flowers, plants are
also grown for the attractive heart-
shaped leaves. Try it in large hanging
baskets in morning sun, afternoon
shade. Trailing red tail, Acalypha reptans,
has shorter flowers and is not quite as
showy but may be tougher and can be
used as a groundcover. The best is proba-
bly the pink-flowered ‘Summer Love’.
Chenille plant may be the prettiest,
but it is not the toughest for the long-
Abutilon megapotamicum ‘Variegatum’ Abutilon megapotamicum ‘Melon Delight’ more ☞
16 Acalypha, continued
Acalypha reptans
17
Acmella oleracea
The plant is now called Acmella oler- 19
acea (its original name was Spilanthes
acmella). Seed is available through seed
catalogs, but plants are finding their way
to plant outlets as well. You might find a
new cultivar called ‘Peek-A-Boo’, and
although it is not significantly different
from the species, it should be more
available. Far prettier plants for sale,
but few are more interesting. Full sun.
Agastache
giant hyssop
Acmella oleracea ‘Peek-A-Boo’ It may be argued that Agastache does
not belong in a book about annuals, that
many species can be grown as perenni-
als at least to zone 5. However, plants
grow rapidly and flower profusely in a
single season (a characteristic unbefit-
ting a self-respecting perennial), so that
they can be enjoyed as annuals or peren-
nials. In the Armitage garden (zone 7b),
I find most agastaches persist for only
two or three years. Regardless, these
culinary herbs all provide a fragrance
of anise, some gently fleeting and others
highly pungent.
By the way, I don’t want to get into
plant pronunciation . . . however, people
hesitate to say this genus because it
doesn’t seem to “sound right.” Most
Agastache foeniculum Americans pronounce the name “ah ga
Agastache foeniculum ‘Honey Bee Blue’ Agastache foeniculum ‘Honey Bee White’
more ☞
20 Agastache, continued the Armitage Axiom of Plant Pronuncia- will mention some of my favorites and at-
tion,“Get the syllables in the right order, tempt to put some parentage with them.
stash,” I prefer the British “ah gas ta key.” and fire away.” I think some of the best plants are
I realize this makes me sound like a Many of the agastaches available to the associated with Agastache foeniculum,
plant snob, but the real reason I prefer it gardener are hybrids, and offered as such. anise hyssop. These tough plants are
is that it helps me spell the darn thing The nomenclature of some of the culti- easy to grow from seed but will be 3–4'
correctly. Both are just fine, and fulfill vars is either unknown or mixed up, so I tall. The cultivars ‘Honey Bee Blue’ and
Alonsoa
mask flower
I first saw a diminutive plant of this
genus in a greenhouse in Denmark, then
a second species in a garden in England,
where every plant seems to look its best.
Small salmon to coral flowers were all
over the 1' tall plants. They were cute,
flowered heavily, and looked terrific in
a container. I had to have some, and
finally found some seeds, which I pro-
ceeded to sow. Not a month later, I spied
the species I first encountered in Eng-
land, in orange-red this time, in a con-
tainer at North Hill, in southern Ver-
Alocasia ‘Fantasy’ mont, the extraordinary garden of
Wayne Winterrowd and Joe Eck. If those
frame or greenhouse is available, pot up able, enjoy their beauty during the sea- fine gardeners were using it, well, then,
the root and keep it around 40–50°F. If son, and save your money for next year. maybe I wasn’t so far off after all.
plants are to be enjoyed in a conserva- Full sun in the North, afternoon shade The plants were mask flowers, which
tory or greenhouse during the winter, be in the South, and reasonably good is a simpler and far more user-friendly
prepared to heat the structure to about drainage: they are not bog plants like way of saying Alonsoa meridionalis or
70°F. If no overwintering facility is avail- some species of Colocasia. more ☞
30 Alonsoa, continued
Alternanthera
calico plant
In certain American cities, the apprecia-
tion of ornamental plants is a way of life,
in both the private and public sectors.
People in these cities expect their parks Alternanthera ficoidea, chartreuse form Alternantheradentata var. rubiginosa ‘WaveHill’
not only to be clean and safe but also to be
well landscaped. Walking down Atlanta’s
Peachtree Street, I see a kaleidoscope of
colorful beds in front of apartments and
malls. If I can get to Montreal, I wander
into Westmount Park, to glory in one of
the finest floral clocks in the land. Boston,
Vancouver, New York, Portland, and Seat-
tle are all known as plant-friendly places
for the public. City planners and park
planners complement private landscapers
and architects in such cities, and we live
better because of them.
It is interesting that one of the most
common plants used in planted beds is
seldom seen in home gardens. The most
common of the public plants is Alter- Alternanthera ficoidea ‘Fizzy’
nanthera ficoidea, joseph’s coat, because
of its short, formal meatball-like habit,
bright colors, and lack of maintenance
needs. Growing no more than 9" tall and
often clad in chartreuse foliage, these
plants are the fences of formal beds, the
cultivar ‘Fizzy’ being the best example.
Wherever tight designs are called for, be
they formal beds at Wisley in England,
or the purple backgrounds on floral
clocks, Alternanthera ficoidea and its
short-statured relatives are planted.
Numerous colors are available, but char-
treuse and purple are the main ones
employed by the garden designer.
Not all alternantheras are the strict
domain of the professional, however, and Alternanthera ficoidea, floral clock
a few new stars have appeared in recent little too large and aggressive for many Plano, Texas. We have had the two plants 33
years. The most common is ‘Wave Hill’, gardeners. If that is the case, don’t be side by side at the University of Georgia
an upright purple form that can grow bashful; whack it off at the knees, and it Trial Gardens and ‘Gail’s Choice’ is
3–4' tall. Likely a selection of Alternan- will branch and return rapidly. A shorter shorter and slower to take off, but that is
thera dentata var. rubiginosa, the plant selection, sporting similar dark purple not a bad thing. She can also be clipped
maintains its shiny purple color all sea- foliage and perhaps even shinier, is if needed. A recent introduction to the
son. Its only drawback is that it may be a ‘Gail’s Choice’, selected by Gail Kahle in world of darkness is ‘Purple Knight’, but
Angelica
People always enjoy seeing angelica in
gardens, but I am not sure why. It may
be their sheer size (they pump them-
selves up to 6' in height), their great
balls of flowers, their stately seed heads,
or just that the name is so much fun to
say. Regardless, they hold people’s atten-
tion when they are in their glory, even
though their glory is often short-lived.
They are technically perennials, but they
frequently disappear after flowering, or
persist for no more than two years.
The best known of this group is wild
parsnip, Angelica archangelica, whose
Anagallis monellii ‘Blue Light’
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Angel Mist Lavender Pink’ Angelonia angustifolia ‘Carita Rose’
more ☞
42 Angelonia angustifolia, continued
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Angel Mist Lavender Improved’ Angelonia angustifolia ‘Carita Purple’
Antirrhinum majus ‘Solstice Purple’ Antirrhinum majus ‘Tahiti Mix’ Antirrhinum majus ‘Tahiti Plum’
more ☞
44 Antirrhinum, continued
Argyranthemum maderense Argyranthemum frutescens ‘Sugar and Ice’ Argyranthemum frutescens ‘Mary Wooten’
Asclepias
milkweed
Ask a corn or wheat farmer about the
ornamental value of milkweed, and he
Asarina antirrhiniflora ‘Red Dragon’ Asarina scandens ‘Jewel Purple’ will think you are either crazy or just
plain stupid. As a college student, I
buildings and jump wide canyons. Not on it but is an easy structure for the drove a large spray rig through the agri-
really, but they do grow quite rapidly. stems to get around. Most cultivars are cultural fields of southwestern Ontario,
The most common is the climbing snap- seed-propagated, and some people di- simply trying to keep the milkweed and
dragon, Asarina scandens, which twines rect sow the seed into the ground once other weeds under control. The cost for
around the supporting trellis or netting. the soil warms up. Several seed selec- the equipment and the chemicals and
I place them at the base of a fence tacked tions are out there; one of the more com- the loss of production attributable to
with some woven wire. The wire is al- mon is Jewel Mix, the favorite being this weed did not endear it to anybody.
most invisible when the plants are not ‘Jewel Purple’, while ‘Joan Lorraine’ pro- So imagine my surprise when some-
53
Asystasia gangetica
ganges primrose
Other than landscapers in Florida and
the Gulf Coast, I would bet that ninety-
nine people out of a hundred have never
seen or heard of Ganges primrose, Asys-
tasia gangetica. I rather enjoy this ram-
Asclepias physocarpa, flowers pant, somewhat sprawling member of
the acanthus family, which provides
handsome rosy pink flowers with a
white eye. Flowers can cover up the
plant when conditions are right. How-
ever, therein lies the problem. The right
conditions are not easy to provide in
most parts of the country. Plants like it
warm, no problem; reasonable drain-
age, again, no problem. However, plants
flower only under conditions of warm
temperatures and reasonably long
nights (short days) likely more than
twelve hours long. The beginning of
long nights occurs in the fall, but in the
North, temperatures are falling and are
usually too chilly to sustain flowering
Asystasia gangetica, flowers more ☞
56 Asystasia gangetica, continued for any length of time. Even in Athens,
Georgia, flowers occur only early in the
spring and late in the fall, around mid
October, and the show is short-lived
there as well. However, let us not get too
serious about the plant’s shortcomings.
The growth and foliage in the garden
are outstanding, and plants can be used
in containers and as greenery in the
garden. Heat and humidity are no prob-
lem, and while it appears to be a thug, it
is a wimp when temperatures fall below
freezing for any length of time.
A yellow-flowering cultivar occurs,
but I have not been able to find it.
Asystasia gangetica Full sun.
Ballota
horehound
It is hard to keep a straight face when
telling a friend that you just purchased a
horehound. As tenuous as that conversa-
tion would be even with a fellow gar-
dener, try broaching the subject at a
Tupperware party or with your football
friends. However, horehounds have their
use in the garden, if not as a topic of
conversation. They are used more in Eu-
rope than in the United States and have
never gained the popularity of, say,
Ballota pseudodictamnus lamb’s ears in America.
The common horehound, Ballota
pseudodictamnus, is a marvelous little
gray-leaved plant that functions as a foil
for stronger colors and looks terrific in
containers. The whorled hairy leaves are
the best feature of the plant; in bloom,
the dozens of small pink or white
coleus-like flowers actually detract from
the look of the plant. Plants are tender,
being native to southern Greece, how-
ever, they have been known to return as
far north as zone 6.
The black horehound, Ballota nigra,
has started to colonize parts of the
Northeast and Northwest but is not yet
easy to find elsewhere. Plants are more
Ballota pseudodictamnus, white-flowered form upright, somewhat shrubby and less
useful than the previous hound. The blessing is that Barleria, in general, is 57
common form is ‘Variegata’, a fine extremely tolerant of drought, and in
improvement on the species. Best in these times of water restrictions, now so
containers or the front of the garden. common in much of the country, their
Full sun to partial shade. popularity should improve. Full sun.
Begonia rex-cultorum ‘Lalomie’ Begonia rex-cultorum ‘Connie Boswell’ Begonia rex-cultorum ‘Good and Plenty’
Begonia rex-cultorum ‘Escargot’ Begonia tuberhybrida, red and orange mix Begonia tuberhybrida ‘Chanson’
more ☞
60 Begonia, continued
RESCAN
Bidens
beggar’s tick, pitchforks
The common names are in themselves
wonderful but so are the plants, which
are used mainly in baskets but also as
brighteners and fillers in gardens.
Everybody calls the plant bidens—I
can’t recall anyone asking how the pitch-
forks look in the basket; however, the
fruit are tick-like and beggar’s tick has
a certain ring to it. Dozens of species
exist, most native to North America and
many listed as weeds in various books
on flora of the United States. However,
unless you are digging weeds in the pas-
Bellis perennis ‘Carpet Red’
ture, there is very little choice in what is
available for the garden.
The only species easily found in most
outlets is fennel-leaf tick, Bidens feruli-
folia, with fennel-like foliage and bright
yellow flowers. Although the species is
native to Arizona, plants have the repu-
tation of being cool lovers, and make no
mistake about it, they look better and
persist longer in areas of cool summers.
I have seen fabulous baskets in northern
Europe and Portland, Oregon, blooming
their heads off in late August, and long
sad, stringy plants in Houston at the
same time of year. Although most older
cultivars shine only in cool climes, all is
not lost for the warm-summer garden-
ers. From our heat trials in Athens, I can
recommend ‘Peter’s Gold Carpet’ for its
Bellis perennis ‘Radar Red’ compact habit, which when tempera-
tures heat up, continues to provide a be sure to check the label carefully when vars for attention. Bidens heterophylla 69
good deal of flower power. I have also purchasing those pitchforks. has narrow leaves and light yellow to al-
been impressed with ‘Smiley’, a cultivar One or two others of those dozens of most white flowers. Not recommended
which looked a little shabby in the heat species are finding their way into gar- except in the coolest of summers, other-
but recovered well in late summer and dens; however, they still have a long way wise, it is a weed. A tall upright species
fall. These all look the same from afar, so to go before competing with the culti- is nodding beggar’s tick, B. cernua,
Brassica oleracea ‘White Sparrow’, diseased centers Brassica oleracea ‘White Feather’
more ☞
76 Brassica, Beta, continued
available, mostly in the blue-lavender- out of their misery in early August. That enjoy seeing it; it simply won’t get to the
violet spectrum. I have seen good-look- plants do better in one area of the coun- Armitage garden until later in the sea-
ing plants of ‘Marine Bells’ in the Uni- try than they do in another is true of al- son. Full sun in the North, partial shade
versity of Minnesota arboretum, and most all species, to deny it is to have in the South.
‘Blue Bells’ looked terrific in the Royal never traveled. However, this is simply
Botanical Gardens in Ontario. In Athens, a problem of timing. In all areas, they
plants seldom look good after 15 July, look better in cool gardens, so southern
pointing out the lack of tolerance of gardeners should plant them early in
Brugmansia
warm temperatures. In containers at the the season and enjoy them for a few angel’s trumpet
Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British months, or place small plants out in What was once a plant seen only in the
Columbia, ‘Daniella’ called for attention, early August to be enjoyed all fall. I hope tropics or in the tropical conservatory is
but in Cincinnati, they needed to be put this plant comes back in popularity, as I now being sold across the country. What
81
Brugmansia versicolor
83
the correct names for the plants will be Oh yes, I nearly forgot. These plants
listed, and if possible, spend your money are poisonous. If you ingest large
Caladium
on a hybrid like ‘Charles Grimaldi’, with amounts of leaves, flowers, or fruits, you I never used to be much of a fan of cala-
abundant and large salmon-pink flow- may suffer from hallucinations, dry diums (either selections of or hybrids in-
ers. Absolutely one of the best of these mouth, muscle weakness, increased volving Caladium bicolor), but the more I
superlative plants. blood pressure and pulse, fever, dilated see them, the more they grow on me.
And for those who belong to the ABG pupils, and paralysis. They are not as They come in many colors, from busy
(Anything But Green) group, the varie- bad as chewing on datura, but try to re- patterns of red to beautiful bright white
gated form, sometimes sold as ‘Sunset’, strain yourself. Full sun; take cuttings in forms. The key to caladium performance
is all right, but you will go head over the fall if you wish to overwinter a favor- is not to plant the corms too early; they
heels for ‘Snowbank’, a newer form with ite form. will simply sit in the ground until it
a much stronger variegation pattern. more ☞
84 Caladium, continued summers don’t last long. I don’t remem- large pastel pink leaves of ‘Fannie Mun-
ber a lot of caladium tubers being son’ are outstanding, and the tricolor
warms up. The foliage will emerge even- planted where I grew up in Montreal; by palette of ‘Fire Chief’ also catches the eye.
tually, but it is heat that these plants love, the time it was warm enough for sprout- However, perhaps because caladiums
without which, forget it! Of course, buy- ing, fall was the next day. prefer shady conditions, the cooler white
ing plants already leafed out makes great Brilliant is a pretty good description and off-white shades suit my fancy more.
sense if you want quicker success, and if for some of the cultivars out there. The They simply seem to brighten up that
Calibrachoa ×hybrida ‘Lirica Showers Pure White’ Calibrachoa ×hybrida ‘Colorburst Violet’
fied by ‘Colorburst Violet’, as well as of flowering stems. That part of the com- 89
the Starlet series, nicely shown by the Callistephus mon name is the same is simply because
early spring flowering of ‘Starlet Rose’. the flowers are similar. China asters are an
However, the color that has taken the
chinensis important cut flower in the world’s flower-
garden world by storm is ‘Terra Cotta’. china aster producing countries. Rows upon rows of
I have seen it trialed from Georgia to There need be no confusion about the flowers in bud, such as the Matsumoto
California and photographed it across aster name among gardeners. The China series shown here, are harvested every
the country, but the overflowing bas- aster (Callistephus chinensis) is an annual, day. Flowers of the Meteor series and
ket in a garden on Long Island, New flowers all season, and generally produces others provide good vase life after cutting
York, showed why it has become so one to three flowering stems. The genus and are used by arrangers to make
popular. An outstanding color, used to Aster (Aster spp.) is perennial, flowers vibrant statements on their own or as
perfection. Full sun. mainly in the fall, and produces dozens companions in a mixed bouquet.
Callistephus chinensis Matsumoto series, cut flower field Callistephus chinensis ‘Matador Salmon Pink’
Callistephus chinensis Meteor series, cut flowers Callistephus chinensis ‘Blue Ribbon’
more ☞
90 Callistephus chinensis, continued one of the Matador series, such as flowers, and more dwarf material has
‘Matador Salmon Pink’, provides good steadily become available. ‘Blue Ribbon’
However, who said cut flowers cannot stem length but is not so tall as to flop can be used in containers or the garden,
also make fine garden plants? People in- over, a common problem with the large- and the small ball-like flowers of the
corporate China asters in their gardens flowered forms. Some mixes (Pommex Pompom series, like ‘Pompom Red and
or containers to provide color and to cut series) provide pompon-like flowers and White’, are quite spectacular, if a little
a few flowers to bring in as needed. are easily grown in the flower garden. gaudy. I really am not a fan of “dog-
There are some disease problems with They can be purchased as seeds or as eared”flowers like those in the Ballet
China asters, but for the most part, the started plants and planted in the spring, series, but some gardeners really enjoy
flowering plants and the cut stems pro- then again in mid summer, for best suc- that frizzy look. As for me, I will take the
vide great pleasure. For flowers similar cession of bloom. Recently, there has Astoria series any day and plant them
to those used by commercial growers, been greater garden demand for these everywhere. The mix is awesome, and as
Callistephus chinensis ‘Pompom Red and White’ Callistephus chinensis Ballet series
Canavalia gladiata
sword bean
I learned long ago that there are two
groups of people I will hear from when
presenting a lecture: members of a hardy Canavalia gladiata, seeds
plant society (any state) and master gar-
deners (ditto). That is why I try to be legume for animal feed and human con-
prepared for anything, because as sure sumption. When Jose give me the pod,
as day turns to night, I will get questions the pink-claret seeds within were just
that people have gunnysacked for years, waiting to be sown. Like Jack, I tossed the
just waiting to ask the “expert.” But seeds out, and once warm temperatures
always, I learn from them. And how I arrived, away my magical beanstalk
enjoy interacting with such enthusiasm. climbed. Now, I don’t want to tell you that
One day, in such an interaction, Jose this vine can in any way compete with the
Tallent, a master gardener in Georgia, beauty of clematis or passion flower, but it
brought me a huge green pod from a vine was, well, neat. It climbed by tendrils and
and asked if I knew what it was. I did not, formed many heart-shaped leaves on a
but I was intrigued: the thing could have robust vine. In the summer, small rosy
been used as a lethal weapon in the wrong pink pea flowers occurred, which were
hands. The experts in tropical vines handsome even if not particularly over-
checked references, scratched their heads whelming. Even the fruit that Jose origi-
for a while, and then came up with sword nally brought me was not particularly
bean, Canavalia gladiata, well known in eye-catching, being as green as the leaves
Africa and Asia, where it is grown as a and hardly noticeable until pointed out. Canavalia gladiata
more ☞
92 Canavalia gladiata, continued The seeds mature in the fall and
can be kept in a jar on your desk. Wait
Canna ×generalis
But oh my, once they were pointed out, until the soil warms up, then sow them canna lily
their size became obvious, and when- in the ground; doing so earlier will Where did all these cannas come from?
ever I toured people around the garden, not gain any time. This is a plant for It used to be that canna lilies (Canna
I would scramble to the fence and har- plantspeople; it will not excite those ×generalis) were fillers, green leaves
vest a pod. And just like Jose, I would who have eyes only for the brightest. and red flowers, maybe one or two with
ask,“Do you know what this is?” Full sun. yellow blooms or with burnished leaf
Canna ×generalis ‘Tropical Rose’ Canna ×generalis ‘King Humbert’ Canna ×generalis ‘Liberty Scarlet’
ornamental pepper these young bulls would probably be guys don’t stand a chance.
I love it when high school students tour smart enough not to charge, except for Ornamental peppers are easy to use in
the UGA Trial Gardens, especially when the presence of the bull-ettes. Invariably, the garden, seldom growing more than
both girls and boys are in the group. the girls elbow the boys a little, and soon 1' tall. I have seen individual plants in a
When I point out the ornamental pep- one or two bulls will have to show the patio container to whole populations
pers (Capsicum annuum), all I need to herd that they are up to the task. And the lining a walkway at Longwood Gardens.
say is,“These are very hot, anybody peppers are indeed hot! And how those They bear white flowers, which give way
Capsicum annuum ‘Holiday Flame’ Capsicum annuum ‘Medusa’ Capsicum annuum ‘Explosive Ember’
Cardiospermum halicacabum
Caryopteris incana
Catananche caerulea
102 astonishing array of flower colors and bined with outstanding new flower col-
Catharanthus roseus flower sizes. ors. Plants look good in the garden, in a
vinca Most gardeners, when eyeing the sun- container, and even as an edging to large
From an almost unrecognizable small loving, heat-seeking flowers, refer to beds and walkways. They seldom grow
flowering plant on the island of Mada- these plants (Catharanthus roseus) as more than 1' tall and are covered with
gascar, vinca (or Madagascar periwin- vinca, but no one should get this mixed flowers from June to frost.
kle) has been reinvented by plant breed- up with perennial vinca (Vinca spp.). However, their popularity declined in
ers into a bigger, bolder, and more This vinca is sold as a bedding plant and recent years because of their susceptibil-
vigorous plant. Gardeners now can became popular when its tolerance to ity to root rots associated with overwa-
chose from dozens of cultivars, in an heat, humidity, and full sun were com- tering. If you are overzealous in over-
Catharanthus roseus ‘Heat Wave White’ Catharanthus roseus ‘Icy Pink Cooler’ Catharanthus roseus ‘Caribbean Lavender’
head watering, or the bed is in a low can succeed easily with these plants, nothing short of spectacular. Cultivars 103
area, these are not the plants for you. even under normal rainfall. Don’t such as ‘Bourbon Street’ and ‘Orchid
One of the few good things about times include them near the in-ground Stardust’ have obvious eyes in the flow-
of drought is that many plants suffer far sprinkling system you use on your turf ers and are quite eye-catching them-
fewer fungal problems, and vinca is cer- in the middle of the night. Don’t plant selves. White is always in fashion; ‘Heat
tainly one of them. It is unfortunate that them where the rain does not drain Wave White’ provides clean color, while
a good plant suffered because of poor well, and provide full sun. Then get out ‘Icy Pink Cooler’ adds that hint of pink.
gardening practices, but this is not the of the way. Pinks and lavenders are well represented
first example, nor will it be the last. The change in flower size and shape in the land of vincas, and I have always
Given a few brains, most gardeners over the past fifteen years has been enjoyed ‘Pacifica Pink’ and ‘Tropicana
Catharanthus roseus, UGA Trial Gardens Celosia argentea var. cristata Jewel Box Mix
Catharanthus roseus ‘Orchid Stardust’ Celosia argentea var. cristata ‘Bicolor Chief ’
105
Celosia argentea var. spicata ‘Purple Flamingo’ with sweet potato Celosia argentea var. spicata ‘Cramers’ Amazon’
Celosia argentea var. cristata ‘Prestige Scarlet’ Celosia argentea var. plumosa Sparkler series
Celosia argentea var. cristata ‘Red Chief ’ Celosia argentea var. plumosa ‘Apricot Brandy’
rowed out like corn and appear in bou- luster, celosia continues to reinvent itself. shorter, uglier celosia than you, wanna 107
quets and as single stems throughout the One of the ways the genus remains in the bet?”) resulted in a startling transfigura-
country. Gardeners have never had a crosshairs of landscapers and gardeners tion of quite a nice plant. I can think of
major love affair with Celosia argentea is in its multitude of forms. Like bego- many adjectives for ‘Amigo Mahogany
but not for lack of visibility of the plant. nias, they wear many different costumes, Red’, but “subtle”would not be one of
Although not as popular as petunias or all of which can be welcome in the garden. them. Each large colored brain squatting
geraniums, celosias have been aggres- The cockscomb look (var. cristata) is on the plants of Jewel Box Mix persists
sively hybridized to keep plants new and the form easiest to hate. Colored brains most of the summer, so one can relive
fresh, resulting in their continued visibil- always come to my mind when I teach The Hunchback of Notre Dame remakes
ity in public places and retail outlets. This these plants, but who is to account for every day. But to be fair, I am likely in the
is a good thing, because while bedding taste? What had to have started out as a minority in my aversion to this group,
plants in general have lost some of their joke among breeders (“I can make a because more just keep on coming. But at
least they are getting better. I have come
to enjoy the upright flowers of ‘Prestige
Scarlet’ and believed they would also
make fine cut flowers. But when I was in-
troduced to the mother of all cut flowers
in celosia, the Chief series, I realized the
cut flower market had already been
taken. In the garden, they really are awe-
some, producing large clubs so in case
anyone attacks you in the garden, you
have a ready-made defensive weapon. All
sorts of colors may be had, but if a pic-
ture is worth a thousand words, looking
at ‘Red Chief’ and ‘Bicolor Chief’ can sub-
stitute for an essay. When they are taken
out of the garden and teamed with gold-
enrod or other bright flowers, put on your
shades and duck for cover.
Celosia argentea var. spicata ‘Purple Flamingo’ Celosia argentea var. spicata ‘Venezuela’
RESCAN RESCAN
Celosia argentea var. cristata ‘Scarlet Chief ’, arrangement with goldenrod Celosia argentea var. plumosa ‘New Look’
more ☞
108 Celosia, continued their legs. The purple-leaved, purple- reseed with gusto. Season-long flower-
flowered form ‘Purple Flamingo’, out- ing, however, is the norm for ‘Flamingo
A relatively recent group, wheat celosia standing in its own right, is tough Feather’, and seeing it towering over
(var. spicata), is often seen in parks and enough to anchor a corner of the UGA other celosias puts its height in perspec-
botanic gardens. Tall and stately, wheat campus in concert with ‘Margarita’ sweet tive. ‘Cramers’ Amazon’ is a popular tall
celosias can be impressive in the back- potato. The drawback of this cultivar is cut flower form and for those who like
ground or surrounded by other plants at that it does not flower until fall and can this form but don’t have space for such
Celosia argentea var. spicata ‘Flamingo Feather’ Celosia argentea var. plumosa ‘Century Red’
Centaurea americana ‘Jolly Joker’ Centaurea moschata Imperialis series, as cut flowers
All members of the genus are grown 111
from seed, which can be sown after
threat of frost. Deadhead for most per-
sistent performance, and, if needed, sow
again in mid summer for fall flowering.
Full sun to afternoon shade.
Cerinthe major
honeywort
Honeywort (Cerinthe major) has such a
weird flower, it is small wonder that so
few people grow it. It is difficult to de-
scribe the small pendent purple and
black flower; I mean, come on, how many
Centaurea cyanus Florence Mix people really want purple and black as
part of their floral display? But to those of
you who must have the newest and the
weirdest: this fascinating plant should
definitely be on your short list.
The gray-green leaves are waxy and
thick, and plants are relatively drought-
tolerant; however, high humidity and
wetness are not to their liking. The flow-
ers lean over the foliage and don’t really
contrast well, and for me at least, tend to
get lost. But believe it or not, some peo-
ple think they make good cut stems. I
have also tried the yellow form, ‘Aurea’,
whose flowers are a lot more likeable
and more reliable as well. Still a tough
plant to keep alive throughout the sea-
Cerinthe major more ☞
find, and this three-colored flower re- Full sun in the North, afternoon
mains rather obscure. However, some shade is tolerated in the South. All
cultivars are breaking through the gar- purchased from seed. Deadheading is
den ranks, and I find ‘Polar Skies’, a beneficial. Reseed in the summer for
handsome white-flowered form, quite fall flowers.
lovely. Crown daisy (C. coronarium) has
ferny leaves and usually bears yellow
flowers. The best selection is ‘Primrose Chrysocephalum
Gem’, with dozens of small double light
yellow flowers. apiculatum
Lastly, in our search for the true nullabor buttons,
chrysanthemum, let us not overlook the golden buttons
best one of all and discover what a corn Here is a plant that definitely needs
marigold (Chrysanthemum segetum) re- to be grown to be appreciated. To see
ally looks like. What it really looks like is this plant in a container at the garden
a common yellow daisy with handsome store is to walk right past it, but that
dark green dissected leaves. The smaller would be a mistake. Nullabor buttons Chrysocephalum apiculatum, Australia
darker center contrasts with the lighter (Chrysocephalum apiculatum) is native
yellow rays. However, there are enough to the Nullabor Plain in Australia, indi- reward you with aggressive, but not in-
boring yellows out there, and I prefer cating a tolerance for heat and drought. vasive, growth, and with dozens upon
‘Prado’ for its much more contrastive I was impressed with the plant when I dozens of small button-like yellow flow-
flower center. Excellent performer as first saw it growing in eastern Australia, ers that just keep on appearing. Plants
well. ‘Eastern Star’ is the most unusual so I brought some home and grew it out tolerate conditions from Minneapolis to
in that the only trace of yellow sur- in Athens. I was not disappointed. Miami and are as at home in the ground
rounds the center. Quite beautiful. Buy it for a sunny, difficult spot; it will more ☞
114 Chrysocephalum apiculatum, continued a powerful endorsement may not result
Cirsium japonicum in everyone searching for seed, but for
as in a container, where they are not so japanese thistle some of you, additional information
tamed that they look like marigolds. The very word “thistle”is a major turnoff may be useful.
Hopefully, there will be a pot of this to most gardeners; however, as thistles Plants are prickly, to be sure, but not
stuff at the garden center to walk by, and go, the Japanese thistle (Cirsium japon- nearly as bad as most other thistles that
if there is, stop and buy. Full sun. icum) isn’t all bad. I am sure that such come to mind, in particular Canada
Clerodendrum ugandense
quickly in the garden. The handsome form, which should be saved for next The cup and saucer vine (Cobaea scan- 121
blue and white flowers that are formed year’s crop. Plant the seeds after the dens) is well named, with a well-defined
truly are beautiful, but unfortunately, threat of frost, and sit back and enjoy cup and saucer dancing on the vine.
the plant has a sprawling habit and this fine import from Ternate. Full sun. Soak the seeds overnight, then sow them
doesn’t flower consistently. Keep it in the ground after frost is no longer a
within arm’s reach: it is a plant for a con- problem; starting any earlier is simply a
tainer near where people gather, so the waste of time. Otherwise start them in
flowers can be admired, even though
Cobaea scandens containers about two weeks before the
there may not be many of them. Cer- cup and saucer vine last frost-free date. Plants grow quickly
tainly worth growing, but may not be Another marvelous annual vine that can and can easily reach 10–15' in a season.
worth the time or expense in subsequent fill an arbor or clamber through a shrub. In general, the lavender-flowered
years. Full sun.
Clitoria ternatea
butterfly pea vine
What a beautiful vine, how little used it
is. It’s common name needs to become
far more common, for this is a terrific
plant. The butterfly pea vine (Clitoria
ternatea) hails from the island of
Ternate, one of the Molucca Islands in
Indonesia, an interesting but absolutely
useless piece of plant trivia. Plants grow
rapidly and climb by tendrils, which
allow them to scramble up walls or
through shrubs. The handsome foliage
consists of five leaflets per leaf, but it is
the dark blue flowers that are so out-
standing. After flowering, long thin pods
Cobaea scandens
Coleus
Coleus, coleus everywhere, and more on
their way: if one plant exemplifies the
explosion of specialty annuals in North
America, it has to be coleus. Actually,
the real name for coleus is Solenostemon Coleus ‘Aurora’
123
Coleus, container
more ☞
124 Coleus, continued
Consolida
larkspur
Larkspur is a mainstay for cut flower
growers, particularly in the West, where
it is grown by the acre for fresh and dried
stems. Most larkspurs grown today are
hybrids of two or three species. The
characteristics that make it so appealing
to growers can be taken advantage of by
gardeners as well. Larkspurs are easy to
grow: simply throw some seed out in the
spring in the North, in the fall in the
South, and get out of the way. Viewed as a
single stem, one can see that the flowers
are similar to those of delphinium, right Consolida ‘Alba’
bindweed would plant it in a garden. A number of brighten up the edges of a walkway. Its
Say the words “morning glory”and species are considered perennial, mainly cousin ‘Full Moon’ is similar in habit but
“bindweed”in the same sentence, and the very silvery silverbush, Convolvulus has darker flowers. Both are superb
many gardeners will run away in fear. cneorum, although hardiness south of plants during the cooler days of spring
Fear of reseeding, fear of rapacious zone 7 is questionable. and fall but may have difficulties in mid
weeds, and fear of the unknown are the The popularity of some of the excel- summer.
reasons for turning tail. With the true lent annuals is not large, but they are Some of the showiest plants are
morning glory (Ipomoea, which see), gaining ground little by little. I think the known as the annual morning glory,
plants can become a terrible nuisance, prettiest is a selection of trailing morn- Convolvulus tricolor. The tricolor refers
but not so with ornamentals of this ing glory, Convolvulus sabatius. ‘Baby to the wild coloration of the flowers on
Cuphea ‘Twinkle Pink’ Cuphea ignea ‘Dynamite’ Cuphea ignea ‘Kona White’
Dahlia
While some people in some places can
consider dahlias perennial, most of us
must dig, store, and replant. For me,
dahlias are one of the most difficult
plants to love: too much heat, too many
bugs, too many diseases, and far too
much staking. But while I don’t love them
in my garden, I love them in other places
where they put on their show. And what a
show a good planting provides: short
ones, tall ones, singles, doubles, pastels
and flashy colors—no end to what a
crazy person can plant. Like a number of
Curcuma petiolata other large plant groups (daylilies, roses,
Dianella
flax lily
I am including these plants (Dianella
tasmanica, D. caerulea) because I have
noticed that they are being sold in the
American market, and most people
have no idea what they even look like.
They are annuals for most of us, per-
haps hardy with good mulching to zone
7b. Plants have leaves much like an iris,
rather forgettable, somewhat messy,
and not much to write home about. The
flowers are about 1" across at best, blue
and yellow and quite disappointing if
you are waiting for an iris flower. In and
of themselves, they are handsome but
can be overlooked if you walk by too
quickly. However, the plant does have a
nice habit, and its claim to fame, if you
are lucky, is the dark blue berries that
follow the flowers. They make a striking Dianella caerulea, fruit
more ☞
148 Dianella, continued
showing, and the fruit alone are worth cut flowers because of their strong, long enough. I think ‘Snowfire’, although
the time. Best in containers. Overwinter lengthy stems. Plants in the Messenger old (it was an All-America Selection in
in a warm area; they are too difficult to series are also strong of stem and useful 1978!), is the best of the China pinks,
find to allow them to freeze. Full sun. for cut flowers, but the shorter plants fit and it is still available.
into a garden setting a little easier. Most The hybridization of sweet williams
sweet williams simply come as mixes and China pinks, with the idea of com-
and provide pastels and bright colors all bining the weather tolerance of the for-
Dianthus spring. Cultivars can be located, but if mer with the long-flowering tendencies
pink you are going to the effort of searching, of the latter, has been accomplished,
Annual China pink (Dianthus chinensis) you might want to search for the dark and the resulting hybrids (Dianthus
and its hybrids, as well as the biennial flowered ‘Sooty’, one of the favorite stop- ×heddewigii), such as ‘Ideal Peace’, have
sweet william (D. barbatus), are almost ping points at the Missouri Botanical become immensely popular, being
as popular as the perennial species. Garden and also in Athens. A persistent, heartily embraced by gardeners and
Sweet william doesn’t fit neatly into cate- unique performer in both places. landscapers alike. In the South, combi-
gories like annual or perennial and, in China pinks are hardly seen at all in nations of white dianthus and purple
general, requires a winter to provide the North American gardens because, in pansies are planted in the fall, flower
cold needed for flowering. Supposedly, most parts of the country, they are their heads off in March, and continue
it should be replaced after it flowers, but wimpy and seldom live up to the picture throughout the spring and into the
many biennial forms need replacing found on the seed package. Let it not be summer. In the North, they can be
simply because they tire out, not be- said that they are not beautiful: I have planted in the fall as well, but most wait
cause of their life cycle. Numerous trialed and seen beautiful examples, until early spring. In cool summers,
cultivars have been selected; some like such as ‘Parfait’ and ‘Rosemarie’; how- they flower all summer. They look
‘Cinderella Pink’ are used exclusively for ever, they simply didn’t stay beautiful equally at home in large containers
149
Echium
bugloss
The echiums are most famous for the
rocketship-looking plants with such
wonderful names as pride of Tenerife
(Echium simplex) or pride of Madeira
(E. candicans), which you may discover
on your fantasy trip to the Canary
Islands or in gardens in southwest
England. But not here, at least not out-
side conservatories. Great fun to visit, Echium vulgare ‘Blue Bedder’
though for the most part quite unsuc- was not. Probably Georgia was not to its tassel flower
cessfully, is the red bugloss, Echium liking. But that is no excuse for you: try A little-known wildflower of India, Poly-
amoenum. I first saw it at Kew Gardens some so you can do some reveling. Full nesia, and tropical Africa, tassel flower
in England and was determined to find sun to partial shade. finds its way to gardens here and there
more ☞
sure just where it will appear next. prevalent, such as in the Portland area, grandiflorum
The best known of the garden annuals plants are equally beautiful but not as lisianthus,
is snow-on-the-mountain, Euphorbia tall. This snowy plant is also useful for prairie gentian
marginata. Planted in early spring, its cut stems; after cutting put the stem Prairie gentians are, as one might sur-
plants will grow rapidly, showing off in boiling water or sear it on a hot plate mise, native to the American prairies,
variegated foliage as they mature. With to stop the flow of latex. Remember, all yet the actual wildflower is nowhere to
sufficient heat, plants can grow 3–4' tall, euphorbs have milky sap, and it can be be seen in North American gardens. But
and when they flower, they produce quite irritating, so keep it away from plant breeders around the world have
clean white bracts. The flowers are white your face, particularly your eyes. Full discovered its marvelous properties as a
as well, but it is the bracts and the leaves sun to partial shade. cut flower, and flowers have been bred
that provide the show. ‘Kilimanjaro’ is a into a myriad of colors, occurring as
Evolvulus pilosus
blue daze
Blue daze (Evolvulus pilosus) is one of
those plants you can pass by one day,
then stop the next and wonder why you
more ☞ Evolvulus pilosus, garden
168 Evolvulus pilosus, continued cially on the West Coast or in Europe, will look terrific until temperatures re-
but it does not get a fair shake in the fuse to budge out of the 90s.
hadn’t noticed it before. The plants are East. True enough, plants prefer cooler They stand only about 15" tall, and
excellent in baskets and containers and nights and less humid conditions than they can vary from the lightest to the
as a low-growing groundcover. those found in parts of the East, but not darkest blue. In the Butchart Gardens,
They are only about 6–9" tall and to try this at least once is to overlook a they were so pale that they were almost
flower most of the season. From a dis- great offering. Even in the South, they white, whereas in Santa Barbara, Cali-
tance or on miserable overcast days, the
flowers may not be terribly noticeable,
but they make a terrific show most of the
time. At the University of Georgia, plants
are often used with ‘New Gold’ lantana,
and while they work together from a dis-
tance, the blue flowers must be seen
close-up to be appreciated. In small
beds, they stay low, peeking out from
their neighbors, to provide months of
white-centered blue flowers to enjoy.
Full sun to partial shade.
Felicia amelloides
blue marguerite
I have always admired the wonderful
blue flower of Felicia amelloides, espe- Felicia amelloides, Butchart Gardens Felicia amelloides, California
are the triphylla, or three-leaf, hybrids. fully shortened to ‘Gartenmeister’. blanket flower
As the number of gardeners continues Plants have enjoyed an excellent repu- Most people recognize the genus as a
to expand, so do the boundaries of tation for performance, and they are perennial; however, the main annual
trial and error. Everyone wants to take classically handsome in containers or species (Gaillardia pulchella) flowers
the fuchsia they grew in Winnipeg or complementing other annuals like longer and provides more choice of
Santa Barbara and try it out in Atlanta ornamental tobacco. If you have all but color. Although they are native to the
or Dallas. Young gardeners see a fuch- given up on fuchsias, try this one. If it southern United States, the annual
sia in the store and without a second still does not make you happy, spend species are not easy to locate in the gar-
thought, buy it, ignore it, and kill it. your money on wine, then look again. den shop, but many and various culti-
The triphyllas were trumpeted as pos- All fuchsias need consistent water; if vars of G. pulchella have arrived on the
sible help for this intolerance-of-heat- they dry out, they will seldom recover. scene to add to our annual palette.
and-abuse problem, which gets in the They look fine planted in the garden just Many of the selections bear rounded
way of two-thirds of the population like other plants, and if you can find an double to semi-double flowers; some
enjoying these fine plants. Has the upright standard, you will reduce the (but not all) cultivars may be unnamed.
hype worked? The answer is a definite problems of drying out. If using baskets ‘Yellow Plume’ flowers profusely on
maybe. The triphyllas are more toler- or containers, use as large a size as pos- 12–15" tall plants, and I consider ‘Yellow
ant of abuse, but they are still fuchsias sible, cramping their style will only Queen’ equally beautiful, if not identical:
and still need attention to keep them cramp yours. Fertilize with a liquid fer- they may in fact be the same thing under
looking good. Look for ‘Thalia’ and tilizer two or three times a season. Cool different names. The Lollipop series was
‘Koralle’, both excellent performers in weather is always preferred to heat, and a popular selection in the 1980s; how-
containers or the garden. The most afternoon shade will be appreciated. ever, it is a little tall and is knocked
Gaillardia pulchella Lollipop series Gaillardia aestivalis var. winkleri, purple form, UGA Trial Gardens
var. winkleri, otherwise called white 175
firewheel. To make a long story short,
they did extraordinarily well, provided
rich shades of purple as well as white,
and have been perennial in our zone 7b
garden. They are beautiful in every way,
and we are making selections with the
seed that has formed. Plantsmen at
Steven F. Austin State University in
Nacogdoches, Texas, are also working on
domesticating the plant, and with a little
luck, seed of selected cultivars will be
available through seed companies in the
near future. Full sun, sandy soils.
Gazania
treasure flower
These South African plants sport some
of the most beautiful and wonderfully
detailed flowers among all the daisies.
Gaillardia pulchella ‘Yellow Queen’ more ☞
Gaillardia aestivalis var. winkleri, purple and white forms, UGA Trial Gardens
176 Gazania, continued
Gerbera jamesonii‘Masquerade Pastel White’, G. j. ‘Masquerade Pastel Pink’ Gerbera jamesonii ‘Masquerade Scarlet’
Gilia leptantha
Gladiolus
I have difficulty getting excited about
gladioli as garden plants. They remind
me of orchids: fabulous flowers, ugly
plants. The hybrids (Gladiolus ×hy-
bridus) are grown from corms, which
are removed each fall to be replanted
in the spring. The hybrids have been
intensely bred but mostly for cut flower
use, and one can see acres of flowers
meant for florists and designers every-
where. As beautiful as many flowers are,
the plants are often isolated and ban-
ished to the “cut flower”area of the gar-
den, which is probably a good thing. A
bucket of cut glads can bring a lot of joy
to a lot of friends. Even in the overbred
hybrids, a number of beautiful forms
are available to discerning gardeners,
and the dwarf forms can actually be
incorporated into the garden. I have
always loved the white flowers of ‘The
Bride’, and it is hard not to get excited by
Gilia capitata cultivars such as the brilliant ‘Robinetta’.
181
Gloriosa superba
glory lily
The first time I saw this weird but spec-
tacular plant, Gloriosa superba, I as-
sumed that no one would grow it outside
conservatories and home greenhouses.
The fact that it is expensive, somewhat
Glaucium corniculatum in snow
finicky, and dislikes being transplanted
would also have something to do with its
absence from gardens. However, it is for
sale in many catalogs, I see it impris-
oned in bulb bags at the local box store,
and, sure as heck, people do grow it.
The deciduous climber comes from a
tuber; if possible, start it indoors in a
peat container three to four weeks prior
to placing into a larger container out-
doors. It can scramble through shrubs,
but most people prefer to put it on a trel-
lis in a protected area of the patio. Plants
will not flower until mid to late summer,
depending on heat, but what a dazzling
show they provide.
Glaucium flavum more ☞
184 Gloriosa superba, continued The most common form is ‘Roth-
schildiana’, an amazing combination of
red and yellow on delightfully fashioned
flowers. However, if you are not the
gaudy sort, you might want to look for
‘Citrina’, a wonderful shade of yellow.
Equally beautiful but without the flash.
Full sun in the North, afternoon shade in
the South. Bring in to a frost-free area
after the first kiss of frost outdoors.
Gomphrena
“Want tough, try gomphrena!”That
could make an advertisement on televi-
sion to rival James Bond or Spiderman.
Those guys have nothing on the globe
amaranth (Gomphrena globosa). Start-
ing out as a persistent weed in the trop-
ics, it has been morphed into a bedding
and landscape plant with few equals for
perseverance. That does not mean that
everyone likes it, or that it is the prettiest
plant in the landscape, only that it spits
Gloriosa superba ‘Rothschildiana’ out the heat of a southwestern summer,
tolerates the rain in Portland, and thrives
in the gardens of Boston. It is a common
member in gardens, meandering through
cosmos and other annuals, and it can fill
in entire islands in busy downtown
areas. Of course, any plant that is that
tough will also be sought after as a cut
flower, both fresh and dried, and in
Gomphrena globosa ‘Strawberry Fields’, cut flowers Gomphrena globosa ‘All Around Purple’
wanted to try it. Not quite the vigor of 187
many of the others but pleasant never-
theless. Full sun.
Graptophyllum
pictum
caricature plant
Another plant that was hidden for years
in the bowels of conservatories and
tropical greenhouses, Graptophyllum
pictum has arisen from obscurity and
become a popular plant for containers
and gardens. Caricature plants are
Gomphrena globosa ‘Lavender’ grown for their wonderful leathery foli-
Helichrysum
With the removal of the main flowering
species into the genus Bracteantha
(which see), this genus is left with a
higgledy-piggledy potpourri of annual
goodies. Many have been around for
years, while others are only now starting
to be grown in gardens.
One of the best known is the curry
plant, Helichrysum italicum, with a fra-
grance remarkably similar to curry. The
silver leaves look fine all season, and for
me, the fragrance is far more pleasant Helichrysum italicum, rock garden
than the taste of the real thing. The
flowers are pleasant enough, although
if it never flowered, it would still be a
sought-after addition to the garden. Best
in rock gardens or where drainage is
excellent, but also fine in containers.
Full sun, good drainage.
Most of the “helis”have silvery foliage
and have been used to accent other
plants in baskets and containers. One
such plant that has been sold for many
years is licorice plant, Helichrysum peti-
olare. The plant is grown strictly for the
foliage, the flowers are nondescript and
of little value. ‘Limelight’ is one of the
best, complementing other plants in
containers or poking out from the edge Helichrysum petiolare ‘Limelight’
of the garden. For a different look, has upright shoots, almost standing at 195
‘Variegatum’ provides all sorts of inter- attention, and bears lots of yellow daisy
Heliotropium
est, although it is perhaps not as com- flowers in late summer. Grown for the fo- heliotrope
plementary to other plants as ‘Lime- liage; flowers should be removed. The lat- Grown in far greater numbers in your
light’. Best in containers, hates wet feet. ter is a recent introduction, designed to grandmother’s heyday than today, helio-
The other two plants hanging about be put in containers by itself, or as a com- trope is nonetheless making a come-
the fringes are silver everlasting, plement to others. It is sold as ‘Icicles’ back. Ask anyone why they include
Helichrysum splendidum, and silver and ‘Silver Spike’. Both behave poorly in heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens)
spike, H.thianschanicum. The former wet soils and high humidity. Full sun. in the garden and they will immediately
more ☞
Helichrysum petiolare ‘Limelight’ with geraniums and phormium Helichrysum petiolare ‘Variegatum’
Hibiscus
mallow
Many of the hibiscus used in gardens
today are the hardy hibiscus, Hibiscus
moscheutos, and they are big and bril-
liant compared to many of the annual
ones that are commonly grown out- Hibiscus acetosella
doors. But times are changing, and trop-
ical hibiscus, like many other plants of
that ilk, are moving from the Florida
nursery to the Michigan garden.
Perhaps the most common annual hi-
biscus of gardens is the red shield hibis-
cus, Hibiscus acetosella. Plants provide
marvelous deep to rosy red foliage all
season, occasionally peeking out with a
small red flower or two before the frost
knocks them down. They can grow 6–8'
tall and are great architectural features
or complements to other plants in the
garden. ‘Copper Leaf ’ is sometimes
sold; it bears more subdued leaves of a
coppery rather than red color. Regard-
less, the upright stature and vigorous Hibiscus acetosella ‘Copper Leaf ’
habit make this hibiscus difficult to
overlook.
The diversity of the genus is best
shown by having your eye drift from the
heights of the red shield to ground level,
where the dwarf flower-of-an-hour,
Hibiscus trionum, resides. With its white
flowers and dark centers, the plants
bloom continuously and sneer at heat
and humidity. Never attaining more than
1' in height, plants enjoy a position in the
front of the garden or in containers.
The ascent of the tropical hibiscus
(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) into main-
stream gardens has been slow but
steady. Always thought of as a Florida
plant, gardeners in more northerly Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Jakarta’
more ☞
200 Hibiscus, continued locales would admire them on their
southern holiday but ignore them at
Hypoestes
home. A number of breeders and sellers phyllostachya
are working at trying to provide plants polka dot plant
with more weather tolerance, so they The polka dot plant is still produced by
will bloom as well on 70°F days as on American growers, but it is not as popu-
85°F days. The colors are undeniably lar as it was only ten years ago. Nothing
beautiful, and the dark green foliage wrong with the plant, it is simply inevi-
can be handsome when well grown, but table that as more plants are put in front
it will turn yellow if under stress. Many of the North American gardener, others
cultivars are being introduced, and the lose some of their appeal. Such is the
only way to know which are the best is case with Hypoestes phyllostachya.
to try a couple. Cultivars show up lo- Plants grown in the greenhouse are
cally; few are nationally recognized, so compact and brilliant when placed on
no telling what might be for sale. I have the retail shelf, and once planted in the
enjoyed ‘Jakarta’ and ‘Kona’, but hand- garden tend to expand and grow out of
some cultivars are sold everywhere. Full that habit. They make excellent con-
sun for all. tainer and groundcover candidates,
Hibiscus trionum
Hypoestes phyllostachya, greenhouse Hypoestes phyllostachya ‘Confetti Carmine Rose’, H. p. ‘Confetti White’
providing vigorous low growth with teresting tones of ‘Confetti Carmine’ are candytuft, Iberis sempervirens. How-
interesting spotted foliage. Flowers are not too dark and show up reasonably ever, there is more to candytuft than
forgettable and minor. We have trialed well in the landscape. Full sun in the one species, and some of the annual
many cultivars, and I find those with North, afternoon shade in the South. forms are much showier than the usual
white markings, such as ‘White Splash’, perennials.
don’t get lost when grown with other The most common of these uncom-
plants. ‘Confetti White’ is superior, and mon plants is the amazing rocket can-
shows up even more when planted near
Iberis dytuft, Iberis amara. Plants look like
‘Confetti Carmine Rose’. The darker-col- candytuft they’re on the launch pad at Cape
ored leaves, like those found on ‘Pink This is another genus dominated by a Canaveral, noses pointed in the air.
Splash’, are too busy for me, but the in- perennial species, in this case perennial more ☞
202 Iberis, continued large-flowered rocket that can also be would like and may not look good in
useful as a cut flower. Quite outstanding the middle of July, but so what?
They look terrific in gardens with a few but perhaps a little too big. A shorter A form that is much less of a rocket is
red dianthus keeping guard. A number but no less handsome form is ‘Iceberg common candytuft, Iberis umbellata,
of improved rockets are also sold, the Superior’; either one is fun to grow. which has wonderful colors on low-
most popular being ‘White Pinnacle’, a They are not as weather-tolerant as I growing plants, looking like an aggrega-
Iberis gibraltarica
203
Impatiens
From the balsam plant to busy lizzie,
from jewelweed to impatiens, this genus
has it all. From 6' tall weeds to the
cheeky dwarf forms of the highly bred
bedding plant to the brilliant flowers
and foliage of the New Guinea plant, the
Iberis linifolia more ☞
204 Impatiens, continued
Impatiens walleriana, mix, UGA Trial Gardens Impatiens walleriana ‘Mini Variegated’
Impatiens hawkeri ‘Rosetta’ Impatiens hawkeri ‘Pure Beauty Melissa’ Impatiens hawkeri ‘Celebrette Wild Plum’
209
Ipomoea quamoclit
Ipomoea tricolor ‘Kniola’s Black’ Ipomoea tricolor ‘Good Morning Blue’ Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie’
Kaempferia,
Cornukaempferia
peacock ginger
Perhaps because I reside in an area of
the country that is neither “in the North”
nor “in the South”as far as plantings are
concerned, I see many tropicals growing
Iresine herbstii
beside temperate plants. Obviously
Kochia scoparia
burning bush
The woody plant lovers have their burn-
ing bush, Euonymus alatus, and the her-
baceous plant people have their kochia.
There is no comparison—in most parts
of the country, the woody one wins the
brightly burning contest hands down.
The popularity of burning bush (Kochia
scoparia) has declined in the last decade
or so, perhaps because of its lack of
flowers, and impatience of gardeners
who didn’t want to wait until the fall to
see the bush burn.
However, it has an understated ele-
Kochia scoparia ‘Acapulco Silver’ gance even when in its green clothing.
And it is a really neat plant; it can be
used in containers or as small “trees”in
Several cultivars have been selected;
the best known is ‘Acapulco Silver’, in
Lablab purpureus 217
mixed landscapes. I think the planting which the tips of the branches are tinged hyacinth bean
at the Butchart Gardens, in which helio- in silver. Quite distinctive—provides Some plants have unpronounceable
trope bathed the floor while bushes of color for those who miss flowers and names, some have onomatopoeic
kochia stood at attention, was a classic. burns quite nicely in the fall. names, others are simply fun to say. This
Along with cosmos and verbena and ge- Full sun in the North, afternoon shade great plant has one of those names you
raniums, the kochias held their own. in the South. Grown from seed. can drop at parties, as in “How is your
lablab doing?”At best, somebody might
engage you in conversation about this
wonderful vine; at worst, they’ll think
you are stuttering about your dog.
Hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)
will grow 10–15' in a single season, all
the while producing wonderful flowers
and great fruit. It can cover arbors, lathe
houses, and entire sides of buildings
when supplied with ample light and fer-
tility. The “purpureus”comes from the
fact that the plant sports purple leaves,
deep pink flowers, and purple fruit.
Fruit are edible, meaning you won’t get
violently ill, but far more tastier beans
are out there.
more ☞
Kochia scoparia ‘Acapulco Silver’, fall color
Lantana
Lantanas have become a hot item in or-
namental horticulture circles. Gardeners
can choose from low-growing forms, up-
right bushes, many flower colors, those
with variegated foliage, and even those
with ornamental fruit. When tempera-
tures are hot and cruddy and humidity
is so thick you can cut it with a knife, lan-
tanas will be standing strong and proud
while many of their brethren will be
cowering on the ground. Few plants can
stand up to weather abuse as well as lan-
tanas, and in many parts of the country,
there is sufficient abuse to justify entire
lantana gardens. Even in Europe, lan-
tanas are making a lot of noise, and sev-
eral cultivars, like ‘Professor Raoux’, are
often seen as standards. Gardeners in the
North have been ignoring this plant, but
other than snobbery, I can think of no
good reason why. Those in the South
who are tired of it perhaps will be inter-
ested in the diversity of color and form.
Lablab purpureus
swarm of eye-catching flowers. Each Occasionally, I come across the Siber- statice
flower stem consists of whorls of a dozen ian lion’s ear, Leonotis sibiricus, but not Statice is far more common in a florist’s
or so brilliant orange flowers. There re- very often. It bears smaller, less vibrant cooler than in a gardener’s flower bed. I
ally are not that many orange flowers flowers on even taller plants. But if you am always amazed at how little annual
from which to choose—lots of yellows, can find it, give it a try. It may overwin- statice (Limonium sinuatum) I see in
golds, and scarlets, but after orange ter for you as well. Full sun. gardens. People buy it as a fresh cut
Lobularia maritima
sweet alyssum
Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
really is sweet: on a warm summer
evening, the fragrance from the flowers
Lobularia maritima Easter Bonnet Mix
Lotus berthelotii
parrot’s beak
When gardeners are asked what they
think about lotus and lotus flowers, nine
times out of ten they will talk about the
water plant known as sacred lotus. But as
beautiful as that plant is, it belongs to the
genus Nelumbo (which see). Few people Lotus berthelotii with torenia and lantana
have grown or appreciated the beauty of
parrot’s beak, Lotus berthelotii, probably
because it is so little known.
The foliage of parrot’s beak is beauti-
fully blue-gray, soft, and compact. Most
of the time I see plants used as fillers in
mixed containers, because in much of
this country they seldom flower. In our
Athens garden, the basket did little more
than look ornamental, but the foliage
was highly effective. However, when it
does flower, look out. The cultivar ‘Ama-
zon Sunset’ was flowering in coastal Ca-
lifornia in April, and people were gawk-
ing at all the red beaks. Actually it is a
little much, and I prefer the subtle foli- Lotus berthelotii
age without the flowers. And for most of perennials, but a few of the more enjoy- all, perhaps hanging on for a second 231
us, that’s all we will get anyway. Full sun, able ones happen to be used as annuals. year but often succumbing after one
best in containers. The flowers are colorful, and many season. However, the brilliance of their
species are easy to grow. flowers is such that they cannot hide
The most colorful is a hybrid that anywhere, regardless of the number of
goes under the name of Arkwright’s plants surrounding them. The main
Lychnis campion, Lychnis ×arkwrightii. When it cultivar is ‘Vesuvius’, an apt name for its
campion was first introduced, gardeners were spectacular fleeting color, but what light
The species that belong to this genus are told that it was a perennial, but plants it brings!
both colorful and plentiful. Many are have not shown a perennial tendency at As much as I enjoy Arkwright’s cam-
Lysimachia
congestiflora
loosestrife,
golden globes
Few annuals of loosestrife are grown;
the big sellers are all perennials. How-
ever, if you have been told that goose-
neck loosestrife or some other perennial
form is worthy of consideration, it is
time to meet golden globes, Lysimachia
congestiflora.
Plants grow in anything, anywhere. I
Lychnis flos-jovis have seen them falling out of hanging
baskets at a garden center in Strongsville,
Ohio, as well as planted at the base of a
Mandevilla sanderi 233
Lysimachia congestiflora ‘Eco Dark Satin’ Lysimachia congestiflora with lantana standard
234 Mandevilla sanderi, continued
stock the cut flower trade. But that should not should be put in the ground as soon as
Stocks have so long been the domain of dissuade us from adding a few plants to possible after the last frost. The only
florists and cut flower growers, we seem the garden. Not to do so is a shame, be- forms you will find will be shorter than
to have forgotten that their origins were cause if part of the joy of having a gar- those grown commercially but can still
in the garden. Long admired for its fra- den is to cut flowers from it, then why be quite useful in the vase. ‘Legacy Pink’,
grance and persistent vase life, stock not have a few plants of stocks to at about 15" tall, is outstanding, while
(Matthiola incana) can more often be sweeten the arrangement? white forms, such as ‘Column White’, are
found by the acre in cut flower fields Stocks can be bought as seed, and if standouts in the garden.
than by the plant in our gardens. As gar- put in the garden early enough, they will Dwarf forms have been all the rage,
deners, we can never duplicate the job germinate and do well if you live in an and perhaps they will catch on. While
that cut flower producers do; we don’t area of cool summers. However, for the they are a little too short for my taste,
Melampodium paludosum ‘Million Stars’ with celosia Melampodium paludosum ‘Million Stars’
I include this little-known genus for no Beauty’ because the color is somewhat banana
other reason than to share it with you, unique; however, the best performer Bananas . . . If you are reading this and
and predict that it may become reason- has been ‘Blue Papillo’, with its many are not thinking,“This guy is nuts!”,
ably common in the next five years. It is dark blue flowers. Plants appear to be then you are an open-minded gardener,
a relative of lobelia and has many of the better suited to containers than to the and we can drink beer together. After
same characteristics. That is, plants are garden bed, at least in warm-summer that, you probably will think,“This guy
low-growing, look best falling out of climates, and will probably be more in is nuts!”—but at least not because of
containers, and prefer cool-summer demand in the North than in the South. bananas. Most of the world’s banana
climates to warm, humid ones. They are not going to replace bacopa or production depends on plants from the
Some selections of Monopsis cam- lobelia, but they may find a place on the genus Musa, but some of the ornamental
panulata have hit the American garden- North American gardening stage. Full forms are from Ensete. It really doesn’t
ing market, but the choices are few. The sun in the North, afternoon shade in matter: none will produce fruit outdoors,
foliage is variable and looks a little like the South. and they are both used in the same way.
Nicotiana sylvestris with aphids Nicotiana langsdorffii Nicotiana ×sanderae with conifers
Nierembergia frutescens ‘Purple Robe’, basket Nierembergia frutescens ‘Purple Robe’ with hydrangeas
Nierembergia hippomanica ‘White Star’ Nierembergia hippomanica ‘Mount Blanc’, overwintered in Athens, Georgia
Nigella damascena, field for cut fruit Nigella damascena, garden with fruit
the garden. However, if you examine a The most common form is ‘Miss
Nigella flower, you will find the structure is any- Jekyll’, named after the famed English
love-in-a-mist thing but ordinary. At the base of the gardener and writer, with full lavender
Between puffs and mists—loving must flowers can be seen the long thin leafy to blue flowers above fennel-like foli-
have enjoyed fascinating venues back structures (involucres) that supposedly age. A number of good double white
when these names were first penned. account for the “mist,” and with the pistil forms are available; ‘Albion’ is as good
When I look at love-in-a-mist (Nigella and stamens sticking up above a full as any. If all that nigella did was pro-
damascena), I see a nice blue-flowered skirt of sepals and petals, the flower duce flowers, that would be quite suffi-
plant with lacy leaves and interesting looks like it is growing upside down. cient, but the fruit is as interesting as
fruit, but I don’t see love or the mist. Seed is often available in packages at the the blooms. Each flower gives rise to a
Plant people will never be accused of local garden store; a mixture of white strange pod that stands above the foli-
being unimaginative. and blue flowers may result, with the age in mid to late summer. They start
This annual has been used for years as white flowers generally having only a green and essentially dry on the plant,
a simple and rather ordinary addition to single row of petals. turning to a dull bronze. If the summer
255
Nigella damascena ‘Albion’ Nigella damascena, mix with single white flowers
Osteospermum
cape daisy
Cape daisies, one of the many daisy
flowers native to Cape province of South
Africa, have been domesticated, bred,
and morphed into an incredible number
of colors and shapes. In their native set-
ting, they receive cool weather in the
winter and flower in the spring, then
essentially are leafy plants during the
hot summer. The same is true for the
majority of the cultivars we see for sale
in the spring on this continent: they
flower profusely in the spring, then
Orthosiphon stamineus ‘Albus’
Papaver nudicaule, Palmerston North, New Zealand Papaver nudicaule ‘Champagne Bubbles’
Pelargonium ×hortorum with verbena and marigolds Pelargonium ×hortorum with heliotrope
more ☞
270 Pelargonium, continued
much like osteospermums, they will form better in full sun; be careful of make excellent annuals, and they pro-
seldom flower once night temperatures overwatering, particularly as tempera- vide grasses that do go away, unlike
rise above 75°F. However, cultivars with tures rise. some of the persistent, spreading peren-
flowers of red (‘Carnival’), rose (‘My nial grasses out there.
Choice’), and white (‘Hollywood Lady’) The least common is feathertop, Pen-
might make any gardener with a little nisetum villosum, which is perennial in
money decide to try a couple anyway.
Pennisetum zone 7b and warmer, but for most of us,
They are best in containers, they will do As a general rule, most ornamental it is best used as an annual. It grows 2–3'
poorly in the ground. grasses used by gardeners are perennial, tall and by late summer is topped with
All geraniums, except the Martha and plants in this genus are no excep- feathery plumes of flowers. They are ex-
Washington types (partial shade), per- tion. However, at least three species cellent leaning over walkways or simply
gently flowing with the wind. The foliage available. The old-fashioned purple color is needed, and the same plants, 273
is handsome enough, but it is the flow- fountain grass, Pennisetum setaceum towering over begonias in Will Carlson’s
ers that gardeners enjoy. ‘Rubrum’, is used in containers which Michigan garden, showed that the
For foliage, two excellent choices are can be placed anywhere that purple flowers are as beautiful as the foliage.
Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ with pink begonias Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Majesty’
more ☞
274 Pennisetum, continued
Pentas lanceolata ‘New Look Pink’ Pentas lanceolata ‘New Look Violet’
more ☞
276 Pentas lanceolata, continued 1 1⁄2' tall plants. Its fine flower colors and conditions, they may need a haircut in
good vigor (plants don’t get too big, mid summer. The most eye-catching of
‘Nova’, a vigorous grower with many however) renewed interest in the plant. all the star flowers is ‘Stars and Stripes’,
rose-colored flowers on 2' tall plants. ‘New Look Pink’ and ‘New Look Violet’ the first available variegated leaf form,
The individual stems carry exquisite are among the many colors available in which has spurred interest even further.
flowers, which are useful as cuts for the the series. The vegetatively propagated Both the variegation and the flowers re-
house and patio. Butterfly series came on the heels of main all season. And another wonderful
But the late 1990s and early 2000s New Look and provided bigger, even characteristic: almost every publication
have seen the renaissance of pentas more vigorous plants with flowers in about butterfly or hummingbird gar-
from a once-in-a-while plant to one that numerous colors. We found they all dens suggests pentas as an attractant.
is in constant demand, particularly as flowered well, but ‘Butterfly Pink’ and Need I say more? Go get some and get
summers seem to be warming up. The ‘Butterfly Red’ were even better than the dirty. Full sun.
New Look series is a seed-propagated others. Hot temperatures won’t reduce
form with excellent flowering on dwarf their flowering or vigor, but under such
Perilla frutescens
There is very little reason for including
perilla (Perilla frutescens) as a garden
annual; for many gardeners, it is nothing
more than a green weed that reseeds
everywhere. However, the purple-leaved
form (var. atropurpurea) has benefitted
from the interest in plants with purple
foliage and is fairly common and easy to
find. Its reseeding tendencies, its ease of
growth, and the contrast it provides to
green-leaved plants are a few good rea-
sons to include it. Similar plants, like
purple basil, seem to taste better, and
purple coleus seems to perform better,
but what do I know? A number of culti-
Pentas lanceolata ‘Stars and Stripes’ vars are available, including ‘Nanking’,
Petunia ‘Supertunia Blushing Princess’ Petunia ‘Carpet White’ Petunia ‘Fantasy Ivory’
279
Petunia ‘Bright Dreams’ Petunia ‘Purple Wave’ with coleus and sweet potato
Plumbago auriculata
cape leadwort
A visitor from the Midwest traveling to
south Texas or south Florida cannot help Plumbago auriculata, Australia
but be impressed with the number of
plantings of Cape leadwort (Plumbago
auriculata): it seems to be the Official
Plant of the Gulf States. If one also adds
the number of plants used in California
and in other parts of the world, that
same visitor can’t help but wonder why
so few of these handsome plants are
available in his part of the world. If gar-
deners ever mention leadwort, they are
usually referring to the common peren-
nial, Ceratostigma. In the southern Gulf
States, plumbago is a shrub, much like
caryopteris and salvia when they are
more ☞ Plumbago auriculata ‘Escapade White’
Polygonum
Some polygonums are awful weeds,
always present in the garden, and ob- Portulaca grandiflora ‘Sundial Peppermint
noxious as can be. Of the dozens of Polygonum capitatum in flower with begonias Stick’
species worthy of actually spending
money on, nearly all are used as peren-
nials. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a
plant with vigorous growth and nice
flowers that did not threaten to take over
everything around it? A plant known as
magic carpet, Polygonum capitatum,
perfectly fills the bill.
Plants are produced from seed and are
seen only occasionally at garden centers.
That is unfortunate, as they are easily
grown in almost any climate and pro-
vide small but handsome, round pink
flowers and excellent dark green to
bronze foliage. All this on a spreading
plant no more than 6" tall. The small
dark leaves have a distinctive red V-shape Polygonum capitatum
287
Portulaca grandiflora ‘Sundial Gold’ Portulaca grandiflora ‘Sundial Fuchsia’ Portulaca oleracea ‘Yubi Rose’
Portulaca oleracea ‘Yubi Light Pink’ Portulaca oleracea ‘Summer Joy White’
more ☞
290 Portulaca, continued pots, but the most interesting is proba- being greeted by closed flowers entering
bly ‘Cinderella’, with orange and red and exiting the home does not do a great
The recent addition of double forms bicolor flowers. I said interesting, not deal to endear these plants to gardeners.
really pushed the purslane envelope, necessarily beautiful. Look for other The double flowers of moss rose are bet-
and they were bred in the hopes that the Fairytales coming your way, they are ter at staying open, and the purslanes
flowers would stay open a little longer. certainly different. are the worst; even the double forms are
The Fairytale series was developed, and All is not perfect in the world of por- open only slightly longer than the sin-
even if the plants don’t turn you on, the tulaca. The biggest complaint continues gles. That is a bit of a bummer, so pur-
names would make Walt proud. Both to be that flowers are closed early in the chase with your eyes wide open, and
‘Sleeping Beauty’ (yellow, seen here morning and after about 5:00 p.m. In enjoy them as you enjoy the rest of your
with verbena) and ‘Snow White’ look this age, where the whole family is often garden: on the weekends. Full sun,
good falling down the sides of patio out working or schooling during the day, good drainage.
castor oil plant deadly toxin ricin, used by terrorists and warm climates, plants can easily grow 6'
This is the same plant whose oil was murderers. However, the plants from tall in a single season; elsewhere, 2–3'
plied on unsuspecting children growing which the oil and toxin are derived are may be all that is reached.
up in the 1940s and ’50s for stomach among the “in”plants used by designers Their garden popularity comes from
and bowel problems. It was vile stuff for architectural interest—that is, they the colored foliage. ‘Carmencita’, the
Ricinus communis ‘Carmencita’ with lobelias and Mexican sunflowers Ricinus communis ‘Gibsonii’
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’ Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’ Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’, flowers
Salpiglossis
Russelia equisetiformis, Leu Gardens
painted tongue
You are far more likely to see this plant
in a conservatory or public greenhouse
than you are in home gardens. In con-
servatories, these spectacular plants
show off their flowers to the public for a
few weeks, then are put back in the
dusty corner. However, if you live in the
mountains or on the northern edges of
either coast, then perhaps you will also
get to enjoy them for a few weeks in the
garden or in containers. They are useless
in the heat, humidity is not to their lik-
ing, they fall over with rain, and wind is
not much good either. That is not to say
you shouldn’t try them, it is simply bet-
Russelia hybrid ter if the public gardens waste their
sage genus also sports many annuals. Salvias book, because Salvia, as much as any
Having gone through the Salvia Stage can be wonderful or just plain terrible, genus, does not lend itself to being cub-
of Life and survived, I can be both an and the nice thing about the annual byholed. Rather than spend time figur-
advocate for and opponent against cer- selections: if they do terribly, they will be ing out that it may live in zone 6b or 7a,
tain forms of this great genus. Many put out of their misery over the winter. I used this standard: if it is doubtful that
Salvia coccinea ‘Hummingbird Forest’ Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’ Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria’
Salvia farinacea ‘Argent’ Salvia farinacea ‘Reference’ Salvia patens ‘White Trophy’
looks like a ball-peen hammer, keep S. mexicana. Lots of flowers, mostly in orange shades only. Plants are useful
people coming back for more. And the fall; people will hardly notice until for edging and as a shiny groundcover,
finally, for the fall, if you can find the you point them out, but then stand back inserted among other annuals and
Hildago sage, S. regla, run out and buy it. for the chorus of enthusiasm. All salvias perennials.
The orange-scarlet flowers smother the prefer full sun and reasonably good The most common form is ‘Mandarin
plant and stop people in their tracks. drainage. They are all fond of being cut Orange’, which can be used as a ground-
The drawback to all these fall flowers is back when needed. cover skirting blue salvias and crawling
that the farther north one gardens, the over rocks. People can’t help but take
more one worries that frost will take out any low-growing plant and make an
the plants before the flowers have made edging plant out of it; creeping zinnia is
a show. You take your chances, but the Sanvitalia no exception. However, most selections,
reward is worth the worry. are sufficiently well behaved to handle
And to finish up, a couple of fun but
procumbens the edging duty well; here, ‘Orange
unique salvias. Green sage, Salvia viridis creeping zinnia Sprite’ holds back bamboo and he-
(S. horminum), is not green but rather is Sanvitalia procumbens is an old- liotrope. Orange is probably the more
distinguished by its colorful bracts. Pink fashioned plant that has not changed a popular color, but I also like the yellows,
(‘Rosea’), purple (‘Blue Bird’), and rose- great deal since Victorian times. Plants particularly when they can be incorpo-
colored bracts (‘Rubra’) make you look do well in most areas of the country but rated among other plants. ‘Yellow
twice to determine that it really is a sage. become tired by mid summer in places Sprite’ can be used along with zinnias
Plants grow only 2' tall. If green is truly where summers are hot and humid. and marigolds to soften the edges on a
desired in the garden, you must try Flowers really do look like zinnias but brick walkway, while the combination
‘Limelight’, a selection of Mexican sage, are smaller and occur in yellow and of ‘Yellow Carpet’ with purple verbena
311
Scabiosa
scabious
When one mentions scabiosa, most gar-
deners immediately think of the peren-
nial forms that have become so popular,
but annual pincushion flowers (Scabiosa
atropurpurea) have always been around—
they just haven’t been able to compete
with petunias or begonias for green-
house or retail space. Plants are easily
grown from seed and are sometimes
used in a meadow-mix, and unless a cul-
tivar is specified, it will likely consist of
a mixture of colors including rose and
Sanvitalia procumbens ‘Orange Sprite’ scarlet flowers.
Some purple forms have captured the 313
imagination of gardeners. The most
common, ‘Ace of Spades’, has become
more widely available; plants grow
about 18" tall and can be used as a black
spot in the garden or brought in for the
vase. A similar form but shorter and
more compact is ‘Chile Black’, which I
believe is going to be an excellent plant
for North American gardeners. Full sun,
good drainage.
Scaevola aemula
fan flower
Scabiosa atropurpurea
Fan flower (Scaevola aemula) is one of
the success stories in which a new plant
became a garden favorite not because
of marketing or promotion, but simply
because it performed so well in gardens.
Its fame spread by word of mouth, and
soon various cultivars of fan flower
were available in retail stores. Plants are
native to Australia and are tolerant of
heat but do just fine in temperate cli-
mates as well.
Many cultivars have emerged, most
in the blue-lavender color range. They
all look good in baskets, particularly
‘Sapphire Blue’, and are equally attrac-
tive in the garden. ‘Mauve Clusters’, an
Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Ace of Spades’
old-fashioned form, has small flowers
but many cultivars are essentially the soon be available, and I like the bicolor The genus has over 10,000 members,
same in appearance. The Outback se- ‘Zigzag’ simply because it performs and the vast majority are not particu-
ries, especially ‘Outback Purple Fan’, well and provides a little extra pizzazz. larly ornamental. In fact, most are
has always been an excellent performer All fan flowers are excellent in patio shrubs, and few have been domesti-
in our trials. ‘Blue Flash’ and ‘Blue Ice’ containers, where they can be com- cated. There is a spattering of herba-
are both marvelous selections too, and bined with other annuals. One thing I ceous species, but only one is a common
oftentimes the choice is based solely on should add: whenever I talk about denizen of gardens. The popular gray-
availability. scaevola, at least one person in the au- leaved Senecio cineraria, dusty miller, is
Blue-lavender is not the only color in dience tells me how much the rabbits used as edging and in container plant-
this species, and breeders have been enjoy it. If rabbits are a problem, you ings; other dusty millers are sometimes
developing whites and bicolors. Whites probably don’t want to waste too much placed in the genus Artemisia.
are fairly common, and you can’t go too of your money. Full sun. Senecio cineraria is a beautiful plant,
Senecio cineraria with pansies Senecio cineraria ‘Cirrus’ with red salvia
Senecio cineraria ‘Cirrus’ with purple salvia Senecio cineraria ‘White Diamond’
more ☞
316 Senecio, continued plants among purple salvia, I was again
taken with the contrast. Not only are the
and because of its ease of production leaves terrific, very few flowers are pro-
and soft silver-gray color, it was proba- duced, and this is a good thing. Lack of
bly overused in many landscapes. They flowers is not a characteristic of all cul-
were planted as solid sheets and after a tivars. ‘White Diamond’ has handsome
while became quite tedious. However, oblong fluted leaves and performs just
let’s give them their due: when they are fine, but the flowers that form in mid
combined with other flowers, they en- summer do nothing for its appearance;
hance everything around them. Even in this cultivar reminds me of another
containers, the pansies look brighter gray plant, lamb’s ear, whose purple
because of dusty miller’s silvery foliage. flowers also detract from what it is sup-
The form I like best is ‘Cirrus’, whose posed to do.
deeply cut leaves on vigorous plants are Senecio viravira, also known as dusty
outstanding. I love them combined with miller, bears beautiful gray cut leaves.
red salvia (together, both plants look Plants fill in well and exhibit signifi-
better), and later when I noticed some cantly more cold hardiness than the Senecio viravira
Solanum wendlandii
amaranthus, and in the Zurich Botanical here so we can enjoy a few flowers if we a beauty. Check your friendly Google- 321
Gardens near a concession stand— get them. The easiest to find is the white button for a source or two. Full sun.
these can be knockouts. The dark blue form of the potato vine, Solanum jasmi-
flowers are beautiful and open most of noides, which produces white tomato-
the summer. Growing and training your like flowers on vigorous plants. This is a
own standards may not be something popular vine on the West Coast and in Stachytarpheta
you want to do, but they are occasionally the Southeast, where it often overwin- snakeweed,
sold, and if you can afford one, give it a ters. As an annual, it can be grown in a false vervain
try. Full sun. container and will still attain 5–6' the Too bad some of these botanical names
Thorns, veggies, shrubs . . . there first year. Or, just let it roam over the are such a mouthful. People won’t buy
seems to be everything in this genus, ground, where it acts as a white ground- what they can’t pronounce, and they
including vines. It is difficult to include cover. Flowers will be sparse the first certainly won’t lay money down for any-
these vines in an annuals discourse, be- year. Another vine that is worth a search thing that has “weed”in its common
cause unless they attain some maturity is paradise flower, S. wendlandii, with name. That is a shame, for while this is
they will not produce a great number of beautiful large blue flowers on armed never going to be a mainstream plant, it
flowers, and they are not hardy north plants. Might be more appropriate to the has some interesting attributes. Plants
of zone 7 or 8. However, I include them conservatory than to the garden, but it is in the genus should probably be called
Strobilanthes
dyerianus
persian shield
What a remarkable plant. Persian shield
(Strobilanthes dyerianus) can be grown
in almost any environment, in almost
any part of the country. The bronze-
purple coloring of the large leaves has
been enjoyed in gardens for a long time,
and when grown well, it is truly an
architectural feature in the garden.
Plants can grow to 4' high and equally
wide, even in a midwestern summer.
Stictocardia beraviensis They are as perfectly at home in the
garden bed as they are in a large con- 323
tainer. This is a large plant, so a small
container simply will not do. We plant
them intermingled with white petunias
and nicotiana, or pink ‘Aztec’ verbena
and purslane. Plants are easy to find at
any decent retailer, but do not put plants
out too early, or they may start forming
flowers. The flowers are boring at best
but worse than that, once flowering
starts, the plant stops growing. Persian
shield can handle afternoon shade, par-
ticularly in the South, where midday sun
can cause premature wilting of the large
leaves. Otherwise full sun.
Strobilanthes dyerianus
Sutera
bacopa
When these small-flowering, trailing
plants were first introduced, they were
simply known as bacopa, both botani-
cally and as a common name. The genus
Bacopa consists of aquatic plants, some-
what similar in flower and more compact
in habit. The bacopa of gardens is Sutera
grandiflora or hybrids of the genus.
That really doesn’t matter a great deal,
because wherever these are sold, they
will be called bacopa, and that is that.
Strobilanthes dyerianus with verbena and purslane
marigold
Comments about garden snobbery and
the preferred diet of said snobs were
mentioned under petunia, and similar
comments could be made here. No
doubt, the popularity of many bedding
plants has faded with the introduction
of so much new material to the gar-
dener, and the marigold is certainly not
as popular as it once was. Of all the bed-
ding plants I work with, I believe I prefer
marigolds the least, but part of that’s be-
Jamesbrittenia ‘Penny Candy Violet’
cause whenever I handle them, I start
sneezing. Not a good plant for one who
suffers from allergies. But my biases
aside, they are highly functional plants.
Marigolds come in an assortment of
sizes and colors; they are not all yellow.
Many have been shown to provide nem-
atode suppression and have been used
in vegetable gardens as companion
plants for years. For the gardener, there
is no lack of choice.
The tallest forms, which at one time
were referred to as hedge marigolds, are
the African marigolds, Tagetes erecta.
Standing 3–4' tall, they were the most
popular in the heyday of bedding, in the
1960s through the 1980s. Cultivars like
‘Orange Crush’ would tower over plant-
Jamesbrittenia ‘Penny Candy Pink’ Tagetes erecta ‘Voyager Orange’
Tecomaria
cape honeysuckle
I never am sure whether this genus
should be placed under annuals, peren-
nials, or shrubs, and I hesitate to get too
enamored with it. I have tried Cape hon-
Tagetes lemmonii eysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) several
times over the years in our gardens at impressive specimens further south or 329
Athens; one year I think it is terrific, the in a greenhouse setting, but most of
next it dies. To many people, it is peren- those have been perennial. I am not sure
nial to zone 8, occasionally coming that the northern gardener would have
down to zone 7 territory as well. sufficient growing time to enjoy ample
I have seen them listed under various flowering. However, if it is for sale, it is
flower colors, including ‘Scarlet’ and certainly worth a try; the plants are
‘Apricot’, and they make handsome tough and not bothered by insects or
plants throughout the season; but, at diseases, and the flowers are gorgeous.
least for us, they put out few flowers Full sun.
until the fall. In general, I have no prob-
lem with fall-flowerers; however, I was
not pleased with the flower power of the
plants. To be honest, I have seen some
Thunbergia
Tecomaria capensis ‘Scarlet’ This genus is full of surprises. All but
one of its members have struggled in
relative obscurity, but there is so much
more fun yet to be had with the plants
found within. Most are vines and re-
quire some support to climb, but once
they start to grow, they can provide im-
mense pleasure.
The best known is the black-eyed
susan vine, Thunbergia alata, which has
been decorating trellises for centuries.
The most common black-eyed susans
are orange with a black eye, which is
what will result from the seed package
you buy. They will be reasonably vigor-
ous and can be trained around posts
(tie some thick strands of rope from
Tecomaria capensis ‘Apricot’
Thunbergia alata ‘Susie Orange’ Thunbergia alata ‘White with Dark Eye’
more ☞
330 Thunbergia, continued bred with electric colors of lemon and
orange. The tremendous growth dis-
nails to allow the stems to twist played at Michigan State University gar-
around). They also are available in dens gives an indication of the vigor of
named cultivars, and the vigorous ‘Sunny Orange’.
‘Susie Orange’ would have climbed all Other lesser-known vines are equally
over our pergola had we let it. I enjoy beautiful. I can’t get enough of sky vine,
other colors as well; I loved the basket of Thunbergia grandiflora, and grow it
white flowers with black eyes and the every year in our gardens at Athens. The
subtle hue of ‘Red Shades’. These are dark green glossy leaves are themselves
often labeled by flower color only and handsome, but the beautiful light blue
can be obtained from seed catalogs. A flowers are to die for. Unfortunately, the
vegetative form, the Sunny series, was flowers don’t appear until late summer,
Thunbergia alata ‘Sunny Lemon Star’ Thunbergia alata ‘Sunny Orange’, T. a. ‘Sunny Lemon Star’
but then they continue to frost. They are vine, T. mysorensis, in New Zealand, I change, I knew I had a winner. Time will 331
winter hardy to about zone 7b. I first about flipped out. It was so amazing that tell. All thunbergia vines need some-
came across clock vine, T. gregorii, in I asked for some seeds, ready to intro- thing that the stems can twine around.
Europe and was immediately taken with duce the next great vine to America. Large posts are too thick, wire and
the vibrant orange flowers. I have had Then a few months later, on a visit to string may be too thin. A wire net on a
trouble locating the vine in this country Denise Smith, of GardenSmith Green- fence works well. Full sun.
but will continue to try, as it is worth the houses, not forty minutes away, I saw Not all species are vines, and bush
hunt. The previous two vines are some- the same vine in her greenhouse! Since thunbergia, Thunbergia battiscombei,
what uncommon, but when I saw Nilgari Denise is always on the forefront of wants to grow along the ground, yet will
Tibouchina urvilleana var. grandiflora ‘Athens Blue’ Tibouchina urvilleana var. grandiflora ‘Athens Blue’, flowers
Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Goldfinger’ Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Goldfinger’, flowers Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Fiesta del Sol’
Torenia fournieri ‘Clown Blue and White’ Torenia fournieri ‘Clown Burgundy’
more ☞
336 Torenia, continued
Trachelium caeruleum ‘Purple Umbrella’ Trachelium caeruleum ‘Purple Umbrella’, flower head
until you look at it closely that you real- are available, and only occasionally at
Trachelium ize it consists of hundreds of small indi- that. My feeling is that we will see a lot
vidual flowers. more throatworts in the vase, and few in
caeruleum Although plants are usually green- the nursery. Full sun.
throatwort house-grown, I have been asked to trial
This annual is far more common in throatwort a number of times outdoors,
florists’ shops and in vases than it is in but I can’t say I have seen any break-
the garden. Throatwort (Trachelium throughs for garden performance. In
Tropaeolum
caeruleum) is usually produced in most gardens, they struggle in condi- nasturtium
greenhouses and fields, and I have seen tions of high heat and humidity, and The genus has been in gardens for cen-
rows upon rows of these plants, which heavy rain does not do them a lot of turies and takes on many faces. In the
were thought to assuage ailments of the good either. Certainly they look better British Isles, hedges are often festooned
throat, ready for harvest. Flowers persist in the Northwest, Northeast, or in the with the flame nasturtium, Tropaeolum
for well over a week in the vase. The mountains. Only purple flowers (‘Purple speciosum, which may succeed in half a
flower head is beautiful, but it is not Umbrella’) and white (‘White Umbrella’) more ☞
338 Tropaeolum, continued placed in the summer garden, all will be walk by these colorful plants as they flow
costly, and none will perform as well out of window boxes or patio containers
dozen gardens in this country, but not here as they do in England or Vancouver. without admiring them. Perhaps nastur-
yours or mine. Other species are ab- But as long as the garden juices flow, we tiums have been superseded by newer
solutely fabulous, and equally difficult to will always try plants the books tell us introductions or other plants have better
grow, such as canary creeper, T. pere- we can’t grow. Just save a little money for ad agencies—whatever, I don’t really
grinum, or the beautiful T. polyphyllum the children’s college fund. see a lot of nasturtiums anymore. Then
with blue-green leaves and vibrant yel- The plant we are most familiar with is again, maybe I am looking in the wrong
low flowers. If you are really adventur- good old-fashioned Tropaeolum majus, gardens. All nasturtiums love cool tem-
ous, try to find the vining multicolored and while these nasturtiums are kind of peratures; they are generally planted for
nasturtium, T. tricolorum, purchased as boring compared to the species just de- the spring season and often removed as
a corm and trained in conservatories. scribed, they have one characteristic that summer temperatures rise, for more
All these magical plants can be found the others do not: they work! As many heat-tolerant plants. That does not bother
through diligent searching, all can be times as I have seen nasturtiums, I can’t me at all—it is the lot of cool lovers like
Tweedia caerulea
Any plant with a name like tweedia can’t
be all bad, and I figured if I could get my
hands on a few, I should surely like to try
some. I did and I tried, and I found the
ultimate in the color blue. Tweedia
caerulea is surely not a common plant
Tropaeolum majus ‘Hermine Grashoff ’ Turnera ulmifolia ‘Eldorado’, flowers in retail stores, although more progres-
sive growers may have some. It is also
available through mail order and the In-
ternet. So what’s the deal? The flower
color has been said to be the finest blue
in the plant kingdom, and I cannot dis-
pute that claim. Plants can be grown in
containers or in the bed and have been
used as cut flowers, the blue proving
popular for weddings and corsages.
When planting, put them where they
will have protection from the wind and,
if possible, from driving rain. They be-
long to the same family as milkweed,
and they produce long narrow milk-
weed-like pods, which can get messy
Turnera ulmifolia ‘Eldorado’ Turnera subulata by the end of the season.
341
Verbena ‘Aztec Red’ Verbena ‘Turkana Scarlet’ Verbena ‘Twilight Blue with Eye’
Verbena ×hybrida ‘Romance Violet with Eye’ Verbena tenuisecta var. alba Verbena rigida ‘Lilacina’
346 Verbena, continued
Vigna
Whenever you eat bean sprouts in a
sandwich or at a Chinese restaurant, you
are eating sprouts from this genus. Moth
bean, adzuki bean, mung bean, and
cowpea are all important crops in India, Vigna caracalla
Indonesia, and South and Central Amer-
ica. Gardeners are little interested in
such facts but are fascinated with one of
the members of this genus, the snail
vine, Vigna caracalla.
Snail vines are easily grown from seed
and consist of hairy leaflets and vigor-
ous stems. They can grow 8–10' in a sin-
gle season. However, it is not the leaves
but the flowers that are unique, looking
like pink to rose-colored snails’ shells as
they form later in the season. There are
bigger vines, better vines, and more col-
orful vines, but none that will have peo-
ple exclaiming as quickly as this one.
Full sun.
Viola
pansy, violet
Many of the literally hundreds of spe-
cies of violets may be obnoxious weeds
in your garden, but there are at least a
bazillion well-behaved pansies and vio- Viola ×wittrockiana, UGA Trial Gardens
las out there, waiting to be planted in 347
early spring in the Midwest and North
and in the fall in the South and Far West.
Having resided in the South for the last
twenty years, where pansies and violas
are a landscape staple in winter and
spring, I have been inundated with these
plants and have trialed most of that
bazillion. I have watched the trickle of
cultivars become a torrent in a very
short time. It has been a blast!
Pansies are not as popular in northern
areas, where they are not normally
planted out in the fall, but they are more Pansies with tulips and sign
cold hardy than many landscapers and
gardeners give them credit for. They can
be planted in early fall most anywhere,
and if salt doesn’t get them, they will
flower at the first hint of spring. In areas
of cool summers, they can remain in the
ground the entire season. However, most
pansies and violas are treated as winter
annuals in the South (pulled out with the
kale and Iceland poppies to make way for
summer annuals) and as spring annuals
in the North (removed with the nastur-
tiums for the same reason).
The pansies and violas sold in the gar-
den center are referred to as Viola ×wit-
trockiana. In 1990, I was asked to help
evaluate literally thousands of pansies in
Pansies, containers
Pansies high and low Viola ‘Medallion Yellow with Blotch’ (pansy)
more ☞
348 Viola, continued
Viola ‘Imperial Frosty Rose’ (pansy) Viola ‘Ultima Yellow Beacon’ (pansy) Viola ‘Atlas Blue’ (pansy)
boxwood gardens, giving people an ex- case of the former, the patterns are really as in ‘Accord Banner Yellow with Red 349
cuse to spend more than thirty seconds quite fantastic. Those with big purple Blotch’. (Obviously, breeders’ creativity
looking at boxwood gardens. Pansies blotches are the most common, as in in naming flowers died when they hit
come in two main color patterns, those ‘Medallion Yellow with Blotch’, but Viola!) Blues and purples combined
with “faces”and those without. In the blotches come in different colors, such with white also became popular. The
Viola Sorbet series (viola), container Viola ‘Penny Azure Wing’ (viola) Viola ‘Wink Purple and White’ (viola)
A major trend in flower breeding in The modern pansies and violas are off and the jump-ups begin. Of course, it 351
the ’90s was to reduce flower size but in- difficult not to admire, but we should does not matter, and if you can locate
crease flower number on big-ticket items not forget one of the plants that made ‘Irish Molly’ or ‘Penny Wood’, two old-
like petunia, impatiens, and pansies. A this happen, that is the good old johnny- fashioned but handsome cultivars, your
viola is nothing more than a small-flow- jump-up, Viola tricolor. Jumping up garden will be even richer.
ered version of the pansy. While there are everywhere, they became one of the Full sun. In the South, plant in Octo-
numerous similarities, there are also nu- main parents in the breeding revolution ber, fertilize heavily in February. In the
merous differences. Our data suggest of this genus. It is always fun to have North, plant in September or as soon as
that for best weather tolerance against some of the old folks around, it puts the melting snow in spring allows; fertil-
snow, wind, and rain, violas rebound things in perspective. Some of the john- ize when warm weather is forecast for
more quickly and are better garden per- nies also became transformed, and it is three days in a row.
formers—a generality but one that our difficult to know where the violas leave
trials have borne out. And breeders have
not been sitting on their hands. The Sor-
bet series, a fabulous group of plants, is
one of the most popular, showing up in
gardens and in containers that welcome
people to the front door. Containers of
‘Princess Deep Purple’ offer that deep
color so desired by gardeners today, but I
prefer calmer waters, such as those of
‘Jewel Blue’. Violas also provide unique
colors; ‘Penny Azure Wing’ is subtle and
engaging, while the small flowers of
‘Wink Purple and White’ earned it many
fans when we planted it in 2002. But my
favorite of all the violas I have seen has to
be ‘Bilbo Baggins’, part of the Hobbit se-
ries. Hundreds of small colorful flowers
on 9" tall plants—J.R. would be proud.
Viola ‘Bilbo Baggins’ Viola ‘Irish Molly’
Xeranthemum
immortelle
Immortelle is one of the many plants
known as everlastings, including relatives
like strawflowers, Bracteantha. I have
grown xeranthemums on a few occasions;
they are easy to germinate from seed and
grow well in the spring and early summer
but decline with warm temperatures, high
humidity, and summer rainfall. They are
South African in origin and prefer hot,
dry climates with excellent drainage.
They are fun to grow and pick for the
everlasting vase or for potpourri. Xeran-
Zea mays ‘Tiger Cub’
themum annuum ‘Lilac Stars’ is an avail-
able mixture, growing about 12–15" tall
and providing handsome color early in worthless garden art, not by reflective American marketplace. After all, some of
the season. They can also be planted mirrors, not by trains chugging back and the prettiest sweet corn has white and yel-
around mid to late summer, and they forth, and certainly not by ornamental low kernels, and Indian corn has always
will flower well into the fall. Full sun. vegetables. In this book alone, I have de- been pretty, but I was not prepared for the
scribed ornamental okra, kale, sweet po- beauty of the plants themselves.
tato, pepper, and eggplant, to name just a There have been many attempts at
Zea few, and so when I was told about some making corn more ornamental, but the
corn new cultivars of ornamental corn (Zea two I saw at the Parks Seed trials in
I should not be surprised by anything I mays), I was somewhat prepared for the South Carolina were the best yet. The
see in gardens anymore. Not by weird and plants, which are now hitting the North more ☞
354 Zea, continued father of modern botany, not named a menting other cuts like statice, melam-
small daisy to commemorate his friend. podium, and ornamental grasses. There
dwarfer form, ‘Tiger Cub’, has white Zinnias have been part of our gardens are approximately twenty species, but
bands running down the leaves and only for as long as there have been gardens, only two or three contain most of the
stands about 3' tall. It was beautiful, and and from that small daisy, many culti- plants we garden with.
I was impressed. However, I was floored vars have been developed along the way. The most common and colorful group
when I saw ‘Bars and Stripes’ around the They have always been enjoyed by gar- of plants belongs to the common zinnia,
corner; plants were 5' tall and had simi- deners, and they have also been har- Zinnia elegans. These were probably a
lar white markings on the foliage, but vested for ages as cut flowers, comple- mainstay of your mother’s garden and
the stems and the fruit were purple. I did
not taste the ears—I suspect there are
tastier cobs out there—but their beauty
was unsurpassed. Seed is being multi-
plied, so there will be enough to offer in
2004 or 2005. If you cultivate this in the
middle of your garden, your vegetable
gardening friends might finally consider
you a “real”gardener after all. Full sun.
Zinnia
Johann Gottfried Zinn (1727–1759),
a professor of botany at Göttingen,
Germany, would have long faded from
horticultural history had Linnaeus, the
Zinnia elegans ‘Cherry Ruffles’
360
Portulaca Musa Graptophyllum
Rudbeckia Mussaenda Helichrysum
Sanvitalia Nierembergia Hypoestes
Scabiosa Pavonia Impatiens (New Guinea)
Verbena Pelargonium peltatum Ipomoea batatas
Phlox Lotus
FOR FLORAL DESIGNS Portulaca Pennisetum glaucum
These are plants for outdoor floral de- Scaevola Perilla
signs, such as floral clocks and formal Sutera Plectranthus
floral settings. Essentially they are short, Torenia Pseuderanthemum
compact, and grown for their foliage, Verbena Xanthosoma
not their flowers. Zea
FOR EDGING
Alternanthera
These plants are generally short and FRAGRANCE
Begonia
provide season-long flowering. Fragrance is in the nose of the beholder,
Hemigraphis
Laurentia fluviatilis Ageratum and not all of these are considered“bath-
Lobelia Alternanthera oil”fresh. However, they are fun to sniff.
Begonia Agastache
FOR CONTAINERS AND Bellis Cosmos
BASKETS Calendula Datura
Nearly all plants in this book perform Catharanthus Helichrysum
well in containers or garden beds. This Erysimum Heliotropium
list contains those that, in general, per- Evolvulus Lobularia
form better in containers than in the Hemigraphis Nicotiana
garden bed. Lobelia Plectranthus
Abutilon Nierembergia Reseda
Acalypha Sanvitalia Salvia
Alternanthera Verbena Tweedia
Antirrhinum (trailing forms) Viola
FOLIAGE
Asystasia
Nearly all genera have a variegated
Ballota pseudodictamnus BIENNIALS
member or two, but this list includes
Begonia (rex and tuberous groups) Some members of these genera require
cultivars whose major ornamental asset
Bidens ferulifolia two years to flower, then either reseed
is their foliage, either color, texture, or
Brachycome or die.
fragrance. Flowers may occur but are
Calibrachoa
often secondary. Alcea
Cerinthe
Angelica
Clerodendrum ugandense Abutilon
Dianthus
Clerodendrum speciosissimum Acalypha
Echium
Coleus Alocasia
Erysimum
Dianella Alpinia
Euphorbia
Evolvulus Alternanthera
Glaucium
Gerbera Ballota
Heliotropium Basella
FRUIT
Hemigraphis Begonia (rex group)
All of these provide fruit during the
Impatiens (doubles) Breynia
season, often quite ornamental.
Iresine Canna
Lobelia Coleus Asclepias
Lotus Colocasia Canavalia
Mimulus Curcuma Cardiospermum
Monopsis Euphorbia marginata Clerodendrum
361
Fruit, continued Clitoria Dahlia
Cobaea Gloriosa
Dianella Gloriosa Ipomoea batatas
Duranta Ipomoea Pennisetum (grass)
Euphorbia lathyris Lablab
Lablab Mandevilla POISONOUS
Lantana trifolia Passiflora Be as smart as your dog, don’t eat these
Nelumbo Rhodochiton things.
Solanum Solanum
Alocasia
Tweedia Stictocardia
Brugmansia
Zea Thunbergia
Colocasia
Tropaeolum
Datura
HERBAL PLANTS Tweedia
Ricinus
Some medicinal, culinary, or fragrance Vigna
use is contained in this group of plants. CUT FLOWERS
LOVE THE HEAT
Agastache Nearly all plants can be used as cut flow-
Plants perform best when temperatures
Acmella ers, especially if vase life is not a consid-
remain consistently above 75°F, and tol-
Alocasia eration. This list contains an assortment
erate high humidity and heat well into
Basella of plants routinely used by florists, de-
the 90s. While they tolerate such abusive
Colocasia signers, and amateur flower arrangers.
conditions, many perform well in mod-
Plectranthus erate climates as well. Agastache
Salvia Ageratum
Alocasia
Antirrhinum
NATIVES Alpinia
Bracteantha
Some members of these genera are Catharanthus
Callistephus
native to North America. Colocasia
Caryopteris
Curcuma
Bidens Celosia
Graptophyllum
Centaurea Centaurea
Hibiscus
Coreopsis Cirsium
Lantana
Cosmos Clarkia
Pentas
Eustoma Consolida
Plumbago
Gaillardia Curcuma
Ruellia
Gilia Dianthus barbatus
Russelia
Heliotropium Euphorbia marginata
Scaevola
Ipomoea Eustoma
Xanthosoma
Nemophila Gerbera
Rudbeckia Limonium
LOVE THE WATER
Russelia Linaria
These may do fine in regular garden
Salvia Moluccella
beds, but they thrive in boggy soil or
Tagetes Nelumbo (fruit)
in garden ponds.
Verbena Nigella (fruit)
Canna Otacanthus
Colocasia Pennisetum glaucum
VINES
Nelumbo Pentas
An absolute wonderful diversity of vines
Rudbeckia
awaits the bold gardener.
BULBOUS ROOTS AND Salvia
Asarina GRASSES Scabiosa
Basella Alocasia Trachelium
Canavalia Caladium Tweedia
Cardiospermum Colocasia Zinnia
362
U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone Map
363
Index of Botanical Names
364
pallida, 137 Gaillardia, 173, 362 sempervirens, 201 berthelotii, 230 Orthosiphon, 256 365
×purpurea, 139 aestivalis, 174 umbellata, 202 Lychnis, 231, 360 stamineus, 256
Curcuma, 140, 360, 361, pulchella, 173 Impatiens, 203, 360, 361 ×arkwrightii, 231 Osteospermum, 257, 360
362 Gazania, 175 balfourii, 206 flos-cuculi, 232 Otacanthus, 260, 360,
alismatifolia, 140 linearis, 178 balsamina, 206 flos-jovis, 232 362
petiolata, 141 rigens, 176 glandulifera, 207 Lysimachia, 232, 361 caeruleus, 260
roscoeana, 141 Gerbera, 178, 361, 362 hawkeri, 207 congestiflora, 232
zedoaria, 141 jamesonii, 178 walleriana, 207 Papaver, 260, 360
Gilia, 180, 362 Ipomoea, 131, 209, 362 Mandevilla, 233, 362 nudicaule, 265
Dahlia, 141, 362 capitata, 180 alba, 210 sanderi, 233 rhoeas, 260
Datura, 81, 145, 361, 362 leptantha, 180 batatas, 213, 360, 361, Matthiola, 235, 360 somniferum, 263
metel, 147 Gladiolus, 180, 362 362 incana, 360 Passiflora, 265, 362
stramonium, 145 callianthus, 182 lobata, 210 Melampodium, 236, 362 caerulea, 267
Dianella, 147, 361, 362 communis, 182 quamoclit, 210 paludosum, 236 citrina, 267
caerulea, 147 ×hybridus, 180 ×sloteri, 212 Mimulus, 238, 361 coccinea, 267
tasmanica, 147 Glaucium, 182, 361 tricolor, 212 ×hybridus, 238 serratifolia, 267
Dianthus, 148, 360, 361 corniculatum, 182 Iresine, 214, 361 Mirabilis, 239 violacea, 267
barbatus, 148, 362 flavum, 182 herbstii, 214 jalapa, 239 Pavonia, 267, 361
chinensis, 148 Gloriosa, 183, 362 Isotoma. See Laurentia longiflora, 239 multiflora, 267
×heddewigii, 148 superba, 183 Moluccella, 240, 362 Pelargonium, 267
Diascia, 152 Godetia. See Clarkia Jamesbrittenia, 324, 362 laevis, 240 domesticum, 269, 360
rigescens, 152 Gomphrena, 184, 362 Monopsis, 241, 361 ×hortorum, 269
Duranta, 156, 360, 362 globosa, 184 Kaempferia, 214, 360 campanulata, 241 peltatum, 269, 361
erecta, 156 haageana, 186 gilbertii, 215 Musa, 241, 360, 361 Pennisetum, 272, 362
Graptophyllum, 187, 360, pulchra, 215, 216 acuminata, 242 glaucum, 274, 361, 362
Echium, 158, 361 361, 362 Kochia, 216, 360 basjoo, 242 setaceum, 273
amoenum, 159 pictum, 187 scoparia, 216 sumatrana, 242 villosum, 272
candicans, 158 Mussaenda, 243, 360, Pentas, 274, 362
simplex, 158 Hamelia, 189, 362 Lablab, 217, 362 361 lanceolata, 274
vulgare, 158 patens, 189 purpureus, 217 frondosa, 244 Perilla, 276, 361
Emilia, 159, 362 Helianthus, 190, 362 Lantana, 218, 360, 362 incana, 243 frutescens, 276
javanica, 160 annuus, 192, 194 camara, 219 Petunia, 277
sonchifolia, 160 argophyllus, 193 montevidensis, 219 Nelumbo, 244, 360, 362 integrifolia, 280
Ensete, 241, 360 Helichrysum, 72, 194, 361 trifolia, 221, 360, 362 nucifera, 244 Phlox, 281, 360, 361
ventricosum, 242 italicum, 194 Laurentia, 222, 361 Nemesia, 246, 361 drummondii, 281
Erysimum, 160, 360, 361 petiolare, 194 axillaris, 223 strumosa, 246 Plectranthus, 282, 361,
×marshallii, 160 splendidum, 195 fluviatilis, 223 Nemophila, 247, 360, 362 362
Eschscholzia, 162, 360 thianschanicum, 195 Lavatera, 223 maculata, 248 amboinicus, 284
californica, 162 Heliotropium, 195, 360, trimestris, 223 menziesii, 247 argentatus, 283
Euphorbia, 163, 361 361, 362 Leonotis, 224, 360 Nicotiana, 248, 361 ciliatus, 284
cyathophora, 164 amplexicaule, 198 leonurus, 224 alata, 251 forsteri, 283
lathyris, 164, 361 arborescens, 195 sibiricus, 225 langsdorffii, 250 madagascariensis, 283
marginata, 165, 361, Hemigraphis, 198, 361 Limonium, 225, 362 ×sanderae, 251 oertendahlii, 283
362 repanda, 198 sinuatum, 225 sylvestris, 249 ornatus, 283
milii, 164 Hibiscus, 199, 362 suworowii, 226 Nierembergia, 252, 361 zuluensis, 284
Eustoma, 165, 362 acetosella, 199, 360 Linaria, 226, 360, 362 frutescens, 253 Plumbago, 285, 362
grandiflorum, 165 moscheutos, 199 maroccana, 226 hippomanica, 253 auriculata, 285
Evolvulus, 167, 361 rosa-sinensis, 199 reticulata, 227 repens, 252 Polygonum, 286, 360
pilosus, 167 trionum, 199 triornithophora, 228 rivularis, 252 capitatum, 286
Hypoestes, 200, 361 vulgaris, 226 scoparia, 252 Portulaca, 286, 361
Felicia, 168, 362 phyllostachya, 200 Lobelia, 228, 360, 361 Nigella, 254, 360, 362 grandiflora, 286
amelloides, 168 cardinalis, 228 damascena, 254 oleracea, 288
Fuchsia, 169, 360 Iberis, 201 erinus, 228 hispanica, 256 Pseuderanthemum, 291,
corymbiflora, 171 amara, 201 Lobularia, 229, 361 361
×hybrida, 171 gibraltarica, 203 maritima, 229 Odontonema, 256, 360 alatum, 291
magellanica, 171 linifolia, 203 Lotus, 230, 361 strictum, 256 atropurpureum, 291
366 Pseudogynoxys chenopo- involucrata, 309 rantonnetii, 320 gregorii, 331 Verbena, 341, 361, 362
dioides, 317 leucantha, 309 sisymbriifolium, 318 mysorensis, 331 canadensis, 341
Psylliostachys suworowii, mexicana, 310 wendlandii, 321 Tibouchina, 332, 360 ×hybrida, 341
226 oresbia, 308 Solenostemon scutellari- grandifolia, 333 rigida, 346
patens, 309 oides, 122, 124 longiflora, 333 tenuisecta, 345
Reseda, 291, 360, 361 regla, 310 Spilanthes. See Acmella urvilleana, 332 Vigna, 346, 362
odorata, 291 rutilans, 309 Stachytarpheta, 321 Tithonia, 333, 360 caracalla, 346
Rhodochiton, 292, 362 splendens, 304 jamaicensis, 322 rotundifolia, 334 Viola, 346, 360, 361
atrosanguineus, 292 viridis, 310 mutabilis, 322 Torenia, 335, 361 tricolor, 351
Ricinus, 293, 360, 362 Sanvitalia, 310, 361 Stictocardia, 322, 362 flava, 336 ×wittrockiana, 347
communis, 293 procumbens, 310 beraviensis, 322 fournieri, 335
Rudbeckia, 295, 360, 362 Scabiosa, 312, 361, 362 Strobilanthes, 322, 360 Trachelium, 337, 362 Xanthosoma, 25, 127,
hirta, 295 atropurpurea, 312 dyerianus, 322 caeruleum, 337 352, 361, 362
Ruellia, 298, 362 Scaevola, 313, 361, 362 Sutera, 323, 361 Triplochlamys. See Pavo- sagittifolium, 352
brittoniana, 298 aemula, 313 grandiflora, 323 nia violaceum, 352
elegans, 300 Senecio, 315 Tropaeolum, 337, 362 Xeranthemum, 25, 353,
humilis, 299 cineraria, 315 Tagetes, 325, 362 majus, 338 360
Russelia, 300, 362 confusus, 317 erecta, 325 peregrinum, 338 annuum, 353
equisetiformis, 300 viravira, 316 lemmonii, 328 polyphyllum, 338
sarmentosa, 301 Setcreasea, 317, 361 patula, 327 speciosum, 337 Zea, 353, 360, 362
pallida, 317 tenuifolia, 328 tricolorum, 338 mays, 353
Salpiglossis, 301, 360 Solanum, 318, 360, 362 Tecomaria, 328, 360 tuberosum, 340 Zingiber, 140
Salvia, 303, 360, 361, 362 atropurpureum, 318 capensis, 328 Turnera, 340 Zinnia, 354, 362
coccinea, 308 jasminoides, 321 Thunbergia, 329, 362 subulata, 340 angustifolia, 354
darcyi, 308 melongena, 320 alata, 329 ulmifolia, 340 elegans, 354
farinacea, 308 muricatum, 320 battiscombei, 331 Tweedia, 340, 361, 362 haageana, 357
greggii, 309 quitoense, 318 grandiflora, 330 caerulea, 340
horminum, 310