Annuals
Mexican Heather
Cuphea
Mexican Heather
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 9-11. It is grown as an annual, container plant or houseplant. In the garden, it is easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun. May be grown from seed started indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost date. Tolerates high summer heat and some drought. Best with regular moisture. If grown in containers, plants may be over wintered indoors in warm, sunny locations. Easily propagated from tip cuttings.Best to start new plants each year, however.
Million Bells
Calibrachoa (Celebration Series)
Million Bells
Once botanically lumped in with petunias, calibrachoas have become some of the most warm season bedding plants on the market. Members of the free-flowering Celebration+ series are compact and produce bountiful small funnel-shaped flowers all summer. These appear above dense, cascading, plants with small resinous pale green leaves that are fragrant. Some cultivars even have variegated foliage. The flowers comein many shades to include yellow, white, pink, purple, red and orange.Many are bicolored.
Heat-loving and everblooming, calibrachoas grow best in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. They do not require deadheading but light pruning and regular fertilizer will prolonged vigorous bloom. These fantastic bedding plants are perfect for containers, hanging baskets, and border edges.
Million Bells (Mini Famous Series)
Calibrachoa (syn petunia)
Million Bells (Mini Famous Series)
Calibrachoa have become popular standards for hanging baskets. Also called Million Bells or Superbells, Calibrachoa look like tiny petunias, but they are actually an entirely different species. Calibrachoa 'Mini Famous+ Double Blue' is part of a double flowering series that also includes 'Double Pink' and 'Double Dark Pink'. Actually, 'Double Blue' is more of a purple, but it is intense and full and makes a dazzling display trailing out of containers or as a front of the border plant. Calibrachoa are long bloomers and very heat and drought resistant. The plants only get about 4" high, but they will spread up to 2'. This is a full sun annual, although some shade is welcome during the hottest part of the day.
Nemesia
Nemesia hybrid
Nemesia
Nemesia is a small, bushy plant that flowers profusely in late spring and summer in shades of red, pink and purple.
New Guinea Impatiens
New Guinea Impatiens
New Guinea Impatiens
For awesome color in the shade, try the Sonic and Super Sonic series of New Guinea Impatiens. These annuals produce plenty of big flowers. The Sonic plants are a little more compact and are best for smaller window boxes and hangers. Super Sonic is bigger, and best for big showy containers and bedding.
Peek-a-Boo
Spilanthes
Peek-a-Boo
The Spilanthes Peek a Boo, is a truly unique novelty flower and a really fun plant. Astonishing golden balls with rich burgundy eyes sit a top mounds of bronze-green foliage. Also called the Eyeball Plant for obvious reasons. Easy to grow to about 18" in height and 24" width. Makes a very unusual and attractive accent plant. Grow in full sun to moderate shade. Blooms from mid-summer until frost.
Persian Shield
Strobilanthus dyerianus 'Persian Shield'
Persian Shield
Persian Shield is known for having excellent foliage. It has large leaves that are striped with a shimmering blue and lilac color. On the underside this Strobilanthus is majestic maroon. This is an excellent choice for a summer patio or garden due to its quick growth. 'Persian Shield' also works well as a northern specialty annual; annual hedges, shade color, around ponds, & it keeps its foliage color all season.
Purple Fountain Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides setaceum 'Rubrum'
Purple Fountain Grass
This beautiful annual grass is probably the most popular and widely used seasonal grass. It is commonly used in beds and containers. Feathery plumes appear above the deep purple foliage from mid summer to the first frost.
Red Rooster Grass
Carex buchananii (Leatherleaf Sedge)
Red Rooster Grass
A native to New Zealand, Carex buchananii 'Red Rooster'+ is an evergreen perennial grass in the ColorGrass Program that has a dense clumping growth habit. The foliage is an orange-brown to a copper- bronze color, giving this grass a dried look when it is actually actively growing. The form of Leatherleaf Sedge is upright and slightly arching, due to the leaves curling at the tips. This grass is non-invasive, low maintenance, and is attractive year round. Great in the landscape, rock gardens, near water gardens, and container gardens. Works particularly well in fall themes. Carex buchananii 'Red Rooster'+ can reach 12-30" tall with a 36" spread. Does best in a moist well-drained soil.
Salvia
Salvia
Salvia
Abundant florets of 1-1.5 inch bloom in shades of rich blue with black sepals, on tall, dark green stems, and sage green leaves. Not only are they gorgeous, but they bloom relentlessly from late spring to early autumn.
Shock Wave Petunia
Petunia x hybrida Shock Wave
Shock Wave Petunia
These 1-1 1/2 inch blooms simply blanket the plant in a splash of color from early spring through fall. Blooms in shades of pink and purple. 'Shock Waves' stand up to rain, humidity, heat and other environmental stresses, bouncing back from summer showers and thunderstorms very well. Compact and very well-branched, they keep their lush, full habit all season.
Silver Falls, Dichondra
Dichondra, 'Silver Falls'
Silver Falls, Dichondra
Let your hanging baskets and sunny annual bed really gleam this year with Silver Falls, the stunning foliage plant that sports velvety-soft silvery leaves, glistening silver stems, and a "never-say-quit"cascading habit that spreads up to 6 feet!
Vigorous and easy to grow, this Dichondra is simply one of the showiest accents around for all your containers and bare garden spots. Its leaves have a thick,super-soft texture and neat fan shape, measuring about 3/4- to 1-inch long and wide. They arise profusely on very well-branched plants that need no pinching. Before you know it, this cascading beauty will be 3to 6 feet long, though never more than about 3 inches tall!
Very heat- and drought-tolerant, Silver Falls recovers quickly even if wilted, and looks fresh all season long. Let it tumble around your Lisianthus, festoon your Dianthus, and wreathe your Mums in spring-through-fall color! Silver Falls thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. If you are using it as a ground cover in the garden, make sure that the soil doesn't get soggy underneath its glorious silver carpet!
Silver Tidal Wave Petunia
Petunia x hybrida 'Tidal Wave'
Silver Tidal Wave Petunia
Masses of bluish lavender flowers! A stunning "hedge" petunia. A single plant produces hundreds of 2" flowers on stiff stems. Spaced a foot apart, plants get 2-3' tall. Spaced further apart, the mounds spread flatter like the classic waves in a blanket of blush-lavender flowers shimmering with dark veins and purplish black eyes.
Spike Grass
Dracaena Spike
Spike Grass
The Dracaena Spike, is the perfect center piece plant for any whiskey barrel or container. The Dracaena Spike will grow to over 2 feet in height, and being very cold hardy this beautiful plant can showcase your containers. Plant it in the ground and watch it become a sure conversation piece in your neighborhood. It's fairly drought tolerant also. Plant in any well drained soil. At the end of the growing season The spikes can be moved indoors for the winter.
Summer Snapdragon
Angelonia
Summer Snapdragon
Angelonia is an erect little perennial with smooth stems and narrow 2-3in (5-7.6 cm) leaves with toothed margins and pointed tips. Some people say the foliage smells like apples. The flowers are rose lilac to violet to blue, almost an inch across and borne in slender upright spikes to 8 in (20 cm) long. The flowers bloom over a long period in summer - 4-6 weeks in temperate climates and even longer in zones 9-11.Angelonia is evergreen with soft (not woody) stems and a bushy habit,and gets 12-18 in (30.5-45.7 cm) tall with a spread of about 12 in(30.5 cm). 'Alba' has white flowers and 'Blue Pacifica' had two-toned flowers in white and indigo blue. 'Angel mist' is a new offering from Ball Horticultural Company and available in garden centers nationwide.It comes in six different colors and is reportedly extremely vigorous and showy, and gets about 2 ft (0.6 m) tall.
Surfinia Petunia
Petunia hybrid 'Surfinia'
Surfinia Petunia
The compact, upright, spreading habit of this petunia is unique. Displays flowers all season long and you may even see a butterfly or hummingbird enjoying this plant. Flowers range in color from shades of purple, blue, red, and rose.
Sweet Potato Vine
Ipomoea batatas
Sweet Potato Vine
The Sweet Potato Vine, has a trailing habit and dark red/purple, variegated green and yellow, light green or bronze leaves that are shaped like a bird's footprint. This ornamental plant provides color and interest like no other plant. They are grown for their distinctive foliage and vigorous growth habit. Ornamental Sweet Potato Vines can be used as an annual ground cover or in hanging baskets and pots.
Torenia
Torenia fournieri
Torenia
Torenia has a mounding/trailing habit and unique, yellow-throated bi-color blooms. Flowers that start blooming early and keep on until late fall. Filler for hanging baskets and containers with a mass of color, and wonderful as a ground cover in shady areas.
Vinca Vine
Vinca Vine 'Variegata'
Vinca Vine
Vinca Vine Variegata is a wonderful variegated foliage plant that nicely drapes over in your combination planters. Vinca is a perfect filler that adds interest to your baskets.
Wave Petunia
Petunia x hybrida 'Wave'
Wave Petunia
Lush blooming annuals with intensely colored 3 inch blooms making a great ground cover for trimming walks and beds. Flowers come in shades of purple or lavender. Can be used alone or mixed with other plants in containers and hanging baskets. Heat and drought tolerant.
White Laura Nierembergia
Nierembergia
White Laura Nierembergia
This species of cupflower, is a shrubby tender perennial that grows in a dense spreading mound. Cup-shaped, white flowers cover the plant with bloom from early summer to fall. Finely-cut, stiff, leaves. Stems of this plant branch out to form a shrubby mass of foliage.
Yellow Strawflower
Bracteantha Helichrysum
Yellow Strawflower
Sun loving, free flowering strawflowers maintain a tidy shape all season. Has excellent heat tolerance and will perform all season long. Outstanding yellow flower color and a well-branched habit.
Zahara Yellow Zinnia
Zinnia 'Zahara'
Zahara Yellow Zinnia
This new, disease resistant, heat loving series has larger flowers in a strong yellow. Zahara is an all around winner! Very low water needs; performs well in hot, dry conditions.