Tag Archives: annual

The Sweet Scent of Success: Growing Sweet Alyssum in Your Garden Gardening enthusiasts often seek flowers that are not only visually appealing but also easy to grow and beneficial for the environment. Sweet alyssum, with its delicate blooms and honey-like fragrance, ticks all these boxes. In this blog post, we’ll explore the charm of sweet alyssum and how you can …

If you are looking for a cheerful and easy-to-grow flower that can thrive in dry and sunny conditions, you might want to consider verbesina encelioides. Also known as golden crownbeard, gold weed, or wild sunflower, this annual plant belongs to the aster family and is native to many parts of the United States and Mexico. Verbesina encelioides produces masses of …

Okra is a popular vegetable in many cuisines, especially in the southern United States, Africa, India, and the Middle East. It is known for its green pods that have a slimy texture and a mild flavor. But did you know that there is also a red variety of okra that has some unique characteristics and benefits? In this blog post, …

Moss rose, Portulaca grandiflora, is a drought and heat tolerant annual native to hot, dry plains in Argentina, southern Brazil, and Uruguay. This herbaceous plant in the purslane family (Portulacaceae) is cultivated throughout the world as a garden annual for its showy flowers that bloom all summer long with little care. It is related to the weed purslane (P. oleracea), …

This too-pretty-to-be-a-snapdragon offers the most gorgeous rosy pink flowers imaginable. Rising to an awesome 3′ tall and smothered in bee and hummer loving flowers all spring & summer, these are snaps to make you swoon. Each of the fully double 1” flowers exudes a pleasing fragrance, making them a great cut flower to catch a sweetheart’s eye or nose. Outside, …

This one-of-a-kind Calendula has a neat trick. Yellow flower buds open to reveal white flowers whose backsides are also a butter yellow. The effect is mirage-like, with the 3” white flowers having a shimmering yellow reverse. Large, dark (occasionally white) centers add a vivid contrast to the double rows of silky petals. Highly sought after by bees and butterflies. Quickly …

Pattypan squash is a variety of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) notable for its small size, round and shallow shape, and scalloped edges, somewhat resembling a small toy top, or flying saucer. The name “pattypan” derives from “a pan for baking a patty.” Its French name, pâtisson, derives from a Provençal word for a cake made in a scalloped mould. The …

Combining vibrant colors with excellent growing characteristics, Estrella is a versatile series suitable for baskets, mixed containers and the landscape. A vegetatively propagated series, Estrella uses Westflowers genetics bred by Westhoff in Germany. The series boasts rich, vibrant colors on large flower clusters, without the common white flower center. With a well-branching and mounding plant habit, Estrella blooms flowers close …

Henbit is a small but pretty winter wildflower. Hummingbirds enjoy this wild edible for the nectar. Henbit is also an important early season source of nectar and pollen for honeybees. Unlike many of its relatives in the mint family, henbit does not have a strong or distinctive mint scent. The common name, Henbit, comes from the observation that chickens like …

The Jolly Jester Marigolds are beautiful and versatile. They tolerate poor conditions. Plant at the ends of your rows for a beautiful and powerful natural pest protector, in front of your pea or bean fence for decorative border. Flowers are edible and also used in teas. Bloom from late summer through fall. Mine are still blooming in November in Sunnyvale! …