Tag Archives: perennial

Cyclamen is a great winter-flowering plant that loves light shade. You can grow in indoors or out. The red cyclamen is classic for the winter holidays. In the summer, the foliage dies back and it is stressed by reflected heat (so shade is important).

Star Jasmine has a wonderful scent in the evening. Our Star Jasmine plants grow in a 24-inch wide trench on the side of the driveway. They get afternoon sun. They handle drought. They handle no fertilizers. They are 40 years old. I have to keep pruning them to prevent them from growing up the wall. Like all jasmines (Star, Chilean, …

Try growing bee balm in view of a window so you won’t miss the acrobatics of hummingbirds that visit in summer. Bee balm also attracts butterflies and bees.

Cape mallows produce lots of flowers for most of the growing season. The cape mallow (Anisodontea capensis) is an evergreen, shrub-like plant that produces abundant flowers during most of the growing season. The plant does well in sunny locations and makes a nice accent in a border or near a patio. Cape mallows can also make good container plants when …

Potato vine (Solanum laxum, formerly S. jasminoides), is the more commonly grown plant, with abundant small white flowers. Native to Brazil, potato vine grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, which is fine for Sunnyvale. Slender stems with elongated oval dark green leaves provide a backdrop for star-shaped white flowers produced in greatest abundance in …

Spearmint or English Mint is a flavorful addition to your Sunnyvale garden. Make sure though that you contain the roots because it is very invasive. Use in recipes like Cucumber Cooler.

Elephant Garlic is not a true garlic; it’s actually a perennial member of the leek family. It produces a large beautiful allium head. Above ground, its bluish-green leaves resemble grass, and can grow up to 3 feet (1 metre) tall. The bulbs can grow up to 4 inches (10 cm) wide, and weigh up to a pound (450g), or more. …

Variegated Hebe. A compact evergreen shrub with spikes of purple flowers in early summer. Attractive variegated grey green leaves with creamy margins. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Ideal as a low hedge or container plant. Evergreen.

Mask Flower (Alonsoa meridionalis) Blooms lasting three months or more. When it slows down, just cut back to 6” tall, add a bit of compost & boom – it’s back with another explosion of 1” cinnabar-red, roundish Snapdragon-like flowers. Even in Winter! Nice in front of a bed & an excellent container plant. A bushy 30” high & 18” wide.

African Daisy, Cape Daisy. Versatile and resilient, hardy Osteospermums will thrive in hot, dry, neglected conditions, yet remain some of longest-flowering plants in the garden! Expect vibrant summer colour and weed suppressing ground cover from these easy to grow, sun loving Cape Daisies. Height: 15cm (6″). Spread: 90cm (36″).