Most of us don’t think of onions as beautiful plants, but onions have some very close cousins that definitely deserve a place in your flower garden. Fast-growing ornamental alliums grow tall and have round flower heads composed of dozens of star-shaped flowers. While these plants are not edible, their leaves do have a slight onion-like scent when crushed. Ornamental alliums …
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Bring a touch of north Africa to your yard with the white Ornithogalum arabicum. It has lots of other common names: star of Bethlehem, star flower, Arab’s eye, lesser cape-lily, Arabian starflower, snake flower or chincherinchee. This bulb is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture planting zones 7 through 11 and can be enjoyed as a tender bulb or a …
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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 …
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The majority of tulips (Tulipa spp.) flower naturally in the spring, making them a symbol of new life and renewal. Many varieties of tulips produce blooms in varying shades of yellow, adding a cheerful “hello” to the new growing season. Yellow tulips require the same care and maintenance as other colored tulip varieties. Daffodils (Narcissus spp.) and tulips (Tulipa spp.) …
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If you want to eat the Fennel bulb then make sure you get the Florence Fennel. Fennel is a flowering plant species in the celery family Apiaceae or Umbelliferae. It is the sole species in the genus Foeniculum. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves.
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Attractive, light yellow iris-like flowers with vivid maroon blotches loom on stiff stalks over neat clumps. Fire resistant. Fortnight lily are evergreen perennials with spreading fans of stiff, leathery sword shaped leaves up to 2 ft in length but only 0.75 in wide. Be aggressive in your pruning of them. The upright clumps of leaves are held in a vertical …
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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).
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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, …
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Long-blooming, scented, drought tolerant & snail & deer resistant, this flamboyant annual from North Africa self-sows too! What more could you want? Butterflies? Yes, butterflies adore it, too! Gobs of bright little scarlet & gold bi-colored “snapdragon” blooms are displayed for months above soft ferny foliage. Cut back after it’s finished blooming & it’ll rebloom quickly & vigorously. To 12” …
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During winter in Sunnyvale, the Jade plant is covered with white flowers. It’s is frequently visited by our resident hummingbird. Jade Plant (aka Jade Tree, Money Tree) is a great landscape plant for the Sunnyvale garden. It is a succulent that needs little watering. Jade plant is toxic to pets and can cause vomiting and a slow heart rate. In …
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