Corncockle is a pretty flower that bobs in the wind on slender stalks. Warning: Probably should not be planted around small children. All parts of the plant are toxic to eat. But then again, so are many other common plants such as daffodils and foxgloves. I still recommend it for Sunnyvale gardens. The Corncockle originated in Europe where it grew …
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Zinnia – Yellow Flame
Zinnias bloom in vivid colors from summer until frost, are a snap to grow from seed, and attract birds and butterflies to your Sunnyvale yard. A rainbow of color options. They come in every eye-catching hue except true blue, so you can match them with your favorite perennial or annual flowers, foliage plants, and herbs. A height for every site. …
Read More »Black-Eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy, Yellow Ox-eye Daisy. I grow it as an annual. Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are native to North America and one of the most popular wildflowers grown. They tend to blanket open fields, often surprising the passer-by with their golden-yellow beauty. Members of the sunflower family, the “black eye” is named for the dark brown-purple centers of …
Read More »Pink German Catchfly
Pink German Catchfly (Viscaria oculata) is a pretty annual. Each 1-inch flower has five petals around a dark eye. Ours started blooming May 20. They bloom for about 4 months. The common name “catchfly” is used because the stems secrete a sticky liquid that traps small insects. The flower has been in British gardens since the 1840s. No flower seed …
Read More »Salpiglossis ‘Royale’
Salpiglossis: a name that just rolls off the tongue. Which it should since the genus name comes from the Greek words sappinx meaning trumpet and glossa meaning tongue with reference to the elongated trupet-shaped flowers. It is a spectacular flower. I don’t know how I missed this flower over the years. Many salpiglossis are hybrid cultivars that are primarily derived …
Read More »Tidy Tips
Plant this spring annual and you’ll be rewarded with a profusion of those bouncy, 2” blooms with their lemon-yellow and pure white scalloped petals , March through June. Combine with Nemophila menziesii “Baby Blue Eyes,” both will self-sow for a harmonious show next Spring. Nice in pots too! In California, it’s an important nectar source for the Checkerspot butterfly. Every …
Read More »Tiger Eyes Viola
“Tiger Eyes” is a new viola for 2017. 1” bright golden yellow flowers have black perfectly clear radiating veins around a central black eye. 6”-8” tall and 10” spread. Very Fragrant. I got them this year for Marie for Valentine’s Day. The Viola genus of flowering plants is in the violet family Violaceae. It is the largest genus in the …
Read More »Meadow Foam
Limnanthes Douglasii. California native “Meadow Foam” aka “Poached Eggs”. Not to be confused with the “Tidy Tips” flower. Not fussy about soil, it spreads into a low, shiny, weed– suppressing mat to 30” across. Very long blooming with a mass of charming, 1” clear white and lemony yellow 2-toned blooms on 10” stems. Superb as edging and swell in pots …
Read More »Fan Flower
Scaveola, or fairy fan-flower, is a tender perennial from eastern Australia. Although it is a relative newcomer to Sunnyvale gardens, scaveola is rapidly gaining converts as a beautifully flowering cascader for hanging baskets and mixed containers. Description of scaveola: Scaveola has rounded basal leaves and narrower stem leaves on prostrate stems that reach only 6 to 8 inches high but …
Read More »Coreopsis
Coreopsis is an easy to grow perennial that loves full sun and can thrive in many types of soil. These native colormakers range from the familiar sunny yellow variety to a host of eye-catching bicolors. Dependably perennial, these are tough plants that tolerate dry, hot weather and deliver long-lasting blooms. Pollinator-friendly and deer-resistant. Other common names are pot-of-gold and tickseed. …
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