Water Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis scorpiodes) is a perennial with delicate sprays of sky-blue, tiny flowers adorned with yellow centers in late-spring/early-summer in Sunnyvale (USDA zone 9). The sprays (cymes), up to 12 inches tall, resemble a coiled scorpion’s tail, hence the name. The flowers rise on a semi-evergreen foliage of shiny, oblong, bright green leaves. Easy care, resilient to most pests, …
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A perennial, aromatic, succulent herb, which grows as a ground-hugging wide spreading mat under 1 foot tall (a little taller in shade or when well watered) with rounded slightly scalloped gray-green foliage and deep blue and purple flowers that rise 3 to 6 inches above the foliage from spring through late fall (some say they bloom year-round). This plant makes …
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Society garlic is an attractive ornamental plant from South Africa whose leaves have a garlicky odor. It belongs to the lily family — as do onions and garlic — but to a different genus, entirely restricted to Africa, which includes about 24 species. The genus name Tulbaghia honors Ryk Tulbagh, an 18th-century Dutch governor of the Cape of Good Hope; …
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Anemones, also known as windflowers, are a diverse group, with various species blooming in spring and fall. Some have fibrous roots and are found in the perennials section of nurseries and garden centers. Others grow from tubers that are sold and planted in the fall along with spring-flowering bulbs like tulips. About This Plant Spring blooming anemones are low growing …
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Rosemary is one of those wonderful herbs that makes a beautiful ornamental plant as well as a welcome culinary seasoning. Its Latin name, Rosmarinus officinalis , means “dew of the sea” and rosemary is most closely associated with the cooking of the Mediterranean area. However you don’t need perfect sunshine, sea mist or even a never ending summer to successfully …
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Our native Pacific Coast irises include 11 species that produce flowers in shades of white, yellow, pink, lavender, even USC-worthy cardinal and gold. Most of the Pacific Coast irises, or Pacificas, sold in California are from a single species, Iris douglasiana. To learn about the foliage and flower distinctions behind each species classification, there is no better source than the …
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Pansy, Viola x wittrockiana Family: Violaceae (vy-oh-LAY-see-ee) (Info) Genus: Viola (vy-OH-la) (Info) Species: x wittrockiana (wit-rok-ee-AH-na) (Info) Category: Annuals Tropicals and Tender Perennials Height: under 6 in. (15 cm) 6-12 in. (15-30 cm) Spacing: 6-9 in. (15-22 cm) Hardiness: USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F) …
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Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica Family: Campanulaceae (kam-pan-yew-LAY-see-ee) (Info) Genus: Lobelia (low-BEE-lee-a) (Info) Species: siphilitica (sigh-fy-LY-tih-kuh) (Info) Category: Perennials Height: 24-36 in. (60-90 cm) Spacing: 18-24 in. (45-60 cm) Hardiness: USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F) USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F) USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F) USDA …
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The “Blue Mist” spirea (Caryopteris x clandonensis “Blue Mist”) provides garden color from midsummer through fall. Also called blue beard and blue spirea, the plant earns its names from the fragrant, purple-blue flower spikes that adorn it for most of the summer season and that attract bees and butterflies. The low-maintenance deciduous shrub grows to only 2 or 3 feet …
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Siberian squill, grown from a small bulb, is probably the most familiar of the scillas. The plants themselves don’t get much taller than about 6 inches, but they make up for their diminutive size by spreading out and blooming profusely. The tiny bulbs grow and multiple easily and the plants will also self-seed, making scilla a perfect choice for naturalizing.
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