Begonia ‘Picotee Sunburst’ is a begonia of classic elegance. It is a summer flower with large, rich blossoms that are a definite showstopper. The blooms are a bright yellow with crimson-red tips, and can be up to 6 inches across. The petals are delicately pleated and stand out against the foliage of deep green leaves. The plant is a semi-ruffled …
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Gigantic rose-pink blooms surround the white tufted centers of this aptly named beauty. It’ll be the star of your long-running garden show with its delightful fragrance and attractive foliage — perfect for borders, beds and cut flowers. Plant the peonies bare root not more than 2 inches deep to help create strong root growth in the first year. Be patient …
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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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Watsonia bulbs are an excellent example of how simple gardening can be when the right plant is matched to suitable growing conditions. Fresh watsonia bulbs are available from early September through mid November only. They naturalize so you can leave them in the soil for next year. Use a large, heavy container; watsonia grow 4-6 feet tall. Fill your containers …
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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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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. …
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The canna lily plant is a rhizomatous perennial with tropical-like foliage and large flowers that resemble that of iris. Canna lilies are low maintenance and easy to grow, and both their flowers and foliage offer long-lasting color in the garden. Flower color may be red, orange or yellow. Depending on the variety, foliage color varies from green to maroon, bronze, …
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‘Sweet Kate’ is a compact, clump-forming, hybrid spiderwort that is noted for its unique yellow foliage. It typically grows to 12” tall. Three-petaled, purplish-blue flowers (to 1.5” diameter) accented by contrasting yellow stamens are borne in terminal clusters (umbels) atop stiff stems. Numerous flower buds form in each cluster, but individual flowers open up only a few at a time, …
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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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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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