Marigolds are a favorite in our Sunnyvale garden. They attract butterflies, bees, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects. Give them full sun and some well-draining soil and watch them bloom from spring until fall. Marigold seeds germinate quickly, within just a few days, and bloom in about 8 weeks. Marigolds are a great companion in your vegetable garden and can help …
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These colorful spiky flowers, native to Mexico, bloom from midsummer to first frost. Each flower has one head per stem. The flowers range in color and size, from the giant 10-inch “dinnerplate” blooms to the 2-inch lollipop-style pompons. We have grown dahlias in our Sunnyvale garden for over 20 years. If you are patient then you can treat the dahlia …
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New to our Sunnyvale garden in 2019 is Lewisia cotyledon, commonly known as Siskiyou lewisia. Lewisia blooms from spring to mid-summer, producing large individual six-petal flowers in orange, pink, red, salmon, white or yellow that are held high above the foliage in a spray, lasting for several weeks. Lewisia is eye-catching in bloom, although, when grown from seed, it is …
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The Tecoma Sparky is a hybrid plant that was created in 2012 by Arizona State University. This plant was even named after the Arizona State Mascot “Sparky”. It is a variation of the Tecoma plant that is mainly a yellow flower with a red-orange center. Tecoma Sparky is found in the southern regions of the United States, mainly in Arizona, …
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Cotyledon is a genus of 10 species of perennial shrubby leaf and stem succulents with numerous varieties and cultivars. Mostly from Southern Africa, they also occur throughout the drier parts of Africa as far north as the Arabian peninsula. This particular cotyledon is growing in a succulent sampler pot only 4 inches deep. Members of the genus are shrublets, generally …
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Crocosmia are red-to-orange glad-like flowers for the summer. Crosomia is a South African version of a gladiola. The genus name is derived from the Greek words krokos, meaning “saffron”, and osme, meaning “odor” – from the dried leaves emitting a strong smell like that of saffron (a spice derived from Crocus – another genus belonging to the Iridaceae) – when …
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Iceland poppies are hardy but short-lived perennials, often grown as biennials, that yield large, papery, bowl-shaped, lightly fragrant flowers supported by hairy, one foot, curved stems among feathery blue-green foliage 1-6 inches long. This year’s crop was planted in our former fire-pit surrounded by cool-weather cyclamen and english daisy. They bloom in April after the crocus, hyacinth, and tulips. Iceland …
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We grow hyacinth in our Sunnyvale garden most years. Attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds. Flowers are fragrant. This plant is suitable for growing indoors. The Dutch Hyacinth does best if planted new every year. Hyacinth blooms the first week in March, after the crocus have finished blooming, and right before the tulips start blooming. In 2019 we planted Deep …
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During the fall, the garden nurseries are full of mums of all varieties. I plant them in a variety of pots.
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Looking for a drought tolerant but lovely flower to fill in a troublesome dry area in your Sunnyvale garden? You may want to try planting ice plants. Ice plant flowers add a bright splash of color to the drier parts of your garden and ice plant care is easy. Ice plant (Delosperma) is a succulent, perennial ground cover with daisy-like …
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