Tag Archives: Summer

The fragrant flowers of Blue Potato Bush (Lycianthes rantonnetii, also known as Solanum rantonnetii,  and Paraguay nightshade), provide a focal point to a tropical or cottage garden. Surrounded by other sun-loving tropical and subtropical perennials, annuals and bulbs, the large shrub blooms year-round in frost-free gardens. Native to Argentina and Paraguay, the blue potato bush is hardy in U.S. Department …

The epazote herb is commonly used in the cuisines and traditional medicines of central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. Epazote has a strong taste and aroma, so not everyone takes to it right away. It can be somewhat of an acquired taste, but it adds a wonderful rustic layer of flavor to many dishes. While it is best to use …

Bacopa. Sutera cordata. They are annual or perennial, decumbent or erect stemmed plants. The leaves are opposite or whorled,sessile. Leaf blade regular, round to linear, venation palmate or pinnate. Stems hairy or smooth. The flowers are produced solitary or in pairs from leaf axil, usually radially symmetrical, sepals 5, petals 5, usually white, blue or purple in color. Dispersal and propagation is by seeds and stem fragments. Crushed leaves have a distinctive ‘lemon’ scent.

An easy-to-grow perennial, geranium is often used in borders, rock gardens, and as a ground cover. Another common name is cranesbill.

Pineapple lilies (Eucomis) are miniature floral representations of the tropical fruit. They are annuals or rarely perennials and are extremely frost tender. The slightly bizarre plants are only 12 to 15 inches (31-38 cm.) tall but have large flower heads that resemble tiny pineapples flanked with green bracts. Learn how to grow a pineapple lily flower for a unique garden …

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 …

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. …

Carpet Roses need no spraying, no staking and just a simple snipping to shape annually. (I recommend feeding them once or twice a season with time release fertilizer so they have the nutritional resources to produce huge volumes of blooms over the entire growing season.) The Carpet Rose is an excellent low maintenance plant for the Sunnyvale garden.

Abundant REALLY LARGE fanciful blooms appear Spring thru Summer on this new “Monkey Flower” variety from Chile. Twice the size of the original species (2” top to bottom), ‘Mega’s’ creamy white flowers are blushed cherry & garnished with a yellow throat & showy spots. Dark branching stems, refined blue-green foliage & a bushy 20” high & wide form completes the …

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 …