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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Night Phlox (Zaluzianskya capensis, “Midnight Candy”) fills the evening air with a sweet fragrance that will give you joy from May to November. The flowers open towards the evening and remain open until early in the morning. As the light intensity increases, they slowly start to close and are completely closed from midday until evening. I purchased my plant from …
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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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Its gold and orange flowers bloom from spring until the first light fall frost. Grow it for its sunny beauty in containers, borders, or parking strips. Then save some blooms for fresh or dried floral arrangements; dried petals can be used in baking or teas. Calendula gets its common name, Pot Marigold, becuase the flower resembles a marigold, and is …
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Helichrysum argyrophyllum, the Golden Guinea Everlasting Daisy, makes a great groundcover in open sunny spots and is perfect for sunny rock-gardens. This South African native has small silver/grey leaves and from late summer into autumn it is covered with masses of bright yellow everlasting daisies. This is a tough plant that will survive heat, drought and even frost. We purchased …
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From the north of Italy, the artichoke of aristocrats. This choke has small oval slightly elongated head 3 inches wide by 5 inches long. mouthwatering flavor. Fruit is more elongated than the green globe type. The edible thistle first appeared in Italy and Sicily as early as 200-300 B.C. It may be a descendant of C. cardunculus, the wild cardoon …
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Yarrow (Achillea spp.) adds bright spots of color to the garden in summer and fall. My mother has always had the tall yellow yarrow in her Almaden Valley garden. It complemented the blue and white flowers of Mexican Sage. The flower heads are large, flat-topped umbels packed with tiny flowers. This hardy, drought-resistant perennial still thrives with poor soil and …
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Common Cosmos, Mexican Aster. Cosmos are annuals, grown for their showy flowers. The flowerheads may be bowl– or open cup–shaped and are atop of long stems. Cosmos are easy to grow and make good border or container plants. They make for good decorations in flower arrangements and also attract birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden. Family: Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ee) (Info) …
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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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Autumn Sage, Salvia x jamensis ‘Hot Lips’ Family: Lamiaceae (lay-mee-AY-see-ee) (Info) Genus: Salvia (SAL-vee-uh) (Info) Species: x jamensis Cultivar: Hot Lips Synonym:Salvia microphylla Category: Tropicals and Tender Perennials Height: 36-48 in. (90-120 cm) 4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m) Spacing: 18-24 in. (45-60 cm) Hardiness: USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F) USDA Zone 8b: …
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