Tag Archives: Thriller

Jade Plant in winter

During winter in Sunnyvale, the Jade plant is covered with white flowers. It’s is frequently visited by our resident hummingbird. Jade Plant (aka Jade Tree, Money Tree) is a great landscape plant for the Sunnyvale garden. It is a succulent that needs little watering. Jade plant is toxic to pets and can cause vomiting and a slow heart rate. In …

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Blood Flower – Aclepias curassavica

Blood flowers (Aclepias curassavica) are red-orange with yellow hoods. Flowering continues throughout the summer to early autumn. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees are attracted to the flowers. Monarch butterflies lay eggs on this plant and the resulting larvae (caterpillars) use the plant leaves as a food source. Flowers are followed by long, narrow seed pods (3-4” long) which split open when …

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Canna Lily

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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Agastache ‘Black Adder’

Okay. I bought this plant because of its name. There were no photos of the flowers; the plant was not yet in bloom. I just loved the 1980s BBC four-year series starring Rowan Atkinson (as Edmund Blackadder) and Tony Robinson (as Baldrick). When the plant finally bloomed last week, I was pleasantly surprised by its purple flower stalk. But, as …

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Asclepias – Silky Mix

One of over two hundred varieties of Asclepias, ‘Silky Mix’ stands out for its beautiful alternating deep red and gold colored blooms. Blooming mid Summer through early Fall, ‘Silky’, like most Asclepias prefers sunny, dry locations and does well in substandard soil. A tender perennial in some zones and annual in others, ‘Silky Mix’ is a beautiful addition to any …

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Giant Red Strawflower

Big, bold, showy & heat & drought tolerant – this is the TALL species! To 4’ tall & 3’ across, it certainly creates a dramatic focal point with substantial 2” brassy red blooms held atop strong multi-branching bright green stems. Beginning in mid-Summer, the blooms last for months in the garden & then, like, forever in dried arrangements. With average-rich, …

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Pericallis

Prior to this spring (2016), I had not seen this daisy-like flower. In vivid blues, magic magentas, ultraviolets and stunning bicolors, where else can you find vibrant color early in the season? Plant Senetti with other cool companion bedding plants in early spring, such as pansies. Senetti thrives in full sun and partial sun conditions and down to 35 degrees. …

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Spider Lily 2015

Hymenocallis is a wonderful genus of bulbous amaryllis…native mostly to the US, Mexico, and Central America. Hymenocallis (spider lilies) are an easy-to-grow moisture-lover that are a reliable perennial wildflower in the garden. Spider lilies are a tough, low maintenance plant which makes it perfect for rain gardens. In the wild many Hymenocallis (spider lilies) often grow in or near water …

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