also called toadflax. These small spikes of flowers,
in beautiful bright colors, are like fairy snapdragons.They combine beautifully with Leptosiphon.
Leptosiphon
these little known flowers like brightly colored tiny stars look
delicate, but manage quite well in most ordinary conditions; they even reappeared once during the following year.
If you try these, you won't be sorry.
Dahlberg daisy
once called dyssodia, Now listed as Thymophylla tenuiloba.
These minute yellow daisies bloom their hearts out and occasionally reseed.
I put them in many situations: beside a walk, in front of the border, in a flower box,
peeking from a planter, mixed with other small lovelies.
Convolvulous Ensign
Blue Ensign is always cheerful and welcome. Mixes well with dahlberg daisies this petite morning glory flower is easy from seed.
Plant early enough to fully enjoy lots of flowers.
Nemophilia
Baby Blue Eyes, clearest sky blue with white centers and fine foliage.
Viola Tricolor
Johnny-Jump-Ups, the little pansies that have as many uses as dahlberg daisies. Lovely in both the
yellow/purple and deep purple (Bowles Black) forms. You can spread the seed yourself, easy and not the least troublesome.
Nemesia*
These are usually listed as cool climate annuals, but I've grown the mixed colors with no disappointments
Some very pretty selections are available through catalogues.
Nierembergia
This is for the seed starter, or purchase through the nursery. A bowl shaped plant covered in flowers-it loved
growing in between the stepping stones, and was perfectly at home in the flowerbox.
Signet Marigolds
Tagetes tenufolia is somewhat sizable as a plant, but the flower and foliage are miniature and fine.
Grown easily from seed.
Zinnia angustifolia
I get these in the cream color; when they like their situation
: sunny and not too dry, they are exceptionally pleasing.
Brachycome
or Swan River Daisy with blue, purple, and white colors are the cheeriest blooming mounds; and they can grow
from direct sown seed. These are a favorite.
Journal Notes:
Of course,lobelias, portulacas, and many others are in this size
group. Lobelias take a surprising amount of sun,as long as moisture is present.
Portulacas are brightly colorful and look best in a large multi-colored group.
Good looking both at close range and afar. Allyssum's fine lace trim is well known,
and grows easily from seed.
Next, still small, but with more presence, are the dwarf snapdragons, vinca, impatiens, annual dianthus, and verbenas.
The Peaches and Cream verbena is softly colored, mixing better than many of the other colors. I am dependent on the
snapdragon for color that takes the Midwest summers without flinching. I always plant petunias, too. -Except for whites which were ruined
for me when someone remarked that they look like so many wet Kleenexes. They do.
The Cherry Rose and Alaska varieties are especially fine. The plants themselves, may take a large space, but it depends on the variety and growing conditions. " Alaska's " splotched leaves are showy and
make an attractive addition to an herb garden. Some varieties have a lovely fragrance ,too. Yes, they are also aphid magnets,
but without real harm to their appearance.
Candytuft
Iberis Umbellata. Here is quick color in pastel violets, white, and pink. They are easy and showy,
but, alas, short-term in lifespan. Resowing can produce more.
Godetia
Satinflower, their common description, gives you an idea of the garden effect. I've only tried
these in a border situation and haven't grown them in a long time, but it's time to include them in the dooryard garden this
year. Easy to grow.
Pansies
of course! There are so many varieties, the Antique strain and types with "faces" are my favorites.
Pansies will reseed themselves, unless (like I did) you mulch around them. The mulch discourages them to extinction~ and
I thought I was doing them a favor at the time.
Verbena
I love these, but except for the Peaches and Cream variety, I find them difficult to integrate
into a garden. They are most compatible with petunias, annual dianthus, or on their own in mixed colors. If you let them
dry out, they recover, but look spotty and they need dead heading through the season.
I put these together because when I grew these daisies they looked very similar and not as good as I hoped.
I sowed both in the garden, and, to be fair, a friend who grew Osteospermum from nursery plants had a wonderful result.
That's why they are listed- the combo of the daisy flower, interesting foliage and carpet growth looked good all summer
in her garden. Worth trying, but start the plants early or buy them. Update on this: I am using osteospermum 'Lemon' in a
container for season 2000. It has a beautiful lavender eye that is matched with a veined plummy petunia (looks like 'Sugar
Daddy').
Salvias
splendens in vivid red for where you want unmistakable color; like tulips,
these are best in groups. Last year I tried the burgundy wine color and it was excellent.
farinacea -why anyone bothers with the whites is beyond me, but the blue 'Victoria' is a staple
(and it has sometimes wintered over,and sometimes reseeded, although you can't count on it). Blooms dependably
and has healthy blue spikes in a small bushy plant.Dries very nicely if you pick it soon enough.
Calendulas
these are what the English refer to when citing the name marigold. They have some excellent
qualities (the English do, too, but I'm referring to the calendulas), one of which is a bloomtime long into late fall.
I recommend buying the hybridized seeds for truly beautiful flowers in some marvelous colors. Once they reseed, the flowers
are smaller, not as double, and revert to bright orange and yellow, only. The sublime apricots and creams are lost.
Baby's Breath
Gypsophilia elegans 'Covent Garden' is easy to sow and grow. It makes a nice companion
to most any flower- with petunias it's a country bouquet.
Eustoma
or Lisianthus, was a new one for me last year. The flowers are gorgeous. Heidi Rose Pink was lovely.
I didn't grow it to perfection, but it still gave me pleasure. They seem to need consistent moisture,
even though the catalogs say otherwise. I bought a few expensive nursery plants, and believe this is one plant worthwhile
starting yourself.
When planting containers, it is most important to keep the plants watered. Using fertilizer as recommended gives results all out of proportion
to the effort involved. If you start with good potting soil... you may have a veritable Eden on your porch.
In the garden be sure the soil is raked to a fine tilth, removing clods of hard dirt, when planting seeds.
Starting seeds indoors? Use sterile soil medium.
Keep seeds moist, but not waterlogged.
Save your seed packets to remind yourself of germination times, special requirements, and the way the new seedlings look. Consider having a journal and keeping the information in that.
make circles of powdered lime to visualize where the seeds were planted if you are making a design of annuals.
Find high quality plants and bulbs for the Fall planting season at White Flower Farm. Click Here!
Plants that vine or drape gracefully will flow over the rim of containers and are good in conjunction with mounded and spiky plants. ( Lantana is one of those plants that is actually perennial, but grown as an annual here in the North.
Garden notes
One term you sometimes hear in garden design is the word, "texture". Like fabric texture, plant texture creates a visual feeling of something which is either coarse or fine. Small leaved plants, or a large array of small blossoms may create a fine textured accompaniment
to medium or larger textured plants with larger smooth surfaces. Coarse texture is the effect of large leaves or large flowers such as hibiscus. Medium texture is between the extremes. This combining and mixing of textures creates interest visually. It is one way that plants contrast and compliment one another.
