Plant care for Nemophila, California-bluebell, Annual Flower Information

These small, dainty plants from California are of a spreading habit and the leaves are pale green, deeply cut and slightly hairy. In Nemophila menziesi var. insignis, Baby-blue-eyes, the flowers are cup shaped, blue or white. The tips of the petals of N. maculata, the Spotted Nemophila, are spotted with deep purple, the rest being white. Most other Nemophilas found […]

OENOTHERA Evening primrose, Sundrops, Annual Flower Information

OENOTHERA, Evening primrose, Sundrops There are many biennial and perennial Oenotheras but several are rather popular annuals. Oenothera drummondi. Drummond Evening-primrose. This annual, 1 to 9. feet tall, has bright yellow flowers. Like all Evening primroses it is four-petaled. Oenothera America is a large-flowered type with white flowers, which turn pinkish. USE. They are attractive border plants for sunny locations, […]

AGERATUM Mexican Ageratum (Floss flower), Annual Flower

Where to plant. Blue flowers are rather rare among annuals. This is one of the reasons for the great popularity of the Ageratum houstonianum (mexicanum). The flowers are dainty and feathery, often delightfully fragrant, and usually completely cover the plants. There are attractive dwarf, tufted plants as well as tall, upright growers. The dwarfer sorts appear to produce much more […]

PERILLA, Annual Flower Information

PERILLA Perilla is mentioned here because in years past it was a great favorite as a foliage plant. The leaves are dark purple and have a metallic luster causing the plant to resemble a Coleus. It grows about 1/2 feet tall. The pinkish flowers, in form like those of Catnip, are inconspicuous. Perilla frutescens is the species but there are […]

Plant care Centaurea – Cornflower and Sweet-sultan, Annual Flower Information

CENTAUREA . Cornflower and Sweet-sultan (Name derived from a certain centaur that was famous for his ability as a healer) There is a vast array of Centaureas, both annuals and perennial. All of them have more or less thistle-like flowers. SPECIES. Cornflower (Bachelor-button) (Frenchpink) (Bluebottle) (Keiserbloom) (Ragged-sailor) (Bluet). Cenfaurea cyanus. A popular blue, purple, rose or white sort. The double […]

Plant care for Petunia, Annual Flower Information

PETUNIA (Named from petun, the Brazilian name for tobacco, to which Petunia is allied) Everyone has some room for Petunias because they are the most profuse flowering of any annual. Few other annuals produce so many of such large flowers. The colors have been improved to such an extent that there are now varieties to please us all. Recently nearly […]

Plant care for Erysimum – Blistercress (Fairy Wall flower), Annual Flower Information

ERYSIMUM Blistercress (Fairy Wall flower) (Derived from the Greek words to draw blisters) Closely related to the Wallflower, the Afghan Blistercress, Erysimum perofskianum, bears most brilliant orange flowers in lengthening terminal racemes. Especially admirable are these annuals in late Summer, when some other subjects are beginning to wane in beauty. E. asperum (arkansanum) is a lighter colored species, usually perennial […]

Plant care for PHLOX Texas pride, Annual Flower Information

PHLOX – Texas pride (Name from Greek for a flame, perhaps first applied to another plant) The brilliance and clean colors of the annual Phlox, P. drummondi. make it a favorite in the garden. The flowers range from white to pink, primrose, scarlet, crimson, rose, and lavender, some being perfectly clear while others have dark or white eyes. An interesting […]

GAILLARDIA – Blanket flower, Annual Flower Information

GAILLARDIA – Blanket flower (Named for M. Gaillard, a French patron of Botany) The bright, sunset colors of the Blanketflower are an asset in any garden. There are annual and perennial Gaillardias, and the various species have been blended to such a degree that it is difficult to say just which are which. Generally, the perennials are yellow and the […]

Plant care for Chinese Lantern plant – PHYSALIS

There are some annuals with showy fruits and among them none is so much admired as the Chinese Lantern plant, which produces large, inflated, orange-red, lantern-like pods containing small, fleshy fruits much like Tomatoes. The flowers are inconspicuous, being borne in the axils of the leaves, and it is after the leaves have fallen that the fruit is most showy. […]