cultivars, 10 to 12
apart. Prefers cool
an herb garden,
inches. Fluffy
climates and
cottage garden, or
chrysanthemum-like
tolerates frost. Will informal flower
flowers, 3 to 4 inches
self-sow easily.
border.
across are gold,
Mildew can be a
orange, apricot or
problem; do not
ivory.
wet foliage. Grow
in winter in hot
climates.
Catharanthus roseus Upright, growing to 2 Grow in full sun or A plant that can be feet tall and spreading partial shade in
used for a summer
Madagascar
2 feet wide. Glossy
evenly moist soil
long groundcover.
periwinkle
green, oval leaves.
after danger of
Plant in sunny
Flowers pink, mauve, frost is past. Space
border.
or white with red eyes 1 foot apart. Does
to 1-½ inches across.
not need
They bloom lightly
deadheading.
all summer
Tolerates drought.
Thrives in heat and
humidity. Will
self-sow.
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Annuals Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Centaurea cineraria
Forms mounded or
Grow in full sun in
Plant in mass
upright plants, 12 to
sandy, well-drained between flowering
Dusty miller
18 inches tall. Grown
soil. Space 10 to 12 perennials or
for the deeply lobed
inches apart. Cut
annuals in formal
foliage, which is
off flower stalks as
or informal
densely covered with
they form. Cut
borders. Combines
felt-like, silvery white back over wintered beautifully with
hairs. Yellow flowers
plants or take
pastel or brightly
not particularly
cuttings.
colored flowers.
showy.
Long lasting
foliage when cut.
Centaurea cyanus
Upright plant, 1 to 3
Grow in full sun in
Charming flower
feet tall. Fringed, 1 ½
average to fertile
for cottage gardens
Cornflower;
inch flowers of true
soil. Tolerates poor or informal flower
bachelors’ button
blue, pink, or mauve
soil. Prefers cool
beds. Naturalized
bloom most during
climates; heat
throughout the
cool weather.
reduces flowering.
U.S.; looks at
Space 1 foot apart.
home in a meadow
Deadhead to
garden. Flowers
prolong bloom.
last well when cut.
Tall plants may
flop unless
supported by other
plants. Self-sows
readily.
Cleome hasslerama
Fast growing to 3 to 5 Grow in full sun in
Tall plant for the
feet tall. Large, airy,
average, ell-
back of a flower
Cleome,
pink, rose, or white
drained soil. Space
border or for a
spiderflower
flower heads with
2 feet apart.
cottage garden.
long showy stamens
Tolerates poor soil
Flowers are long
bloom all summer as
and some drought.
lasting when cut
the stems elongate.
Thrives in heat.
with a strong scent.
Attractive compound
Self-sows easily.
leaves have 3 to 7
leaflets. Stems have
short, sharp spines.
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Annuals Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Cosmos bipinnatus
Daisy like, 4-inch
Grow in full sun in
Make wonderful
rose, pink burgundy
average soil; will
cut flowers.
Cosmos
or white flowers with
not bloom in
Enchanting in
yellow centers bloom
highly fertile soil.
cottage garden; use
from summer to first
Space 1 foot apart.
in the back of the
frost. Lacy foliage.
Tolerates drought
garden against a
Tall cultivars reach 5
and heat. Remove
fence. ‘Gloria’ is a
feet; dwarf to 2 feet.
faded flowers for
rose-carmine
best appearance.
darkening toward
Self sows easily.
the center toward 4
feet.
Helianthus annuus
Upright plant to 12
Grow in full sun in
Nostalgic plants for
feet tall cultivars, 3
fertile, loamy soil
a cottage garden or
Common sunflower feet for dwarfs.
for best flowers.
cutting garden.
Single flowers up to 1 Sow seeds after all
Line up along a
foot across have
frost danger has
fence.
yellow, gold, or
passed. Space 2
mahogany petals
feet apart. Thrives
surrounding large
in heat and
dark centers, which
tolerates drought
contain edible seeds
and alkaline soil.
when they mature.
Tall sunflowers
Double flowers are
may need stalking,
pompon shaped.
but lower cultivars
are carefree.
Impatiens wallerana
Mounded plants with
Grow in light to
Mass plant in
neat foliage; covered
full shade in moist, groups of single
Impatiens, busy
with flowers from
fertile, humus soil.
colors in shade
lizzie
summer until frost.
Space 8 to 15
gardens or for
Flat 2 inch short
inches apart,
season long color
spurred flowers in all
depending on
in a mixed border.
shades of pink, red,
height. Tolerates
Select for color and
violet, purple, orange
full to partial sun if desired height.
and white tubular
kept well watered.
flowers. Reaching 8
Needs no
to 18 inches tall.
deadheading. Will
self-sow, but
seedling differ
from parents.
Nicely trouble free.
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Annuals Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Lobularia maritime
Clusters of tiny,
Grow in full sun or Mass plant as a
honey scented, white, partial shade in
ground cover
Sweet alyssum
violet or rose flowers
average well-
beneath taller
cover the low, fine
drained soil.
flowers between
textured plant. Reach
Flowers best
stepping-stones.
3-6 inches tall and
during cool
Use as formal
spreads 1 to 15
weather. Does not
edging along
inches.
need deadheading,
flowerbeds.
but shearing back
once during hot
weather will help
produce more
blooms.
Myosotis sylvatica
Upright, to 2 feet tall; Grow in light
Use as a nice under
stems tipped with a
shade in moist or
planting for spring
Forget me not
coiled cluster of small wet soil. Sow seeds bulbs, or with early
blue flowers with
in summer for
perennials in a
yellow eyes.
bloom the next
mixed border or
Cultivars may be pink spring. Dies after
cottage garden.
or white.
flowering and
going to seed in
early summer. Re-
seeds easily.
Nierembergia
Small, cup shaped,
Grow in full sun to
Neat plant for the
hippomanica
violet blue, white or
partial shade in
foreground of a
purple flowers cover
fertile, well-
flower garden or
Cupflower
mounds of needle
drained soil. Space
used as an edging.
foliage all summer.
6-12 inches apart
after danger of
frost is over. Keep
moist. Perennial in
zones 9-11.
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Annuals Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Torenia fournieri
Upright plant reaches
Grow in partial to
Ideal for mass
8 to 12 inches tall
full shade in fertile, planting in damp
Wishbone flower
with an equal spread.
humus soil. Space
shade. ‘Clown
Profuse, dark purple,
8 inches apart after
Mix’ has compact
tubular, 2-lipped
frost threat is past.
6 inch mounds
flowers with white
Tolerates damp
with 1 inch flowers
centers and yellow
soil. Self-sows
in a mix of cool
throats that bloom all
easily.
colors.
summer.
Tropaeolum majus
Trailing plant with
Grow in full sun in
The flowers and
lotus shaped, blue-
average to poor
leaves are edible.
Garden nasturtium
green foliage. Long
soil. Sow seeds as
stemmed, spurred
soon as the soil can
flowers, 2-3 inches
be worked in
wide, in gold, orange, spring. Thin to 1
red, or cream; flowers foot apart.
may hide beneath the
Tolerates drought
foliage in older
and poor soil.
varieties. Dwarf, non-
Flowers are best in
trailing cultivars
cool weather. Self-
exist, too.
sows easily.
Viola cornuta
Plant reaches 6-8
Grow in full sun or Combine with
inches tall. Flat, 2-3
partial shade in
spring bulbs in a
Viola, tufted pansy
inch flowers with 5
rich, well-drained
mixed border or
overlapping petals
soil. Prefers cool
cut flower garden.
and yellow eyes
weather. Tolerates
Great to edge a
bloom during cool
light frost. Remove walk in a cottage
weather in spring and
faded flowers to
garden. Combine
summer. Colors
prolong bloom.
with other plants
include blue, purple,
Pull out plants
that will fill in after
lavender, yellow,
when they cease
the pansies are
orange, rose, apricot
blooming. May be
overwhelmed by
and creamy white.
biennial, so you
any heat.
can sometimes just
cut back existing
plants.
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Annuals Name
Description
Maintenance
Comments
Viola tricolor
Slender, 1 foot tall
Grow in full sun or Nice for
plant topped with
partial shade in
naturalizing in a
Johnny-jump-up
small purple-yellow
rich, well-drained
meadow or cottage
and white pansy like
soil. Prefers cool
garden. Allow
flowers in spring
weather. Tolerates
weaving between
frost. Pull out
other plants so it
plants when they
can self-sow
stop blooming or if anytime. Combines
they are in an easy
well with spring
to reach spot, leave flowering bulbs.
to bloom in fall.
Self-sows easily.
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Weekender Perennial Recommendations
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Perennial
Description Maintenance
Comments
Plant Name
Achillea
Summer blooming.
Grow in full sun in
Looks good in mid
filipendulina
Flat clusters of
average soil. Space ground or
golden, 5-inch flower
1 ½ to 2 feet apart.
background of
Fernleaf yarrow
heads produced for
Tolerates drought,
perennial border,
many weeks. Deeply
heat, and poor soil.
or mass planted
cut green foliage.
Grows leggy and
with ornamental
Stems reach 3 to 5
may need staking
grasses.
feet tall.
in fertile, moist
soil. Zones 3-9.
Aconitum napellus
Summer to late
Grow in full sun to
Nice late blooming
summer blooming.
partial shade in
plant for perennial
Common
Violet-blue 1 to 2
moist, humus soil.
border and cottage
monkshood, helmet inch helmet shaped
Space 1 to 1 ½ feet
garden. Very
flower
flowers in tall spikes.
apart. Does not
poisonous.
Finely divided green
perform well in
‘Bicolor’ grows 3
leaves on 3 to 4 foot
heat and humidity;
to 4 feet tall with
tall stalks.
prefers cool nights. blue and white
Staking may be
flowers.
needed in shade.
Zones 3-7 and cool
parts of 8.
Alchemilla mollis
Spring blooming.
Grow in sun to
Lovely in flower,
Misty clusters of tiny
light shade in
but more valued
Lady’s mantle
yellow-green
moist, humus rich
for its foliage,
blossoms held well
soil. Best if kept
which is a delight
above foliage. Leaves moist, but tolerates
in a shade garden.
velvet olive green
drought. Zones 4-7.
Also use to edge
with scalloped edges.
paths.
Forms loose 1 foot
tall clumps.
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Perennial
Description Maintenance
Comments
Plant Name
Amsonia tabernae-
Early summer bloom. Grow in full sun to
Attractive but not
montana
Star shaped, pale blue light shade in
overwhelming. Old
flowers clustered at
moist, loamy soil.
fashioned plant for
Willow amsonia,
the tops of stems.
Stems may need
the flower border.
blue star
Leaves are willow-
cutting back in the
Great fall color.
like, glossy green;
shade and they will
turn a brilliant golden re-grow. Zones 3-
yellow in fall.
9.
Anemone sylvestris
Spring blooming.
Grow in partial
Nice spring
White, 5 petaled
shade in light soil.
bloomer for shade
Snowdrop anemone flowers with yellow
May spread from
garden or
centers. Flower stalks underground roots
naturalistic setting.
rise well above
if well-sited,
mound of light green
unwanted plants
leaves. Reaches 10 to
easily removed.
18 inches tall.
Zones 4-8.
Baptista australis
Early summer bloom. Grow in full sun to
An old-fashioned
Indigo blue, two
partial shade in
perennial that looks
Baptista, blue false
lipped tubular 1-inch
rich, moist, acid
at home in a formal
indigo
flower. Blue-green
soil. Space 4 feet
or informal
round leaflets like pea apart. Plant spreads perennial garden.
plants on upright
slowly in large
stems.
clumps that do not
need dividing
unless they take up
too much room.
Zones 3-9.
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Perennial
Description Maintenance
Comments
Plant Name
Dianthus deltoids
Summer bloom.
Grow in full sun to
Spreads rapidly
Grassy, 4-6 inch tall
partial shade in
and makes a good
Maiden pink
leaves on prostrate
fertile alkaline soil. groundcover. Use
stems form dense
Does not need
in foreground or
mats. Rose, red, pink, deadheading, but
perennial border, in
or white 3-4 inch
after the major
a rock garden, or
wide flowers with
flowers end, shear
between paving
notched petals and a
back for further
stones.
contrasting band of
bloom. Zones 3-9.
spots.
Dicentra spectabilis
Early and mid-spring
Grow in partial
Emerges rapidly in