Welcome Landscape Color

If you’re like me I’m ready for warm days of summer and the color we have in our gardens and landscapes today on Southern Gardening.

A favorite plant of mine is the snapdragon relative Nemesia, that colorful annual from South Africa. The beautiful flowers are a half inch in diameter and the interior is bearded. I find these small flowers have an aroma that reminds me of vanilla. Newer selections include honey Blue Eye with its soft violet blue, Pink Fruticans which is a nice pastel pink, and pure Honey White. Spicy Snow White is a larger, more open selection. Verbena with their spreading growth habit have been garden staples for many years. The foliage is a rich green color and spicy when brushed. The flower clusters are displayed above the foliage. The Lanai series offers some spectacular choices in flower colors. Twister Pink flowers are pink in the middle and have an outer ring of white with light pink edges. Premium Candy Cane is appropriately named. The flowers have alternating red and white stripes just like that favorite Christmas treat. Lanai Strawberry and Cream flower clusters are a mixture of soft pinks and salmon colors. A perennial I really enjoy is the thread-leaf coreopsis. There are three Coloropsus selections with exciting two inch flowers. Jive has single white flowers with a burgundy eye and orange center. The flowers of Salsa are golden yellow with a wide burgundy eye. And Limbo has bright white flowers with dark eyes.

So my advice is to get out to the garden center and pick some of the beautiful and colorful plants for your landscape this year. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.