Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Lycium barbarum

Family: Solanaceae

Hardy shrub to 8′.  Goji Berry.  China.  An edible and ornamental shrub with a dense, bushy habit. The dark green, narrow foliage varies in shape from oblanceolate to elliptic with rounded or pointed tips.  Funnel-shaped purple flowers bloom singly or in groups up to three from the leaf axils and have five reflexed lobes. Flowers are followed by eye-catching orange to red, oblong, fleshy berries with considerable nutritional value.  Valued by many as a superfood! Delicious, nutritious and attractive!  Pruning is recommended after the first growing season for best fruit yields.  Best grown in evenly moist, well-draining, sandy soil in full sun.  3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Maianthemum racemosum (syn. Smilacina racemosa)

Family: (Asparagaceae)

(P) to 3′. Solomon’s Zigzag, False Spikenard, Treacleberry. A North American native that is most welcomed in the woodland. Arching, bright green stems and six-inch long, elliptic to lanceolate leaves with prominent, parallel veining. Fluffy, linen-white flowers bloom on panicles in late spring. Red to purple berries follow. Moist soil. Partial shade to shade. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Melasphaerula ramosa

Family: (Iridaceae)

Tender corm to 12″. Fairy Bells. South Africa. Slender, loosely branched flower stalks with many delicate, long-lasting blooms on threadlike pedicels give the plant an airy appearance. Blooms are pale yellow with a fine, darker line along the centre of the pointed tepals. Fans of delicate, Iris-like foliage disappear during summer dormancy. Grows well on a warm window ledge out of direct sun. So easy to grow and incredibly adorable. April to June. Well-drained soil. Partial shade. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Melica altissima 'Atropurpurea'

Family: (Poaceae)

(P) to 4′. Siberian Melic. Native to thickets and forest edges of eastern Europe. Dense, leafy clumps of mid-green foliage. Tall flower stems topped with loose, one-sided panicles of deep purple, overlapping spikelets. A terrific addition to our Red Bed. Summer. Well-drained soil. Sun. 4 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Mentha longifolia Buddleia Mint Group

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 2′. Buddleja Mint. Eurasia. Narrow, soft grey leaves and long, lilac-purple flower spikes. This lovely herbaceous plant resembles a miniature Butterfly Bush. An essential part of our Flower Garden beds for both colour and texture. Long blooming. Well-drained soil. Sun. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Mirabilis dichotoma

Family: (Nyctaginaceae)

(TP) to 3.5′.  Mexico.  An old-fashioned favourite, in cultivation since at least 1640, but now rarely seen.  Forms bushy clumps of dark green, heart-shaped leaves with many yellow, trumpet-shaped blooms all summer long.  We dig up the tuber and store like Dahlias.  Sun/partial shade.  4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Mirabilis jalapa ‘Limelight’

Family: (Nyctaginaceae)

(A/TP) to 3′.  Four o’Clock, Marvel of Peru.  Delicate trumpets of shocking pink are accentuated by the astonishing, bright chartreuse foliage.  A show-stopper.  Sunglasses de rigueur!  Sun/partial shade. 4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Mirabilis jalapa Salmon

Family: (Nyctaginaceae)

(A/TP) to 3′.  Four o’Clock, Marvel of Peru.  A lovely selection that is perfect in our Peach Bed of the Flower Garden.  Bright green foliage and delightful salmon flowers with a pink centre.  Sun/partial shade.  4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Mirabilis jalapa White

Family: (Nyctaginaceae)

(TP) to 2.5’. Four o’Clock, Marvel of Peru. Gardeners delight at the time-conscious way these flowers open at 4 p.m. Delicate trumpets of mottled white rest in calyx-like fused bracts, above fresh green, ovate leaves. Later, one can discover the black, artichoke-shaped seeds resting in place of the blooms. Sun/partial shade. 4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Mirabilis jalapa Yellow

Family: (Nyctaginaceae)

(TP) to 2.5 ‘.  A sunshine yellow version of the Four o’Clock.  Sun/partial shade.  4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Mirabilis longiflora

Family: (Nyctaginaceae)

(TP) to 3.5′.  Sweet Four o’Clock, Angel’s Trumpets.  Texas, Arizona and Mexico.  Extraordinary, six-inch long, very slender, white trumpets are borne in great profusion on mounds of sticky, bright apple-green foliage.  The flowers release a sweet orange-blossom fragrance in the evening.  These unusually long flowers need a special pollinator with an extended proboscis, such as the Hawkmoth.  The Hawkmoth is similar to the Hummingbird in that they hover in place and unfurl their proboscis and drink the sucrose-rich nectar they require, thus creating a mutually beneficial relationship.  Lift and store the swollen tubers over winter as you would a Dahlia.  Blooms midsummer to fall.  Sun/partial shade.  4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Monarda fistulosa

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 4′. Wild Bergamot. Distinctive, sweetly aromatic foliage reminiscent of Earl Grey tea with lovely pale violet-pink blooms in terminal clusters of tubular, lipped flowers. Usually found in dry open fields and meadows, so it makes a good plant for the wildflower or natural garden. Blooms midsummer. 3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Monarda punctata

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(A) to 3′.  Horse Mint.  Native to the Great Plains of the United States.  Dense whorls of pale yellow, hooded flowers spotted with purple-brown.  Each whorl is surrounded by large, pink-tipped, green bracts.  The narrow, toothed leaves have a grey cast.  A very showy plant.  Sun.  4 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Myrrhis odorata

Family: (Apiaceae)

(P) to 5′. Sweet Cicely. Europe. Grown for its anise-scented, fern-like foliage. Flowers bloom midsummer and are small, white, flat, compound umbels. Well-suited to naturalizing in woodlands and flower borders where it is an admirable foil for withering bulb foliage. Important for any herb garden for both culinary and medicinal uses. Chew the leaves and young stems for their anise flavour or chop and add the leaf stalks to acid fruits to reduce the amount of sugar required in cooking. Moist soil. Sun/partial shade. 3 & 6

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Narcissus serotinus

Family: (Amaryllidaceae)

Tender bulb to 10″. An autumn-flowering Mediterranean species with a white perianth and a minuscule, golden yellow corona. Light citrus scent. We grow it in our Pit House where it blooms for Thanksgiving. Charming and easy to raise from seed. Sun. 3 & T1