Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Cynoglossum amabile ‘Firmament’

Family: (Boraginaceae)

(A) to 2.5′.  Chinese Forget-me-not.  Producing all summer long a profusion of sky-blue, five-petalled flowers.  Reminiscent of the Forget-me-not, only taller.  Self-sows.  Sun.  3, D & T2

This seed is either sold out or unavailable

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Cuphea viscosissima

Family: (Lythraceae)

(A) to 20″. Blue Waxweed. A North American native and one of our most revered annuals. This non-stop summer bloomer has six deep, magenta-purple petals with the upper two being the longest and a tubular green calyx covered in fine purple hairs. An easy-care annual that requires no deadheading or staking. Very sticky stems trap unsuspecting insects. Self-sows. Sun. 4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Crepis rubra

Family: (Asteraceae)

(A) to 18″. Cretian Hawk’s Beard. We love this annual. Rosettes of toothed, pale green leaves with delicate flower stalks. Dandelion-esque heads one inch across are pale pink with darker centres. Adorable. Sun. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Euphorbia marginata

Family: (Euphorbiaceae)

(A) to 3′. Snow-on-the-Mountain. A prairie native found growing wild from Dakota to Texas. Small, white flowers in clustered heads with large, long-lasting, petal-like bracts and oval, light green upper foliage striped and margined to almost all white. The oval to pointed, oblong, lower leaves are sparse but an attractive greyish green. Best planted in loose drifts or directly sown in garden beds where it will add a cool, soothing palette to the summer border. Sun. Well-drained soil. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Atriplex hortensis var. rubra

Family: (Amaranthaceae)

(A) to 5′.  Red Mountain Orach.  Asia, Central and South Europe, North America.  An ornamental Orach with glowing, blood red to purplish foliage.  We love the striking, lance-shaped foliage almost anywhere in the garden.  Tall, dense racemes of red-purple flowers are followed by decorative, terminal clusters of buff-coloured seeds that are wonderful too.  Gently self-sows.  Sun.  Best sown in situ or 3 & T2.

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Asclepias curassavica

Family: (Apocynaceae)

(A/TP) to 4′.  Blood Flower, Bastard Pecacuanha.  A native of tropical America with cymes of 10+ small, cinnabar-red, five-petalled flowers with orange hoods.  Upright foliage has pointed, elliptic, and opposite leaves.  Blooms in late summer.  Easy from seed but we dig ours up to overwinter.  Sun.  3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Artemisia annua

Family: (Asteraceae)

(A) to 5′. Sweet Annie. Southeast Europe. Fast growing with finely cut, aromatic, bright green foliage bearing lots of loose clusters of tiny, yellow flowers in late summer. Makes a great temporary screen or hedge. Adds a nice touch to dried arrangements. Self-sows readily. Sun. 3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Amaranthus gangeticus

Family: (Amaranthaceae)

(A) to 5′.  Elephant Amaranth.  South America, Africa.  This plant is a delightful point of interest in the flower or vegetable garden.  The tiny, congested sprays of crimson flowers form rounded, dense clusters that make up one extraordinarily shaped form, rather like an elephant’s trunk, or a pointing finger or two.  Sun.  3 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Amaranthus caudatus var. viridis

Family: (Amaranthaceae)

(A) to 3.5′. Green Tails. Andes. An interesting variant of Loves-lies-bleeding with bright lime green flower tassels contrasting against the lush green foliage. Very nice in combination with the yellows and oranges in our Yellow Rainbow. Blooms from late summer into autumn. Sun. 3 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Anethum graveolens

Family: (Apiaceae)

(A) to 4’. Dill. Middle East. Slender, upright, hollow, glaucous stems with fine, feathery, blue-green, scented foliage divided into thread-like segments. Flat-topped, compound umbels of tiny, canary yellow flowers in summer. A “must-have” for the kitchen garden. Well-drained soil. Sun. 4 & T2 or sow in situ.