Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Browallia americana

Family: (Solanaceae)

(A) to 2.5′.  Bush Violet.  Tropical South America.  One of our favourites.  Small, five-lobed, royal blue flowers are like little faces with a touch of white and black in the centre.  A multi-branched plant that blends well or stands alone.  A favourite of ours.  Sun/partial shade.  4 & 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): Bupleurum rotundifolium

Family: (Apiaceae)

(A) to 18″. A carefree border plant. The Euphorbia-like flower is neon yellow surrounded by green bracts. Glaucous foliage is similar to that of Eucalyptus. Self-sower. Sun/partial shade. 3 & T2

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): Chenopodium bonus-henricus

Family: (Amaranthaceae)

(A) to 2.5′. Good King Henry, Wild Spinach. C & S Europe. Good King Henry has been grown as a vegetable in cottage gardens since the beginning of time. This unusual spinach-like staple has triangular to diamond-shaped leaves with a slightly waxy, succulent texture. The young leaves and flowering stems can be either eaten in salads or cooked like spinach. Also known as ‘poor man’s asparagus’, the growing shoots can be tied together in bundles, cooked and eaten like asparagus. Simply delicious. Sun. 3 & T1 or sow in situ.

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Nicandra physalodes ‘Black Pod’

Family: (Solanaceae)

(A) to 4′. Shoo-fly Plant, Apple of Peru. A sturdy, free-flowering, wide-spreading annual with pale blue, bell-shaped flowers with a white central ring and a deep purple, five-pointed star at the very centre. Blooms throughout the summer. Decorative, papery, five-winged, green with black pods are great for drying. Sun. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Dysphania botrys (syn. Chenopodium botrys)

Family: (Amaranthaceae)

(A) to 3.5′. Feather Geranium, Jerusalem Oak. Aromatic, airy green spires of miniature, oak-like, pinnately divided foliage. An adventurous plant that winds its way through neighbours and onto paths in the most delightful way. Perfect for the flower border or herb bed. Sun. 3 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Nicotiana sylvestris

Family: (Solanaceae)

(A) to 6′. Flowering Tobacco. This tobacco plant adds boldness to the flower border. Slender, pendulous, scented trumpets make this another indispensable Nicotiana. The heavenly evening fragrance invites you back into the garden. Self-sows. Sun. 4 & T2

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): Nonea lutea

Family: (Boraginaceae)

(A/B) to 10″. Yellow Monkswort. SW Asia, SW Russia. This early spring bloomer forms large mats of dark green, lanceolate leaves that are rough in texture with a peculiar pustulated surface. The primrose yellow, five-petalled flowers are borne in the leaf axils similar to Pulmonaria. A reliable self-sower. Sun. Best sown in situ or 3 & T1