Whether you are a longtime gardener or planting for the first time, I recommend choosing at least a few plants that are guaranteed to be successes. No-brainer varieties that will be showy all season without a lot of fuss. Here are my five tops picks for this year. They are all annuals so you can depend on them to mature rapidly and quickly fill your garden with color.
Supertunia® Vista Bubblegum Petunia
Full sun; height: 16 – 14 inches; spacing maximum: 24 inches; trails to 60″. I plant Supertunia® Vista Bubblegum in my garden every year. It’s a vigorous growing that covers itself in bright pink blooms. An exceptional plant for containers and in mixed borders.
Snow Princess® Lobularia
Full sun to part shade; height: 4 – 6 inches; spacing: 10 inches; trails up to 24 inches.
Snow Princess® will reign throughout the growing season producing mounds of white, fragrant blooms from spring through the first frost. A dazzling choice for an all-white or moon garden.
Senorita Rosalita® Cleome
Full sun; height: 24 – 48 inches; spacing 24 inches.
Senorita Rosalita® will add height to your garden and thrill in large containers with the perfect combination of large, lavender-pink flowers and lush, dark foliage. It’s heat and drought tolerant, thornless and doesn’t produce seeds.
Graceful Grasses Vertigo® Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum)
Full sun; height: 36 – 48 inches; spread: 24 – 36 inches.
Visitors to my garden rave about this majestic ornamental grass. The impressive height and rich color give this plant star power. I love to combine it with Supertunia® Vista Bubblegum petunias and Senorita Rosalita® cleome.
Luscious® Berry Blend™ Lantana
Full sun to part shade; height 24 – 36 inches; spread: 20 – 30 inches.
Vibrant berry pink and yellow flowers – the birds, butterflies and hummingbirds will love the vibrant berry pink and yellow flowers. Luscious® Berry Blend™ doesn’t need deadheading and it thrives on neglect since it’s heat and drought tolerant too.
