Rainbow, Rainbow, Rainbow

On my first day working at Valley View, my new boss, Retail Greenhouse Manager Carrie Engel, called a meeting and asked each of us to name our favorite plant. Favorite plant? Singular?

Angelonia in a local plant trial

Panicked, I chose Angelonia, a pretty yet sturdy annual I’ve used in containers for years. When a co-worker chose ferns, I thought, “Dang! Can I change my answer?” How could I have forgotten ferns? They’ve been around since dinosaurs for good reason. They’re perfect. Why change?

Boston Fern...traditional

Staghorns and more

Having been at Valley View for a couple of months now, my favorite plant changes daily (sometimes hourly). One day it might be showy Crossandra, the firecracker flower, or the dainty white Vinca with the hot-pink center, or Gartenmeister, a cheery upright Fuchsia that I’m ashamed to admit I bought the last of.

Soiree Kawaii Peppermint Vinca

 By the end of a week, I’ll have fallen in love with a fat-leafed begonia or the Caladium imaginatively

Shade combo: begonia, caladium, torenia

Euphorbia Diamond Frost

named “Frog in a Blender.” (Green leaves, red flecks.) And what about Euphorbia, with its cluster of white buds like a handful of stars, or Torenia--those little trumpets‑-or any of the inventive petunia hybrids, NightSky, Blue Stardust, Bee’s Knees? Then there’s the classic Geranium, with its vibrant, peppery scent. Speaking of scents, don’t forget the herb section, where scent reigns supreme and the plants are edible to boot.  

Crossandra Orange Marmalade

As Carrie surely knows (I think the question was a test!), asking plant people to choose a favorite is like asking a mother to choose among her children, if she had a thousand of them. At Valley View, we pretty much do.  

Fragrant Heliotrope Marine

 Editor's note: Today's guest blogger is Lisa Beyer. Stop in to see her for some great ideas for your garden!

The Heat is ON!

This past week's temperatures had gardeners running for the shade! Many of us who garden in full sun gardens are looking for plants that can handle the heat. We have our favorites and would like to share a list of the toughest annuals for full summer color that handle the heat with ease.

Mediterranean Vinca

Vinca rosea has been extra popular this year because of its bloom's resemblance to impatiens. Vinca will do well in full sun or a half day of shade. We started carrying a new spreading vinca in addition to the popular upright type. Look for Mediterranean vinca to grow in large drifts on hillsides, an area where a groundcover might be used or in hanging baskets. The Pacifica and other varieties of upright vinca will do well in flower borders, window boxes and container gardens.

Angelonias at the Penn State Plant Trials

Angelonia aka Summer snapdragon became one of my favorite annuals when I saw it on a 103 degree day in a plant trial in West Chicago. Most of the other plants (and people, for that matter) were in wilt, but the Angelonias and Dragon Wing Begonias looked fantastic. I like the Angelface variety for its large bloom and the Serenas for their compact habit and early blooming time. Both bloom in an assortment of colors including white, pink and purple.



Dragon Wings do well in larger containers, including hanging baskets

The aforementioned Dragon Wing begonias have nice looking pink or red flowers that bloom all summer in full sun, full shade and everything in between. The only down side of these plants is that they are hard to combine with most other plants because of their vigorous habit. We have paired them with Golden lysimachia and Marguerite sweet potato vine with good success. Look for two other begonias with similar growing habits. Both the Whopper and the Big series of begonias are large, vigorous plants that handle the heat beautifully.

Pentas  Photo courtesy Benary Seed

Pentas have unique clusters of five-pointed petals on a beautiful, compact plant. Butterflies like them too. Look for white, pink, purple and white. They combine beautifully with many other sun-lovers as well.

A hummingbird favorite!

Salvia Black and Blue is our top-seller in our 8 inch pots. I think my coworkers and I are responsible for a good many of those sales as we grow them to attract hummingbirds to our gardens. The black stems and cobalt-blue flowers thrive in full sun. Be careful to plant them into a pretty big pot as they will fill out a container in no time.

There are plenty of other annuals that are valuable for their heat-loving capabilities, Purslane portulaca, lantana, celosia, crossandra, and zinnias thrive in hot, hot areas. When transplanting , use a plant starter fertilizer to get them rooted in well. Use Osmocote for pots and beds as a timed-release food that will last 2-4 months. If you want blooms to stay spectacular through the season, use a water soluble fertilizer as well.

Our first heat wave of the summer was relatively short, but, Maryland being Maryland certainly has more hot weather ahead for us. Enjoy your summer!

Heat-Loving Angelonias

Trial gardens featuring Angelonias

Several years ago, a few of us headed to West Chicago, Illinois to see some garden trials. Much like the weather recently suffered by Chicagoans, temperatures topped 100 degrees. I don't know who was wilting more, our group or the flowers. We walked for hours, judging plants grown side by side. There were two standouts. One, the Dragon Wing Begonia, was looking great in both sun and shade. Even in our store, they look wonderful no matter where they are planted in any type of pot. The other, Angelonia, stood tall, not showing a bit of weakness as the sun shone hot upon it.



Angelonia Archangel

Also called Summer Snapdragon, Angelonias thrive if full, hot sun, planted in borders or in pots. The whites are bright; darker colors like purple and raspberry look great all summer long. Now, it is a  favorite in the summer garden.