Mixed Colors Verbascum

The Moonflower, 'Tpomoea alba', has twisted buds that unfurl at dusk to reveal huge white blossoms that are deliciously fragrant. Locate this fast growing vine on a porch, near an entrance, or under a window where you can enjoy its evening performance and heady fragrance. The flowers unfold in 2 to 3 minutes and is an event worth inviting guests. Plants started too early are less vigorous than those started later. Moonflowers are used for pots, baskets, climbing up fences and trellises and for ground covers.

The Nasturtium Peach Melba, 'Tropaeolum minus', combines the peppery flavor and the cream petals with a throat of red raspberry for a real winner .Peach Melba's beautiful flowers are held above the foliage. Every salad should have edible Nasturtium and Viola flowers. The Peach Melba Nastutium has 2 to 21/2 inch flowers that bloom 6 weeks after sowing. Flower colors are cream/peach with raspberry red markings in the throat. These plants will also deter whiteflies, squash bug, and rabbits.

The Verbascum Mullein Shades of Summer, 'Verbascum phoeniceum', has spectacular, graceful spikes of flowers that bloom for long periods of time. The Shades of Summer is very fast growing and is a very graceful specimen. The Verbascum flowers are graceful spikes of shallow dish-like white, rose, red, violet, and purple blooms. They begin blooming in June and they continue to bloom into late summer. Verbascum make excellent cut flowers and their seed pods are also useful in arrangements.

The Canary Bird Zinnia, 'Zinnia elegans', produces large 4 to 5 inch brilliant yellow flowers on 3 foot tall plants. The Zinnia plant is very easy to grow. For long hot summers, nothing beats zinnias for brilliant bloom color and long bloom period. The Canary Bird Zinnia is an annual plant that produces the best flowers in full sun. Plant in late spring, about two week after average last frost. Canary Bird Zinnias are great for cut and dried flowers and are also excellent in large pots and containers.