Coreopsis is a member of the Aster family. This plant is also called “Tickseed” or “Calliopsis”. Most varieties are perennials, with some annual varieties. They are natives of plains in the U.S. They usually bloom with daisy like flowers of yellow or orange from summer to the early part of autumn. Coreopsis is a member of the sunflower family that looks like a daisy. This attractive plant has yellow, gold, red, maroon, or a combination of these colors ,on sturdy stalks that grow from 1 1/2′ to 4′ tall. The Coreopsis flower attracts butterflies. Songbirds like the pods filled with seed. Coreopsis makes excellent cut flowers, too. The strong stems do not require staking. Coreopsis typically bloom bright yellow, daisy like flowers all summer and into the fall. It is known for its long bloom season.

Growing conditions for Coreopsis

- The Coreopsis is very easy to grow and will tolerate any soil except waterlogged soil.
- It prefers lean, sandier soils and requires little watering once established.
- Ideally the soil should be rich and have a pH of between 5.5 and 7. – - Full sun is preferred for prolific blooms.
- Little fertilizer and watering is needed for Coreopsis once established. – Dig up your Coreopsis clumps every three years or so to divide in the fall after blooming or in the early spring.
- Deadheading will encourage prolific blooming.
- No major diseases or pests impact Coreopsis health.
- Coreopsis has interest spring through fall with attractive foliage color and texture.

How to grow Coreopsis

Step 1 :
Sow coreopsis seeds in early spring, just after the final frost of winter. Select a planting location that receives full sun throughout the day and has well-drained soil that is low in fertility. Overly fertile soil can cause invasive growth.

Step 2 :
Mix coreopsis seeds with fine sand to make spreading easier. Broadcast the seed mixture across the surface of the planting site. Do not cover with soil, as sunlight encourages germination.

Step 3 :
Use a flat board to tamp down the seeds into the soil. Water thoroughly after planting to ensure good seed-to-soil contact and to prevent the seeds from being displaced by wind or rain.

Step 4 :
Water coreopsis plants one to two times per week once they’ve emerged, just enough to keep the soil moist without becoming waterlogged. Do not water during the winter, as the plants will not use the moisture.

Step 5 :
Remove any dead or faded coreopsis flowers to prolong the flowering season and prevent self-sowing, which can quickly become out of hand if not regulated. Cut off the flowers as close to the ground as possible and fresh growth will soon appear.

Chocolate mints Latin genus is Mentha piperita species and is not a native of our part of the world, but came from Europe. Growing mint, the world’s favorite flavor, has grown a new twist. The distinctive cool taste grows in more sweet varieties other than peppermint or spearmint. We are all well acquainted with chocolate mint.

Characteristics of Chocolate Mint

- Chocolate mint grows about 12 to 18 inches high.
- Chocolate mint does well in our zone 6 and is hardy to zone 3a.
- Chocolate mint blooms in late spring and early summer with violet-lavender blooms and the leaves are a wonderfully aromatic bronze-green.
- The bees and butterflies love it and even the birds seem to for some reason.
- Chocolate mint fills the surrounding air with a grand fragrance as one walks by.

Growing Conditions for Chocolate Mint

- This plant has two stages of growth. In the early spring, the plant produces flowers, and in the summer, the plant starts to send out shoots and runners.
- If chocolate mint is allowed to grow unchecked, it can become an unruly ground cover, and it has a slightly vine-like growth habit, so it can climb trees and shrubs.
- It’s happiest in partial shade but it will grow in any light from full sun to full shade and in any kind of soil you happen to have.
- The soil should be well-dug, fertile and water-retentive, but not water-logged.
- Set plants 12 to 18 inches apart, depending on the variety. To control their rampant ways, plant them in bottomless containers sunk into the soil. Clay drainage tiles, about 10 inches deep and 6 to 8 inches across, are ideal.

What Care should be taken

- A twice yearly feeding with bone meal will keep it even happier.
- Remove the flowers by hand as soon as they appear because if left, they will reduce the amount of leaves.
- Mint suffers from only one disease and that is rust – allow it to get a hold and it will kill all your mint plants. he best method is to examine each plant carefully for signs of rust (orange blobs generally on the underside of the leaves) and remove any leaves affected – spray as well with a chemical if you want.

Uses of Chocolate Mint

- It can be used as a garnish on salads, roasts, desserts, and a myriad of other dishes.
- Chocolate mint can be used in desserts; it can be added to sorbets and cakes.
- Chocolate mint can also make a very interesting star ingredient in mint sauce for Southeast Asian food, and it pairs well with spicy food.

It is often hard to find shrubs that flower in the summer—and even better yet, shrubs that flower well in the shade—but summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia) fits the bill for both. Clethra is native along the coast from Maine to Florida and around the peninsula to Texas.

Characteristics of Clethra : Ruby Spice

- Flowers actually come in two flavors: white and pink. ‘Ruby Spice’ is one of the best pink-flowered cultivars for Arkansas.
- Ruby Spice has bottlebrushlike clusters of tiny, fragrant, bell-shaped, reddish-pink flowers that appear in late summer.
- This shade-loving native shrub a favorite of bees and butterflies.
- It is a wonderful addition to the border or woodland edge.
- Ruby Spice Summersweet features beautiful spikes of fragrant ruby red flowers rising above the foliage from mid to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings.
- Ruby Spice Summersweet is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely oval form.
- Ruby Spice Summersweet will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet.
- It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.
- Plants are typically not dense, and they have a distinctive soft texture due to the fine twigs and leaves.
- Clethra does not appear to be susceptible to any serious disease or insect problem. Plants can be pruned in early spring, since flowers are born on new growth.
- On cool nights when the windows are open. The scent from the ruby spice fills the room.

How to sow/plant Clethra : Ruby Spice

- Purchase ruby spice in early spring. The ruby spice summersweet grows in zone 3-9.
- Plant your shrub in moist, slightly acidic sandy soil.
- This shrub grows best in an area that has sun and partial shade.
- Dig a hole the same depth of the nursery container. Allow two feet in width. Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole. Mix organic compost or manure with the soil.
- Place the root ball in the middle of the hole.
- Apply three inches of mulch around the shrub. The mulch will help retain moisture and will prevent weed build up.
- Maintain uniform soil moisture the first season.
- Each spring before growth begins, apply an all-purpose fertilizer, following label directions.

PLANTING INFO …

- Grows to about 6 feet
- Flowers: Rosy Pink flowers in Summer
- Fall color: Yellow
- Light requirements: Some shade or full sun
- Cold hardy to zone 3 (zones 3-9)
- Easy to grow, Summersweet
- Latin name: Clethra Alnifolia Ruby Spice

Sedum, also known as stonecrop, is a popular, well-known perennial garden plant. The succulent leaves, sturdy stems and massive flower heads have earned the plant a spot on many landscapers’ “must have” lists. Besides their physical attributes, sedums are drought tolerant and can withstand many adverse growing conditions, which also makes them ideal landscape perennials. Sedum ‘Black Jack’ is sure to match the tough and easy-to-grow reputation of most sedum cultivars and offers characteristics unparalleled by other sedums.

Characteristics of Sedum : Black Jack

- The Sedum ‘Black Jack’, ‘Sedum ‘Black Jack’ PPAF, is a recent discovery at Walters Garden in Michigan.
- The stems and foliage are darker than most sedum in its family. It has 2′ tall clumps of purple stems with black to purple foliage.
- With a plant height and width of 24″, its 8″ pink flower heads bloom in September, making a wonderful contrast with its foliage.
- It makes a wonderful border plant.
- Many are attractive even in winter when their foliage dies and is left standing.
- They’re favorites of butterflies and useful bees.
- The tall types are outstanding for cutting and drying.
- The characteristic dark purple foliage will take on a lighter coloration when plants are produced at lower light levels.
- During midsummer, large, broccoli-like flower heads form, containing numerous flower buds.
- By late summer, the flower buds swell and begin to show a pink coloration. As the buds open, the color intensifies, revealing an impressive color display of bright pink, 8-inch flower clusters.

Planting Conditions for Sedum : Black jack

- Plant in full sun to part sun with other Sedum or Salvia.
- Prune in spring when new growth appears; divide plants every three or four years.
- Sweet or Sour Soil ?:
Acidic Soil (pH < 7.0)
Neutral Soil (pH = 7.0)
Alkaline Soil (pH > 7.0)
- This good-natured, easy-to-grow plant is very drought-tolerant and deer-resistant.
- For the best performance, plant ‘Black Jack’ in a well-drained media, preferably a nursery-type (bark-based) mix rather than traditional greenhouse (peat-vermiculite) media.
- Black Jack is a light to moderate feeder.
- Black Jack requires a below-average amount of irrigation.