This cultivar of the clematis was introduced in 1903, and has become one of the most popular clematis ever raised. Clematis may be planted and trained to cover walls, trellis, posts, fences, arbors or to cover rocky sites and can be very useful in these locations to add a touch of color and greenery. This clematis produces masses of 4-6′ beautiful rosy-pink flowers with white stamens July - August. A quick summary of this flower is that it is easily Grown. The plant grows to a height of 2.4 meters. This is a vigorous, bushy plant.

Properties:
Sun Requirements: Full Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness Zones: 4,5,6,7,8
Soil: Grows best in a fertile, well-drained, alkaline soil with a pH of 5.6-6.5. A choice site is key to the success of establishing this perennial; roots should be kept cool and moist.
Clematis do best in neutral or slightly alkaline soils, but they are somewhat adaptable. If you have very acid soil, try to add some calcium when you plant.
Support: It will need support.
Planting: Roots should be planted when the environment is cool and moist, while the vine itself should be in the sun.
Watering: Comtesse de Bouchard requires 1″ of water a week.

Pruning: Pruning late-flowering clematis is easy, and this clematis is no exception. Before the growth happens in early spring, cut back on the stems to a pair of strong buds 15cm to 20cm (6in to 8in) above ground level. An added advantage of this technique is that the clematis growth is removed each spring and so never becomes too much of a burden on its supporting plant, and as a result, the late-flowering clematis becomes useful for training into shrubs, trees and climbing roses.

If your garden needs a riot of colours, growing the flower known as Hollyhocks may just be the best option. With its white, pink, cream, yellow, red and purple flowers, the hollyhock is a visual delight wherever it is planted — at a key position by the front door, the garden gate or back of borders. Hollyhock produces tall and showy, heart shaped blooms. Some varieties will grow 8-10 feet tall. Single or double blooms come in white, yellow, crimson, pink, purple, rose, and red.
Hollyhocks come in a number of different varieties, and each variety will have different features including height, longevity, and color. Depending upon the variety, hollyhocks can either be annuals, biennials or perennials, although the perennial versions can sometimes be fairly short lived compared to other perennials. Hollyhocks tend to reseed themselves and if let go can develop into hollyhock patches over time. Botanically, there are two plants listed as Hollyhock. The first is the Althaea – better known as Mallow while the plant more commonly known as a Hollyhock is an Alcea. The tall showy ones are Alcea. Althaea are shorter.
Originating in the Mediterranean and Western Asia, Hollyhocks have been grown in the west since the mid 1500’s. Reaching upto 6-8 feet ( 60-250cm) in height, Hollyhocks are used in many cut flower gardens and borders, forming an integral part of these gardens. The plants can spread to 24” ( 40-60cm) with large rough leaves that feel slightly prickly to the touch. The large, inviting blossoms are held up in large spikes.
Full sun and fertile soil will do nicely for this plant. The plant may have trouble with clay soils if those soils are wet during the winter. Hollyhocks do best in moist, well-drained areas. They prefer a rich soil with abundant organic matter and in rural areas often bloom profusely in old, moist manure piles. Add fertilizer as needed in early spring to help the plants flourish. The plants are hardy form Zone 3 thru 8. They also are heat tolerant and bloom during the hottest part of the summer. Plant them where they are in full sun, as the plant dislikes shade of any kind.
As biennials, they will not usually flower the first year from seed. They need to grow that first year, survive the winter and then send up those huge flower stalks the second year. Unfortunately, the mother plants then die after flowering is finished, although this does not always happen and many plants continue to thrive.
The easiest way to establish hollyhocks is from seeds. All of the old-fashioned varieties produce viable seed that you can collect in the fall and plant in your garden or share with friends. Seeds germinate in 2-3 weeks at 60°F.
Try spring sowing or plant in August to produce flowering plants next year. If you have the right growing area, start seeds started indoors as bedding plants for bloom the following summer. Add a general purpose fertilizer once a month. Keep soil moist, especially in dry weather.
Early in the season, pinch back the plants to promote bushier growth. But, allow plenty of air circulation to minimize the risk of plant disease. After the plants have bloomed, simply cut off the flower stalks (after the seed pods have gone brown and are splitting open). Then crush the pods to separate the seeds out and scatter them throughout the garden for next year’s blooms.
Hollyhocks must establish a root system first, and then they can produce the stalk(s) of flowers you love so much. Often they are planted in the fall to give them a chance to establish a system during the winter months. While other plants are loafing and going into dormancy, the hollyhock foliage is still green! When spring arrives, your fall planted babies will burst into growing and produce blooms that summer. This is why most people plant them in the fall, but it is not a must. It is vital that you keep your baby hocks watered regularly to ensure a strong and healthy root system to carry it through the winter cold.

Lobelia is a genus of flowering plant comprising 360–400 species, with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions. English names include Lobelia, Asthma Weed, Indian Tobacco, Pukeweed, and Vomitwort.
Lobelia is an ideal plant to be grown in containers, after all, the extremely beautiful blue or white petals cascading over pots and out of windowboxes give a great look. Lobelias are profuse summertime bloomers. Try these compact plants as border edging, along creekbeds, in containers, or in windowsill planters. They look great in hanging baskets, too. As a matter of fact, these cool weather flowers will bloom all the way to frost. They are a popular, easy to grow annual (grows only for one year) flower native to a wide range of regions in North and South America. There are many varieties, some of which are perennials, but the most used ones in gardening are annuals. It grows 4-8 inches high and sprawls over the ground or over the sides of containers.
In terms of sun, Lobelia plants like full sun to partial shade and the plants prefer cool weather. In terms of soil conditions, Lobelias like rich, wet soil. Lobelia plants will thrive in moist to wet soil along creekbeds and streams, or in natural wetlands. Avoid frost conditions.
Established plants need very little attention. You need to keep the soil moist to wet, and if there are dry spells, water frequently. For peak performance, add a general purpose fertilizer once a month. Around mid-summer, your plants will begin to produce flowers, and will continue to do so up to the first frost. You do not need remove dead flower blooms, except for appearance. When summer’s heat or humidity causes lobelia to stop blooming, just shear the plants back by half. As long as you keep the soil moist, they’ll bloom again when cooler weather hits.

How to grow from seed: 2 ways. First method is very simple and non-time consuming, all you need to do is to scatter the seed in the area that you wish for them to grow; or you could raise them in seedling trays. Raising them in seedbeds is the best way to get uniformity of plant and also you are more able to control exactly the position that they will grow in, but takes more effort.

Medical Uses: Native Americans used lobelia to treat respiratory and muscle disorders, and as a purgative. Today it is used to treat asthma and food poisoning, and is often used as part of smoking cessation programs. It is a physical relaxant, and can serve as a nerve depressant, easing tension and panic. The species used most commonly in modern herbalism is Lobelia inflata (Indian Tobacco).
Because of its similarity to nicotine, the internal use of lobelia may be dangerous to susceptible populations, including children, pregnant women, and individuals with cardiac disease. Excessive use will cause nausea and vomiting. It is not recommended for use by pregnant women and is best administered by a practitioner qualified in its use.

Delphinium is a genus of about 250 species of annual, biennial or perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also on the high mountains of tropical Africa. The common name, shared with the closely related genus Consolida, is Larkspur. Other names are, lark’s heel (Shakespeare), lark’s claw and knight’s spur. The scientific name is taken from Dioscorides and describes the shape of the bud, which is thought to look like a (rather fat) dolphin.
Delphiniums are treasured and sought after as planting plants because they are so beautiful. Short delphiniums can be used in the front of a garden, the Belladonna hybrids in the middle, and the tall Pacific Coast hybrids in the rear. They are excellent cut flowers, too. Tall spires of delphiniums add colour and drama to summer borders during their short flowering season. As classic cottage garden plants, they also give a strong vertical accent in groups of mixed perennials. The brilliancy of the blue color of some of the flowers cannot be surpassed. However, these plants start to lose their flowering potential after about three years, hence it is important to take cuttings.
They need full sun and a good, deep, well-drained, evenly moist soil that has a high humus content. If the soil is too acid, agricultural lime should be added. They are hardy feeders that must be supplied with compost or well-rotted manure, benefiting from feedings of a 5-10-5 fertilizer every year.
Tall cultivars need support. Have three to four stakes per plant, put in place around the plant in spring, as a starting point and monitor how fast the wind blows. Add new ties as the plant gains height.
Delphiniums and larkspur are normally harvested with one to two open flowers on the spike. Avoid flowers with mildew-infected leaves. At least one to two flowers per stem should be fully opened at the time of purchase with no sign of flower fall. Make sure stems are rinsed prior to re-cutting and arranging, so as to remove dirt and debris.

Problems with the plant: All parts of the plant contain an alkaloid delphinine and are very poisonous, causing vomiting when eaten, and death in larger amounts.
Larkspur, especially tall larkspur, is a significant cause of cattle poisoning on rangelands in the western United States. Larkspur is more common in high-elevation areas, and many ranchers will delay moving cattle onto such ranges until late summer when the toxicity of the plants is reduced.

Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum Barratt) is an herbaceous perennial native from Maine to Michigan, south to central Florida and Texas (USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9; AHS Heat Zones 2-10) (this information is relevant for the United States, if you have information for other countries, please provide in the comments box). Joe-Pye-Weed is a 5 to 6 foot tall perennial that grows wild. It will do equally well in a perennial border.
This plant has tall, upright purple stems and purplish foliage. The stems are adorned with fluffy pink-mauve flower heads that appear in early autumn. Dark green leaves up to 12 inches long emerge on sturdy stems below clusters of pink-purple flowers that butterflies can’t resist. Joe-Pye is perky and full of blooms when many other plants are finished and it lasts until hard frost. Place it in the back of the border or give it a corner all its own in a sunny, fertile position.
During the summer, Joe-Pye weed bears showy panicles of dusty rose to lavender flowers. Individual flowers are small (1/2 inch) but the panicles can be up to 18 inches in diameter. These plants make an unforgettable impression with their showy, flat-topped clusters of rose-purple flowers. The showy panicles attract butterflies, skippers, hummingbirds, bees and wasps.
It requires rich soil and needs to be given compost or well-rotted manure mulch in the spring. Plants need full sun to partial shade and average soil. Originally found in moist meadows, joe-pye weed wants evenly and moderately moist soil in home gardens. In favorable conditions it will naturalize and form expanding clumps of plants. Joe Pye weed needs plenty of water and will survive even in long periods of water-logging. It will survive in dry sites, and is even considered to be drought tolerant, but it never will be as robust and showy as when grown with abundant moisture.
Over all it has few needs and will grow well.
A negative feature of the Joe Pye weed is that its stalks tend to lose their leaves as the season matures and might collapse without sufficient moisture, which argues for keeping them in the back or middle of their setting where others can buck them up. The stalk can blow over without support, and makes the plant difficult to transport.
In August the flowers start to open, the clumps become a mass of color, and the sweet fragrance of the flowers becomes a great attraction for bees and butterflies.

Propagation:
Seed: Joe-Pye can be started from seed indoors 8-10 weeks prior to the last spring frost. Sow on seed starting mix, lightly covering so light can reach the seeds. Moisten the mix and place the pot or container in a plastic bag. Place the covered container in the refrigerator for 8-10 weeks, then remove it and set in a room where it’s 68-70ºF. The seed should germinate in 3-7 days. You can also direct seed in any season into the soil if you are growing it as a wildflower.
Cuttings: Stem cuttings in Spring, or divide established clumps in Spring or Fall (mulch new Fall divisions).

Weeds in the pots will have to be controlled manually.

Blanket Flower is an extremely beautiful flower, favoring the bright colors. And why is the common name of the plant called ‘Blanket Flower’, well it is because the flower has the brilliant red and yellow colors that are found in some southwestern Indian Blankets. The botanical name, Gaillardia’s name comes from the French botanist, Gaillard de Marentoneau, (for whom the plant was named after). Some other common names for the plant include: Indian blanket and brown-eyed Susan.
Why is the plant so beautiful - it is because Gaillardia’s large, daisy-like flowers of gold, red and bronze look so attractive that they are a beautiful addition to any garden. Blanketflower is botanically similar to members of the Helianthus genus and the genus Chrysanthemum; however it is distinguished from these 2 genus by the different features of a flattened stem and purple based, yellow tipped flowers.
This is a perennial plant, blooming over a period that lasts from early summer through fall. When these plants are of a mid-height, they produce masses of fiery red blooms surrounded by a ring of rich flame yellow. The flower heads are showy, solitary, 2-3 cm wide and yellow with a purple base.
These plants are very eminently suitable for beds, and borders. They also make great cut flowers. The other benefit of these plants is that they are hardy plants, and drought tolerant. Growing the plants is fairly easy, they grow easily from seed and form dense colonies of brilliant red flowers with yellow rims.
The seed is an achene with a pappus of bristled scales. Allow seed heads to completely dry prior to trimming. This will aid in reseeding for the following year.

Here are some steps for planting and maintaining of Blanket Flower:
- Plant in a full sun in soil that is well-drained.
- Fertilizer: Add lightly
- Place the plants no deeper than they were growing in the containers.
- Keep the distance between the plants to be 9 to 12 inches.
- Keep mulch around the plants, but do not cover the plants.
- Water till the soil is moist.
- Once the flower has been established, cut off old flowers to encourage more blooms.
- Cut old stems back to the ground in late spring.
- In spring, apply fertilizer lightly to the soil.
- Mulch in spring with compost, around the soil, but not on top.

How to propagate the plants:
1. Directly sow the seed outdoors in the fall season
2. In winter, sow from seed in containers with vents or in a glasshouse
3. If near the end of frost season, sow the seed indoors
4. If frost season over, seed directly outdoors

Overall conditions:
- Soil should be well drained and moist
- Can take dry and sandy condtions
- Full sun
- Not really affected by pests or diseases
- This plant is very drought resistant
- Works for zone 2- 10 in the US

Passiflora incarnata is different from the other varieties of the Passiflora variety (which are mostly tropical evergreen). Passiflora incarnata is deciduous, capable of surviving winter freezes (very common to large chunks of the United States) and is commonly called passion flower / maypop. Passion flower is commonly found in the southeastern United States and is quite often seen growing alongside ditches by the side of the road, and in sunny and moist places that are fertile.
Passion flower grows to a height of 8-11 feet, and like many other vines, extends tendrils to leverage any support nearby, other plants, fixed structures, to reach the desired height. The plant has large serrated leaves that have two characteristic glands at the base of the blade on the petiole; also, passiflora incarnata has complex flowers that are very beautiful. These flowers have a diameter of 2-3 inches, and have a pattern of white and purple.
The plant looks beautiful, but the vine nature of the plant makes it invasive (it can easily spread in all directions very fast), so sufficient control needs to be emphasized if growing this plant.
The plant has a fleshy fruit called the Maypop; an oval yellowish berry about the size of a hen egg; it is green at first, but then becomes orange as it matures. In this species, the yellow mucilage around the seeds of the fruit is sweet and edible, however it is quite seedy and mostly benefits wildlife.

Growing conditions:
Light: Passion flower Needs part to full sun.
Zones: USDA Zones 6-9. In the winter, the plant dies down to the ground, and like many others, recovers in spring.
Moisture needs: The plant needs a small amount of moisture, and evenly moist soil is the best type for it
Mulching required: Mulching helps
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings

Photo (from Wikipedia)

The ‘Lantana Camara’ is a shrub that has some small, and beautiful looking flowers that attracts both human visitors and butterflies (just keep the dogs, pets and small children away from the plant since contact with the plant has a certain amount of toxicity inherent in it). It looks beautiful as part of gardens, hanging containers and does not require much maintenance. The only problem with it in warmer locations is that it can be terribly invasive. Here are more details about this plant:

Common Lantana is a rugged evergreen shrub originally from the tropical areas of the world. Lantana will grow to a height of around 6 ft (1.8 m) and may spread in a bush type growth to 8 ft (2.4 m) in width. Some varieties are able to clamber vinelike up supports to greater heights with the help of supports. The leaves of Cantana are 2-5 in (5-12.7 cm) long by 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) wide having rounded tooth edges. The leaves have a textured surface. Lantana is valued for a long season of bloom, with flowers existing for many months.

Hardiness: Grow in USDA Zones 8-11. Lantana is happy to be in a climate of both humid and dry heat. Lantana is frost-sensitive, so plant outdoors after the ground has warmed thoroughly. Space the plants about 18 inches apart. This tropical plant is killed back to the ground at 28 ºF (-2.2 ºC) but will grow back from the roots when warm weather returns and is very tenacious.

When it is killed to the ground by frost and then recovers when the weather warms, Lantana blooms in summer and fall. The color of the flowers ranges from white to yellow, orange to red, pink to rose in many combinations, with the flowers usually changing in color as they age. To get a good display, put the plant in a hanging basket when its flowers bloom into these many shades of color. Lantanas are most often used in containers. They grow well in sunny window boxes, hanging baskets, or patio planters.

Lantana is very easy to grow and will adapt to most soil types. Too much water and fertilizer will reduce bloom, and is to be avoided.

Moisture: Newly planted lantanas will need to be kept moist for the first few weeks until the roots have spread into the surrounding soil. Well drained soil is preferred. Lantana is very drought resistant.

Lantana requires little fertilizer. Feed your plant every 2 weeks with a houseplant variety fertilizer. Keep feeding as long as buds keep developing.

Prune lantana periodically during summer by lightly shearing the tip growth to encourage repeat blooming. Plants that have become too large for their allotted space may be pruned back by up to a third of their height and spread, and you can be assured of a good bloom.

Dangers:
Lantana is an invasive exotic species causing problems in many countries such as Australia and India, being capable of disrupting the health of natural species.
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested.
Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction.
Dangerous to pets such as dogs.

Lantana should be propagated in mid-summer from stem cuttings. Make cuttings from the shoots that are non-flowering (around 3 inches long). Strip off any leaves from the lower part of the cutting, and then immerse the ends in a hormone rooting medium. Once done, insert in a container having moist, well drained, soil made of peat moss and sand. Cover the container with a clear plastic bag and keep in a spot with bright filtered light. After rooting, which takes around 2-3 weeks, and you see new growth emerging, take your container into brighter light and do light fertilization every 2-3 weeks. In the spring, move into individual pots or in the ground.

The species name “greggii” was named for Josiah Gregg, (1806-1850). He was born in Overton County, Tennessee. In the summer of 1841 and again in the winter of 1841-42 he traveled through Texas, up the Red River valley, and later from Galveston to Austin and by way of Nacogdoches to Arkansas. He cataloged a number of species, and his name was given to a number of different species.
This native of Texas and Mexico has a woody base and forms a nice mounding shrub up to 4 ft (1.2 m) tall by 2 ft (0.6 m) wide with slender new herbaceous shoots. Most of the branches originate near the base of the plant, giving a vase-shaped appearance.
The flowers are made up of two lips: the upper one forms a hood over whiskery stamens and the lower lip, which itself is wide and toothed. Butterflies and hummingbirds love them.
The leaves are leathery and small, adaptations that probably help prevent moisture loss in its dry native climate. Autumn sage is usually evergreen, but a hard freeze may cause it to die to the ground, usually to reemerge in spring from the larger branches at the base of the plant. It has great heat and drought tolerance but only flowers well during more congenial weather.
Too much fertilizer and moisture will kill autumn sage. Do not plant where regular lawn fertilization and irrigation will bother it. After the spring bloom, trim off 1/3 off the top, and again in late summer. Avoid planting it near heavy foot traffic because the stems are very brittle.
Light: Full sun to part shade; can take extreme sun and heat.
Moisture: Autumn sage is very drought tolerant. It can take prolonged dry periods once established. Autumn sage requires well-drained soil.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 7 - 9.

Planting Instructions:
1. Dig a hole 2 times the width and 1 and 1/2 times the height of the container.
2. Set rootball at ground level.
3. Prepare a good soil mix.
4. Backfill with amended soil.
5. Water.

Propagation: Most easily grown from softwood or semi-hardwood tip cuttings. Application of a rooting hormone improves rooting. Rooting should occur in three weeks. Also propagated by root layering or from fresh, untreated seed sown in fall or winter.

The dianthus family was known as early as 300BC; Dianthus is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia. Common names include carnation (D. caryophyllus), pink (D. plumarius) and sweet william (D. barbatus).

Origin of name: from the Greek ‘dios’ which means divine and ‘anthos’ meaning a flower.

The species are mostly perennial herbs, a few are annual or biennial, and some are low subshrubs with woody basal stems. Most Dianthus produce richly fragrant flowers in the spring or summer, sometimes extending right up until the first frost, and most varieties will grow 18″ to 24″. The flowers have five petals, typically with a frilled or pinked margin, and are (in almost all species) pale to dark pink.

Growing Conditions: Can be grown from seed or from cuttings. If using seed, you can either use them directly, or grow them indoors and transplant later. Given that they prefer warm weather, if planting outdoors, start in spring once the weather turns a bit warm. Dianthus seeds can be started indoors around 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost is expected in case you want same year blooming. Once the seeds are sown, they should be covered lightly with soil, and planted around 10- 11 inches apart. But, you can even plant them with a bit of crowding since they look good in clumps. Do not mulch them.
Should be planted such that they receive 4-5 hours of sun a day. There should not be water-logging, so avoid too much water; so the soil should be fast-draining, fertile, and mildly alkaline (pH of approx between 6.7 - 6.8). Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week. Fertilizer should be added monthly. Once flowers have bloomed and then dried, the spent flowers should be removed, and the plant pruned to stem level.

Carnations (one of the varieties): The plants have grayish-green foliage and fragrant, semi-double rosy, purple or white flowers. There are many hybrid varieties in a variety of colours and sizes with no fragrance. They are great plants to grow in gardens and can be used as cut-flowers.
Cuttings can be taken off any carnation, but the best shoot come from cuttings off a year-old plant after it has bloomed (what helps is that this is the part of the plant where there is enough length of the stalk to form a cutting).