Gilia capitata is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common names bluehead gilia and blue field gilia. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico, and it can be found on the eastern side of the continent as an introduced species.
ROCK PURSLANE
Calandrinia does best in a warm and dry position where it will open its wonderful magenta flowers that grow to about 1/4 in wide. They open one after another over a long period between June and September. In poor soil, the small plants remain nicely compact and grow to a height of about 4-6 in. In richer soil, their growth is thinner and the lovely greyish-green of the swollen leaves will, for the most part, change to green.
SWAN RIVER DAISY
Brachycome iberidifolia is an elegant little daisy useful for ground cover during the summer months. It has very finely divided foliage, and neat daisies in white, pinks, blues, mauves and purples, sometimes with a yellow and sometimes with a black centre.
When thinking about plants for our garden, we often concentrate too much on their flowers. Chrysanthemum coronarium shows that foliage is at least as important to the overall effect. This annual has beautiful feathery, divided leaves. It originally came from southern Europe, where it grows about 32 in tall. Many of the garden varieties derived from it are shorter. They are sturdy, look good even in wet summers, and flower from July to October. Sow indoors in March-April, or outdoors in April-May. Chrysanthemum coronarium ‘Golden Gem’ remains compact, grows up to 20 in tall and bears semi-double, yellow-ochre flowers, 2 in wide. Chrysanthemum coronarium ‘Primrose Gem’ is the same size, but the semi-double flowers are pale yellow with deep yellow centers.
PURPLE TOADFLAX
The stems of this Italian toadflax grow stiffly upright, sometimes to over 39 in tall, with small violet-colored flowers at the top. The perennials are on sale, in flower, in spring, but it is also quite feasible to grow them from seed as annuals. Sow indoors in March-April, or scatter the seed outdoors in April-May. In mild climates, especially in England, they will self-seed freely. Linaria purpurea ‘Bowles’ Mauve’ bears the typical violet-purple flowers of the species. Linaria purpurea ‘Canon J. Went’ has lovely pale pink flowers, but the color is not reliably retained in seed one has harvested oneself. In dry soil, the plants may survive Dutch winters.
