Garden and Flowers

With its scarlet flowers and fine needle-shaped foliage on stems about 39 in long, Ipomopsis rubra would be one of the most popular of patio plants, were it not that it flowers so late in the season. It takes at least four months from the date of sowing for the plant to come into flower. It is, in fact, a biennial or perennial from the south of the United States, but it is cultivated as an annual in The Netherlands. Sow indoors in March-April to be able to enjoy the spectacle of its flowers in August and September. The Ipomopsis rubra Arrow Series enables you to choose from several lovely flower colors: yellow, apricot, salmon pink to red. Ipomopsis rubra ‘Red Arrow’ bears flowers which are scarlet on the outside and creamy yellow specked with scarlet on the inside.

Bright red, tubular flowers on an upright plant with fern-like foliage, this wildflower from Texas attracts hummingbirds and is an interesting addition to the garden. Grows in a variety of conditions, though it prefers dry soil and sun to partial shade. Standing Cypress is a biennial that acts as an annual in some climates. Sow seed no deeper than 1/16″. Seed will germinate between 2 & 4 weeks.

The stiff, unbranched, 2-4 ft. stem of this sparsely leaved biennial can reach 6 ft. Showy, red, tubular flowers, widely flaring at the rim, are marked with orange or yellowish spots inside. Flowers are arranged in a thick spike, opening from the tip of the stem downward.