Planting flowers that pop with colour

Plugged-in colour is an expression that Mark made up while shooting TV a few years ago.

Everyone that loves to create a flower garden or plant containers with colour is looking for colour that — well, pops.

So, here’s an introduction to favourite flowering plants that are guaranteed to attract attention.

ANNUALS

Portulaca: Plant in full, blazing

• sun and enjoy the knockdead primary colours of this low-growing ground creeper or use in containers to hang over the edge. Brilliant red, orange, yellow and pure white, portulaca’s near relative, ice plant, features flowers that open in the sunshine and close late in the day when the sun is going down. It’s a sunworshipper if there ever was one and is tolerant of dry conditions.

Gerbera: Pure advertising,

• it is like someone wired them underground, in the root zone, with high voltage for colour. A member of the dandelion family, this flowering annual also blooms when the sun is shining on it and closes when the sun goes in. It wilts when roots are not moist but rehydrates like a sailor. Brilliant red, yellow and orange, it grows to 15 or 20 centimetres tall.

Calendula: Once known

• as pot marigold, this hardy annual flowering plant produces hordes of bright orange flowers that are suitable for cutting. While it is technically an annual, Mark sows his calendula directly in the ground this time of year as the plants are marginally frost hardy. Old-fashioned and easy to grow from seed, it matures to about 30 cm high. Plant in full sun. The blooms are edible.

Zinnias: Perfect for the

• frugal gardener, as zinnias grow best when sown directly in the soil from seed. They are perfect also for the cut flower gardener, producing a riot of colourful blooms born on short stems, 20 cm high “pom poms.” Zinnias prefer full sun.

FOR YEAR-AFTER-YEAR EYE-POPPING COLOUR, TRY PERENNIALS

Gaura: This long flowering • perennial will thrive in a Toronto/zone 6 garden for three or four years then disappear. We have no idea where they go, but gaura is not exactly a true perennial the way daylilies and peonies are. However, they are worth having for their pure white or pink spike-like flowers. Line the walkway up to the front door with gaura, and the next Amazon delivery person may just knock on the door and ask what they are. They also attract butterflies.

Geum: Not as popular

• as it deserves to be, geum is a short, 20-cm high accent plant that flowers from late spring to early summer. It’s also tolerant of dry conditions. Look for bright orange, pink or yellow flowering plants.

Cardinal flower (lobelia):

•

Bright red, it blooms in late summer through fall and is worth the wait. It also attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and people who love bright

primary colour. Perfect for your Year of the Garden, as we are all encouraged to plant plenty of red flowers this year during the Year of the Garden in Canada (https:// livethegardenlife.gardenscanada.ca/). All the better, it’s a native plant in southeastern Canada.

Columbine: Origami

• mixed, it’s an eye-popper if there ever was one. While it’s not a reliable perennial, columbine will regrow in the garden for at least a couple of years. It matures to a height of 40 cm and comes in mixed, attention-seeking colours.

Phlox: Creeping phlox

• blooms this time of year and is popular as a rock garden plant that creeps over rocks and attracts attention to itself. Pink, white and violet, summer phlox grows to about

75 cm high and flowers early to late summer. This plant deserves a shout-out from us as it is always shouting in technicolour.

There are many other brightly coloured plants that lend themselves to the attention-seeking garden, including marigolds, peonies, daylilies and scabiosa. Take some time looking over the selection of wow flowering plants early this season at favourite garden retailers.