Fast Forward to Summer

It seems that the weather has been on fast forward to summer in the Philadelphia area and though the official start of summer isn’t for another two months, the weather definitely has everyone thinking about summer gardens.

Our volunteer photographer Diane Mattis has tried to capture the essence of our upcoming Unusual Tropicals and Annuals Sale with her latest scan. All of the following plants can be purchased at the sale and would be perfect together in a sunny location to add a tropical feel to a perhaps mundane garden or outdoor space.

1. Duranta erecta ‘Cuban Gold’- This low-growing (8”-12”) small shrub from Jamaica provides beautiful contrast to dark colors with its yellow to chartreuse leaves.
2. Solenostemon ‘Dipt in Wine’- A Proven Winners® selection, this coleus would be perfect for the “thriller” role in a container because of its upright growth habit and uniquely colored leaves.
3. Setcreasea pallida– An excellent choice for an annual groundcover or “spiller” for a container or hanging basket, this plant has the best purple coloration with higher levels of sunlight.
4. Setcreasea pallida ‘Variegata’- Variegated form of the previous plant.
5. Salvia splendens ‘Van Houttei’- The magenta-purple flowers and bracts are the most eye-appealing part of this 3’-4’ salvia.
6. Strobilanthes dyerianus– Persian Shield is the common name of this plant, and the silvery sheen gives a shield-like quality to the leaves. This plant should be grown in partial sun for best leaf color.
7. Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Light Green’- An excellent trailing plant, sweet potato vine thrives in the summer sun and humidity. It does well in containers, hanging baskets, or as an annual groundcover.
8. Passiflora ‘Amethyst’- Passion flower is a vine, and the tendril you see in this image gives a hint of the beauty of the plant and its flowers.