Gardening

Plant some peppers in pots or rows for a fresh update to your garden. Capsicum peppers are bright and cheery, but be careful of the heat when you cook them!

By Betty Barr Mackey

Cleome, or spider flower, is an annual flower known for its exceedingly long seedpods. They develop below the flowers to give the plants a spidery look. Find out more about Cleome.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Amsonia, or bluestars, are popular garden plants, and they grow wild in wooded areas and on river banks from New Jersey to Tennessee to Texas. Learn more about this easy-to-grow perennial.

By Betty Barr Mackey

The geranium, zonal, is a South African annual flower with a horseshoe-shaped band of dark leaf color. You can grow it in the garden or as a house plant. Find out about the zonal geranium.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

The Heliotrope, or cherry pie, is an annual flower with an alluring fragrance. Flowers bloom in splendid clusters of deep blue, white, violet, and lavender, and are great for rock gardens. Find out about heliotrope.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Impatiens, busy lizzie or patience, is an annual flower in many colors. It has a tidy, mounding form and self-cleaning flowers. It's an ideal low-maintenance plant. Learn about the impatiens.

By the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

Lantana is an annual flower abundantly covered through the summer with brightly colored blossoms. This woody shrub comes in white, yellow, gold, orange, and red flowers an is a great container plant. Learn about lantana.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Lisianthus, or prairie gentian, is an annual with roselike flowers. Each blossom lasts for several weeks, and plants bloom nonstop. Forever Blue is an award winning variety. Learn more about lisianthus.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Marigold is an annual flower that blooms well over a long season. American marigolds can be tall, up to 36 inches. French marigolds, or triploids, are bushier and more compact. Learn about the marigold.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Nasturtium is an annual flower that is popular as an introduction to gardening. Salad lovers enjoy the peppery tang of nasturtium leaves and its edible flowers among their greens. Learn about nasturtium.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Nicotiana, or flowering tobacco, is an annual flower related to the tobacco plants of commerce. Flower colors include white, pink, maroon, lavender, green, red, and yellow. Learn more about nicotiana.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Pansies, and violas are annual flowers related to violets. These plants bloom during cool seasons of the year. In the Deep South, they are used for winter bedding. Learn about pansies and violas.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Perilla is an annual flower known for its frilly purple leaves. They're easy to grow and self-sow all over the place. Resembling purple basil, perilla plants grow up to three feet. Learn more about perilla.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Petunia is an annual flower that has captivated breeders with its funnel-shaped flowers. The colors go from pink through red, lavender, purple, peach, white, cream, and even yellow. Learn more about garden petunias.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Snapdragon is an annual flower that children can snap open the flowers like puppets. Snapdragons endure cool weather and are planted for winter colors in mild-winter areas. Learn more about this winter flower.

By Betty Barr Mackey

The Sunflower is an annual North American flower in many colors. Its tall flowers grow as high as 15 feet. Sunflower seeds are a treat for birds and people. Learn about the sunflower.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Sweet pea is an annual flower grown in cool maritime or mountain climates, and brings its beauty all summer. This vining plant is best in winter and early spring. Learn more about sweet pea.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Zinnia is an annual flower among the favorite in American garden flowers, loved for its sturdy and colorful blooms. Flowers come in almost every color except blue. Learn more about this flower.

By Betty Barr Mackey

The Agapanthus, Lily of the Nile, is a perennial flower that has gorgeous blue or white florets arranged in large globes for a wonderful addition to the garden. Learn about agapanthus.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Perennial grasses and foliage are an excellent choice for an unusual ground cover. Learn about ornamental perennial grasses and foliage you can use to add interest and beauty to your garden.

By C. Colston Burrell

Herbs are useful for cooking, crafting, and decorating -- boldly coming out of the garden and into your home. Learn more about planting and growing perennial herbs such as lavender and rosemary.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Dahlia is a diverse annual flower, from huge, dinner-plate-size blooms to midget pompons only two inches in diameter. Dahlias grow from one to five feet tall. Learn more about dahlia.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Most plants do well with an average amount of moisture in the soil -- not too much, not too little. In this article, you'll learn which annuals thrive in average soil.

By Sue Loellbach

While all plants need water, too much water can drown your plants. There are several annuals, however, that will thrive in wet conditions. Learn which annuals can tolerate moist soil.

By Sue Loellbach

Annuals under 12 inches work well at the front of gardens and along borders, since they leave the taller plants behind them visible. Learn which annuals stay under 12 inches high.

By Sue Loellbach