Focus On Flowers
We sometimes see a plant with an elongated, smooth and usually skinny, trunk with a round mop of foliage at the top.
Natives with long tap roots like the bright orange butterfly weed are completely unfazed by the heat, as are shrubs like crepe myrtle and caryopteris.
The malva plant is a mainstay in my cutting garden. There are both pink and white flowering malvas, and the blooms look like miniature hollyhocks.
As well as recent widespread interest in edible flowers by foodies, there also seems to be a related trend that involves bartenders putting flowers in drinks.
Japanese Beetles love roses, hollyhocks, crepe myrtle and hibiscus especially, and I dislike them with a passion for ruining my flowers.
The globalization of so many flowering plants is awe-inspiring and they now act as if they are natives in their adopted lands.
Moya Andrews is a Master Gardener and a member of the Bloomington Garden Club in Bloomington, Indiana. Learn more »
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