This summer, turn up the heat in your garden with sun-worshipping stunners in hot hues. Pair the brilliant pink and yellow blossoms of the Superbells ‘Cherry Star’ with the piercing magenta blooms of the Livingstone daisy. Combined with the vivid chartreuse foliage of Joseph’s coat, this festive combination dazzles all season long. Low maintenance and proven to thrive while basking in full sun, these three beauties leave you plenty of time to do the same.
SUPERBELLS (Calibrachoa ‘Cherry Star’)
Excellent in a container or a f ower bed, the newest Calibrachoa variety from Proven Winners appears much like a petite petunia, though more compact and bushy, with shocking pink f owers striped with yellow for a color combination sure to entice hummingbirds. Set into the landscape, this annual will mound six to 10 inches in height, with a spread reaching up to two feet. When planting, lightly prune to encourage branching and new root growth and allow for good drainage to avoid root rot.
Exposure: Full sun
Water: Water the base of the plant about twice a week, dependingon rain.
Soil: Sandy loam
Habit: Mounds and trails 12 to 24 inches
Maintenance: Prune back if leggy and fertilize with liquid 20-10-20 every four to six weeks.
JOSEPH’S COAT (Alternanthera f coidea ‘Chartreuse’)
Brightening up a window box or garden bed, this tropical plant thrives in full sun, of ering eye-catching, yellowish-green foliage and small, greenishwhite f owers. Popular during the Victorian era for its use as a low-mounding border in formal gardens, this heirloom annual is grown for its foliage, enhancing the colors of surrounding plants and making them appear more radiant.
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Water the base of the plant about twice a week, depending on rain.
Soil: Sandy loam
Habit: Mounds six to 12 inches
Maintenance: Pinch back to encourage branching for compact growth.
LIVINGSTONE DAISY (Dorotheanthus bellidiformis ‘Mezoo Trailing Red’)
Tough its f owers are shaped similarly to an English daisy’s, this tender, herbaceous perennial is actually an ice plant—a mat-forming succulent—cultivated for its magenta blossoms. Using its thick, oval leaves to store water, the Livingstone daisy handles the heat of a Lowcountry summer and is resistant to salt spray, making it ideal for seaside gardens. In a pot with well-draining, sandy soil, the tender succulent can trail up to 18 inches, cascading beautifully over the edge. If planted directly in the garden, it will mound up to 12 inches.
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Drought resistant; water once a week.
Soil: Sandy loam; can tolerate some salt
Habit: Trails 10 to 18 inches
Maintenance: Prune to keep in scale.
