Butterfly Weed

• Botanical Name: Asclepias tuberosa.
• Hardiness: Zones 3 to 9.
• Bloom Time: Summer.
• Size: 1-1/2 to 3 feet tall, up to 12 inches wide.
• Flower: Orange or yellow flat-topped clusters.
• Light Needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Plant in moist, well-drained to dry soil.
• Prize Picks: Plant Gay Butterflies for a brilliant mix of red, yellow and orange.

Hollyhock

• Botanical Name: Alcea rosea.
• Hardiness: Biennal and short-lived perennial in zones 3 to 9.
• Bloom Time: Early to midsummer.
• Size: 3 to 8 feet high, 1 to 3 feet wide.
• Flower: Funnel-shaped or double blooms in numerous bright and pastel hues including red, pink, yellow, white and purple.
• Light Needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Plant seeds in midsummer for blooms the following year. Or force blooms during the first summer by sowing indoors in late winter and transplanting in early spring.
• Prize Picks: Try Chater's Double for double blooms or Nigra for striking, dark-maroon Flowers that appear almost black.

Phlox

• Also Known As: Garden phlox.
• Botanical Name: Phlox.
• Hardiness: Zones 4 to 8.
• Bloom Time: Summer.
• Size: 24 to 36 inches high, 30 to 36 inches wide.
• Flower: Pink, white and purple.
• Light Needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Deadhead flowers to promote continued blooming.
• Prize Picks: David and the Flame Series resist powdery mildew.

Annuals

Cosmos

• Botanical Name: Cosmos bipinnatus.
• Bloom Time: Summer to late fall.
• Size: 1 to 6 feet high, 1 to 2 feet wide.
• Flower: Single or double daisy-shaped blooms in pink, white, red and purple.
• Light Needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Place tall varieties near a fence or provide stakes to help the plants stand up to winds and rain.
• Prize Picks: Diablo, Sea Shells, Sonata Series.

Nasturtium

• Botanical Name: Tropaeolum majus.
• Bloom Time: Early summer until frost.
• Size: Climbing varieties reach 10 feet, dwarf varieties form mounds that are up to 15 inches tall, 12 to 24 inches wide.
• Flower: Bright yellow, red, cream, apricot and salmon.
• Light Needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Sow directly in most gardens after last frost. Plant 3/4-inch deep and 8 to 12 inches apart. Thin plants as they become crowded.
• Prize Picks: Alaska Series, Whirlybird.

Pansy

• Botanical Name: Viola x wittrockiana.
• Hardiness: Perennial in Zones 8 to 11.
• Bloom Time: Varies by cultivar. Most types perform best in the cooler weather of spring or autumn. In warmer climates, some varieties can be used as winter annuals.
• Size: 6 to 9 inches high and 9 to 12 inches wide.
• Flower: Purple, white, yellow, orange and red. Bicolored flowers with a face-like pattern are the most common; shape is five overlapping petals, some with ruffled edges.
• Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade.
• Growing Advice: Plant transplants in early spring. To grow from seed, plant indoors in January or February in northern climates. In warmer areas, plant in late summer for blooms the following spring.
• Prize Picks: Imperial, Maxim, Springtime and Universal are heat-tolerant choices, while Icicle and Second Season tolerate cold.

Verbena

• Botanical Name: Verbena x hybrida.
• Hardiness: Perennial in Zones 9 to 11.
• Bloom Time: Early summer to frost.
• Size:: 6 to 12 inches tall.
• Flower: 2- to 3-inch-wide flat clusters of flowers in shades of white, red, blue, lavender, purple and peach, with a white center.
• Light Needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Plant verbena in fertile, well-draining soil about 12 inches apart (18 inches for spreading varieties).
• Prize Picks: Peaches and Cream and Verbena bonariensis (commonly called Brazilian verbena).

Zinnia

• Botanical Name: Zinnia.
• Bloom Time: Summer to first frost.
• Size: 6 inches to 3 feet high, 18 inches to 2 feet wide.
• Flower: White, yellow, orange, red, purple and lilac; single or double daisy- or dahlia-like blooms.
• Light Needs: Full sun.
• Growing Advice: Start seed indoors, or sow outdoors about 1/4-inch deep after threat of frost has passed. Seeds germinate in 4 to 5 days.
• Prize Picks: Often sold as mixes, zinnias may be found in individual colors if you persist. Profusion Cherry is a great red. Star White is a beautiful white.