This eye-catching summer-blooming plant is excellent for damp or moist areas in the perennial garden. In full bloom in central Ohio at this time, hibiscus is one of those bold garden plants that one can't help but to notice. Flower colors, heights, and foliage colors and shapes vary according to the cultivar. They prefer full sun but also tolerate light shade. Some varieties tend to get so tall that they flop over; cut these back by half in the early summer in order to encourage branching.

The flowers open for about a day and then die; however, blooms keep coming all season long once they start. Be sure to give them space in the garden, as some cultivars are huge. For instance, 'Lord Baltimore' is 5' tall with beautiful crimson red 10" diameter flowers. The compact series, 'Luna' is an outstanding cultivar, as it is around 3' tall with very sturdy stems that don't flop. Flower colors in the 'Luna' series include red, rose, pink, and white. A note of caution: if Japanese beetle populations are high, consider spraying an insecticide to prevent damage to these lovely plants!

Many gardeners tend to shy away from zinnias because of problems with leaf spots and powdery mildew; however, creeping zinnias are an excellent choice because they don't tend to have these problems. In addition, they keep blooming well into the fall, providing gardens with additional fall color.

These easy-to-grow, sun-loving annuals do best in well-drained soils. They can be sown directly into the ground or planted from seedlings in the spring and provide a spectacular display of small, 1" flowers by late June. The flowers are orange, yellow, gold, pink, red, or white, cover the entire plant, and don't require deadheading. The flower color doesn't fade as some zinnia flowers do; delightfully, they maintain their bold color throughout the summer. The plants grow in a compact rounded-mound and are around 1' tall by 1' wide.

Eggplant is native to India and has been cultivated since the beginning of their keeping historical records. This versatile vegetable has been widely adopted by many cultures as reflected by the numerous tasty eggplant dishes prepared around the world from baingan bharta served in India, to baba ghanoush (a.k.a. babaganoush) served in the Middle-East, to moussaka served in Greece, to aubergine parmigiana (a.k.a. eggplant parmesan) served in Italy, to nigvziani badrijani served in Georgia (Caucasus), to beer-battered deep fried eggplant fritters served in Georgia (U.S.). YUM!

Eggplant is related to tomato, potato, and peppers (family Solanaceae). It shares some of the same cultivation flexibility with these solanaceous plants, including being able to be successfully grown in pots. Indeed, this is the second time eggplant has been honored as a "Plant of the Week" (BYGL 2011-09, 06/02/11). The first time, eggplant's described virtues were confined to the vegetable garden. This time, the focus is on the ornamental, as well as the gastronomical value of eggplant.

With its upright growth habit, large dark-green, deeply lobed leaves, showy purplish-white flowers, and deep purple ovoid fruit (other shapes and colors are also available), potted eggplants can add considerable aesthetic interest to any patio garden. Indeed, Joe Boggs shared an image of two potted eggplants currently occupying a high-profile landscape position next to the front steps to his home. While the plants provide landscape value, Joe noted that he can't wait to prepare and eat the fruit using his favorite Georgian recipe!