Bring tropical drama to your garden and containers with Madeira, a velvety ebony-leaved vixen you'll long to touch. It's huge dark leaves contrasts and complements brightly colored foliage and flowers. Water well when first planted, tolerant of considerable drought when established. An application of mulch in fall will ensure winter survival. Grows 2-3.' Hardy in zones 6-10, that means St. Louis.Thank you to Sugar Creek Gardens for teaching us about Madeira. Like Sugar Creek Gardens Facebook to stay up-to-date on nursery happenings and to view more photos. Check out more Plant Picks: 'Fire …

'Double Scoop Raspberry' Coneflower, EchinaceaOne of the richest colored Coneflowers to date! Multitudes of luscious, deep pink pompoms appear for months in summer. 'Double Scoop Raspberry' grows 28-32" and prefers full to part sun. Drought tolerant perennial, yet when flowering will perform best when well watered. Thank you to Sugar Creek Gardens for teaching us about the 'Double Scoop Raspberry' Coneflower. Like Sugar Creek Gardens Facebook to stay up-to-date on nursery happenings and to view more photos.

Still looking great in our record heat and drought are the Crapemyrtles, a versatile group of shrubs that can be as tall as 20' to miniatures that only grow 2'. At 18" possibly the smallest of all, 'Violet Filli' Crapemyrtle begins blooming in midsummer and will continue until frost. Its branches arch outward balancing multitudes of large billowy lilac flowers. Crapemrytles prefer full sun and are not particular about soil. Once established they can withstand considerable drought and neglect, blooming well in the toughest conditions.Thank you to Sugar Creek Gardens for teaching us about the …

With July Fourth this week, what an apt plant to feature: The "Rockets Red Glare" hosta. A hosta collector’s delight. Prominent red stems hold shiny green leaves with attractive wavy margins. In late summer, graceful arching red stems carry lavender stripped flowers. Hummingbirds can't resist its tasty nectar. A midsize hosta that grows 12 inches tall and 30 inches wide. Shade to part shade perennial. Thank you to Sugar Creek Gardens for teaching us about the Butterfly Weed. Like Sugar Creek Gardens Facebook to stay up-to-date on nursery happenings and for more beautiful photos.

'Indian Warrior' Big Bluestem, aka Turkey Foot, Andropogon gerardiA majestic hybrid of our native Big Bluestem, 'Indian Warrior' forms a tall, upright clump of green foliage with red tips that transforms to deep smoky purple with red highlights. Glossy deep violet, three branched flowers that resemble a turkey's foot are produced on reddish stems. Dangling reddish-orange pollen satchels add considerable interest. Know as the “Monarch of the Prairie,” Big Bluestem dominated the American tallgrass prairie. It adapts easily to a wide range of soil and moisture conditions as long as full sun is …

Get the delightful cottage garden look with Prairie Sun Green-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia. Huge 5" cheerful blossoms are made up of bright orange petals with lighter yellow tips. A fringe of gold surrounds its center of luminous lime green. Plants bloom from summer well into fall. Annual that grows 24-30" and prefers full sun. Winner of the highest honors in horticulture, including the prestigious Missouri Botanical Garden's Plant of Merit. Thank you to Sugar Creek Gardens for teaching us about the Prairie Sun Green-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia. Like Sugar Creek Gardens Facebook to stay up-to-date on …

Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa This cherished Missouri native delights us with brilliant orange flowers in summer. The blossoms, which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen, are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, Monarch butterflies and bees. Deadheading flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one. Green fruits develop which rupture to reveal seeds with long, silvery-white, silky hairs. These are great to use in dried flower arrangements. Drought tolerant, sun perennial, grows 2-3' tall. Thank you to Sugar Creek Gardens for teaching us about the …

A breeding masterpiece, 'Incrediball' Hydrangea boasts gargantuan blooms and strong beefy stems. Each ivory white flower head has roughly four times as many flowers as other Smooth Hydrangea creating a blossom as large as a basketball. Its strong stems hold the massive flowers up, even in heavy rain. Absolutely spectacular in the garden and arrangements.  In the fall the blossoms transform to deep chartreuse, creating another dramatic sight.  The long-lasting dried flower balls last well into late winter on the shrub or for months more in home arrangements. Shrubs grow 4-5 feet tall, and …

'Inca Ice' Peruvian Lily, Alstroemeria Why pay for expensive cut flowers when you can easily grow your own? This outstanding new variety delights us with exotic flowers with alternating petals of soft apricot pink and creamy yellow. Each incredible flower stalk will produce 20 or more flowers that lasts for days in the garden and the vase. 2-3' tall, sun to part shade perennial. Thank you to Sugar Creek Gardens for teaching us about the 'Fire Spinner' Ice Plant, Delosperma. Like Sugar Creek Gardens Facebook to stay up-to-date on nursery happenings and more beautiful photos.

'Eden's Perfume' 'Eden’s Perfume’ is considered the most fragrant Peony on earth. Layers and layers of soft pink petals create exquisite 7" blossoms with a spicy Damask rose scent. Superior in the garden and the vase. Height 30.” Full sun to part shade perennial. Thank you to Sugar Creek Gardens for teaching us about the 'Eden's Perfume.' Like Sugar Creek Gardens Facebook to stay up-to-date on nursery happenings and more beautiful photos.

'Fire Spinner' Ice Plant, Delosperma Exotic cup-shaped flowers are made up of petals that start out yellow at the tips, blend to orange, purple, pink, then to white in the middle of the blossoms. Flowers smother its 2-3” low growing, thick evergreen shiny foliage that stands up to the hottest, driest of summers, and even grows well in rock beds or dry hot sites. Deer resistant, sun. Delosperma, hardy perennial. Thank you to Sugar Creek Gardens for teaching us about the 'Fire Spinner' Ice Plant, Delosperma. Like Sugar Creek Gardens Facebook to stay up-to-date on nursery happenings and more …