Tomato 'Fourth of July'

‘Fourth of July’ actually delivers red Tomatoes by Independence Day

Two years ago we planted about 80 different cultivars in our kitchen garden to truly understand the sublime fruit that is known as the Tomato. With so many varieties, we fully expected both hits and misses to appear over the season, but we did not expect our breakout favorite to be—not a heritage, not a mass market, not a beefsteak—but a cultivar best known for its early arrival in the season. Of all things, we liked Tomato ‘Fourth of July’ the best for several reasons beyond its signature feature.

That small package hides some surprises

‘Beauty of Lyon’ features an unusual sherbet orange stripe down the center of the leaf

Our newest Coleus selection has a variegated leaf of red, purple, and orange with a yellow-green edge. ‘Beauty of Lyon’ serves as a unique specimen when the plant is grown on its own, and pairs nicely with ‘MiniFamous Orange’ Calibrachoa in a combo. It also complements other multicolored Coleus varieties.

‘Beauty of Lyon’ works in full sun to shade—we actually find that the red centers and yellow edges of the leaves intensify in the sun. These plants are big and brawny, so they can be seen from a distance before visitors get up close to the landscape bed. They tolerate the heat as long as they get plenty of water.

Brilliant sun Coleus gives the illusion of wearing 3D glasses: it fills the space above the garden by adding interest in every direction. This is because the entire plant carries the day, with both stems and leaves as conduits of color. We find that a Coleus garden is easy to build and provides a large payoff for very little effort.

‘Beauty of Lyon’ comes in the 4.5-inch pot.

This Coleus is hard to find on the market—not many people have it

Verbina 'Imagination' is one of our favorites for high summer color

‘Imagination’ is valued as much for its tough nature as for its vibrant violet-blue flowers and lacy dark green foliage. During the hottest, driest conditions of summer this Verbena shines, spreading to form a colorful groundcover even among rocks or around construction sites. It’s an important draping and spilling element to keep in the design toolbox.

Verbena is versatile, working equally well in containers. We find that by adding ‘Imagination’ to beds and planters in the same landscape we can tie a design together visually. Gray cement urns and stones are effective background settings since they make the flower color pop.

This selection comes in the 1203 flat and the 8-inch pot.