Herbs in Design

Fennel attracts butterflies

Herbs aren’t just for cooking. Their aroma can be intoxicating as they attract bees and butterflies to your gardens. Some even keep pesky mosquitoes at bay so you can enjoy the great outdoors.

‘New Gold’ blooms nonstop 

When it comes to lantana, ‘New Gold’ is one of the most profuse bloomers you’ll find. It may not be a yellow rose, but this variety is popular in Texas because it blooms nonstop in extreme sun, heat, humidity, and drought—and a plant that can thrive in those conditions is a plant we want for summer here in Cincinnati. Expect to see lots of brilliant yellow flower clusters right up until frost.

One of the most attractive lantanas for butterflies

Notice the dense, full foliage—it creates a low, spreading mound that makes a glowing golden groundcover when planted en masse. We like to let it spill out of patio pots and hanging baskets, as tropical-looking accents for hot, dry sunny spots where we need splashes of color. It’s a natural choice for rock gardens, too—very low-maintenance.

 ‘New Gold’ is one of the most attractive lantanas for butterflies, and as such is part of our Zoo’s Best Pollinators program. Plants in the Zoo’s Best series provide essential nectar and shelter to butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators that are integral to our ecosystem. A portion of the sale price of all Zoo’s Best selections is donated to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden to support their community and botanical endeavors.

We grow this variety in the 1 quart pot.

Red hot blooms of ‘Caliente® Fire’

Hot, hot, hot—I’m referring to both these scarlet red blooms and the places they can be planted. We’ve been fans of the Caliente^® series for several years now, for its heat and drought tolerance as well as for its steady stream of blooms all summer. This series was bred for excellent container and basket performance and we have to say it lives up to that reputation.

‘Fire’ is one of our favorite selections from this series. In addition to baskets and containers, we like the way it flows in a mass planting, and the way the flowers and pretty ivy-shaped leaves fill in a border or combination. Angelonia and calibrachoa in bold colors pair nicely with the bright red, and pastel shades cool it down. 

Back in 2012 we predicted that this would become a go-to geranium and we were right on the money. Add it to the DTB—Design Tool Box.

‘Caliente^® Fire’ is available in 4.5" pots as well as the 1-gallon.