DAHLIA

Family	asteraceae
Life cycle	tender perennial
Flowers	deep pink-red (summer)
Size	2'
Light	sun-part shade
Cultural notes	ordinary garden soil
From seed	germinates quickly at room temperature Flowers first year from seed sown indoors early. detailed seed-starting info below
Seed ripens	late September

Grown from seeds received in trade, this was a most welcome surprise - we love the way the dark purple foliage combines with the red-to-deep pink flowers. Not sure of the true cultivar name - I haven't been able to find any references to this strain. At any rate, we'll try this one again.

CAREX

Common name	weeping sedge
Family	cyperaceae
Life cycle	perennial
Size	2', flower stalks to 4'
Light	part shade
Cultural notes	moist soil
From seed	provide cold treatment, then germinate at room temperature detailed seed-starting info below

As sedges go, this one is quite coarse. It was rather uninspiring for the first few years of its life, and still is not a stunner - but now at least the foliage is dense enough to make a statement (it was very sparse in its earlier years). The flowers/seedheads might merit the designation "interesting". In all, a plant I'll keep around, but probably not in the high-rent area in the middle of our side garden, where it lives now.

CROCUS SATIVUS

Common name	saffron crocus
Family	iridaceae
Life cycle	perennial bulb (Z6-9)
Flowers	lavender (October)
Size	4"
Light	sun
Cultural notes	well-drained soil

Although we grow this fall-blooming crocus for its pretty veined lavender flowers, it is also the source of the spice saffron - the highest quality spice uses only the red stigmas, lower qualities include the yellow anthers. Both contribute to the ornamental qualities of the flower. Although the flowers don't last long in our garden, they make us stop and look when they do.

CORIANDRUM

Common name	cilantro; coriander
Family	apiaceae
Life cycle	annual
Flowers	white
Size	4'
Light	sun-part shade
From seed	self-seeds in our garden

Most years, we get a number of cilantro plants as volunteers in our herb garden - and we gladly let them grow, even though by the time they'd be most valuable (when ripening tomatoes are clamoring for a pico de gallo partner) they long since gone to seed. I've no idea how this exuberant specimen wound up in our newly planted bogside border, but even here I couldn't get myself to chop it down (until it got ratty after the blooms faded). We do use coriander as a culinary spice, but not in such quantity that we need to harvest much - the round seeds are set in profusion.

COMMELINA

Common name	asiatic dayflower
Family	commelinaceae
Life cycle	annual
Flowers	blue (summer)
Size	6-12"
Light	sun-part shade

This appeared in a place where we once grewCommelina dianthifolia (bird's bill dayflower); it took some time for me to realize that what grows there now is a different species, and I have no idea how it got there. Relative to the bird's bill, this one is missing the third, lower petal. Another similar species is C. erecta, but its stamens are all yellow, without the prominent dark centers for this species from Asia. In any case, it's pretty nice for a volunteer wildflower. It can stay for now.

CLEMATIS

Family	ranunculaceae
Life cycle	shrub (Z3-7)
Flowers	blue (summer)
Size	18-36"
Light	sun-part shade
Cultural notes	ordinary garden soil
From seed	temperature cycling may be helpful for germination detailed seed-starting info below
Seed ripens	extended period, starting mid-September

One of the shrubby clematis species. Compared to the tube clematis we also grow, this one has more of a lax habit - at least so far in our garden. It just bloomed for the first time this year (its third in our garden), and I'm very charmed. The buds are held upright, but once opened, the flowers look at their toes. They are a very clear blue, with some petal texture to make them appear two-toned. We'll have to wait a few more years to see its true habit when fully established.

CHRYSANTHEMUM

Synonym(s)	Chrysanthemum x rubellum; dendranthema
Common name	pink daisy mum
Family	asteraceae
Life cycle	perennial (Z5-9)
Flowers	pale pink/yellow (fall)
Size	2-3'
Light	full sun
Cultural notes	ordinary garden soil

Tough plant, with lots and lots of single salmon-pink, yellow-centered daisy flowers for weeks in fall, the very last of our garden perennials to come into bloom. Keeps blooming through freezes. Tolerates drought. Spreads nicely by roots, and produces some seedlings as well, although they don't always come true - good for some interesting color variations!

COMPANULA

Common name	Carpatian harebell
Family	campanulaceae
Life cycle	perennial
Flowers	blue, late spring
Size	6"
Light	full sun-part shade
Cultural notes	ordinary garden soil, well-drained

Tidy clump of fresh green foliage, covered with nodding blue flowers in late spring. Hasn't been long-lived in the garden for us, but worth getting anew once in a while.

ARTEMISIA

Common name	white mugwort
Family	asteraceae
Life cycle	perennial (Z3-8)
Flowers	white (August-September)
Size	6'
Light	sun-part shade

Unlike most artemisias, this one has showy flowers, on an upright plant with deep plum stems and dark green leaves. We'd tried this unsuccessfully in a few locations (if only common mugwort A. vulgaris were so easy to kill!), but our latest attempt, in a semi-shaded area behind our bog filter, appears successful – the plant has survived a few years, and grew taller this year than before.