Apricot Mandevilla – My plant did not have a tag when I bought it, but I am guessing it is the Sun Parasol ‘Apricot’ Mandevilla. This is probably my favorite plant of the season. This summer tropical has not stopped blooming since I bought it in May.
Even when nearby plants were wilting or looking sad in the 100 plus days, this plant was a shining star. It is still loaded with blooms and shows no sign of slowing down. I have it in a large container, but even I (who doesn’t move plants indoors for the winter) am thinking of trying to overwinter this one.
Full sun, regular water—but carefree. 5 Stars in my book.
Nepeta – Catmint – Prelude blue –
Most years I am sent new plants to trial, and this year was no exception. I got this new Nepeta, or Catmint in this spring from Darwin perennials. It is a winner. The flowers are a deep purplish blue and much larger than most catmints.
It has not stopped blooming all summer. It is still covered in flowers and putting on more. I have it in several different containers in full sun. My only complaint is one of the plants got a bit top-heavy and it flopped after a rain. Supposedly dead-heading will keep it flowering, but I haven’t pruned mine once and it is a showstopper.
Buddleia Chrysalis series
is a very compact butterfly bush with large blooms. The Chrysalis series has flowers that come in cranberry, purple, pink and blue. I have one in full sun and one that gets a bit of shade in the late afternoon, and both have bloomed well. It can be grown in a pot or in the ground. I have not deadheaded it, since I am trialing it this season, but I do think it would benefit from a little clean-up in between blooms to help it stay a little prettier.
It does not set seeds, but the spent blooms do detract a bit from the overall appearance. It has been a non-stop bloomer and I love the large flower heads.