The current drought in large portions of the United States makes the need for water-wise gardens more important than ever. But that doesn’t mean our gardens can’t look attractive.

That’s why Seasonal Wisdom turned to Noelle Johnson for some drought-tolerant plant suggestions.  This talented horticulturist runs AZ Plant Lady landscape consulting in Chandler, Arizona and she spends her working hours  making low-water gardens beautiful.

Check out five of Noelle’s favorite drought-tolerant plants, and get her expert gardening tips for growing them.

All photos are copyright to Noelle Johnson.

In Noelle Johnson’s Own Words:

Many people have the mistaken impression that drought-tolerant plants are boring, but nothing can be further from the truth. Just because a plant thrives on little water, doesn’t mean a water-wise garden is devoid of interest. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite. Countless plants add welcome beauty to the landscape while only needing deep, infrequent watering.

Drought-tolerant plants require well-drained soil, so before planting, amend the soil with 1 part compost to 1 part native soil.

Here are a few of my favorites:

‘Blue Bells’ (Eremophila hygrophana) – This is a newer shrub, which is prized for its compact growth habit and low-pruning requirements. Vibrant violet flowers appear throughout the entire year above blue/gray foliage.

Size: 3 feet tall and wide; Attracts Hummingbirds

Hardy to zone 8; Full sun to light, filtered shade

‘Valentine Bush’ (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’) – The dark green foliage of this Australian native transforms in winter with the appearance of hot pink to red, tubular blossoms, which add badly needed color to landscapes in winter on into early spring. Maintenance is low, with them only needing pruning once a year in late spring after flowering has finished.

Size: Up to 4 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide, although it can be maintained at a smaller size.

Hardy to zone 8. Full sun.

Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) – This small shrub is an ideal choice for areas that receive light, filtered shade where it will produce narrow, orange tubular flowers all year long, much to the delight of hummingbirds. The bright green foliage adds a visually cooling element to the garden.

Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide; Hardy to zone 8

Attracts hummingbirds; Filtered shade

Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) – Many different species of penstemon grow throughout the western U.S. and are appreciated for their beautiful flowering spikes. This particular penstemon has red/orange blossoms that appear in winter and last through spring, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. When not in bloom, it fades into the background while warm-season flowering plants take center stage.

Size: 1 to 2 feet wide, and 2 feet tall when in flower; Hardy to zone 5; Attracts hummingbirds; Full sun

Coral Fountain (Russelia equisetiformis) – The cascading, needle-like foliage of this shrubby perennial is attractive on its own, adding a tropical feel to the garden. However, the appearance of small, orange/red flowers adds stunning beauty wherever it’s planted. Hummingbirds can’t resist the flowers, which last spring through fall and even winter, in frost-free areas.

Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide; Hardy to zone 8

Attracts hummingbirds; Full sun to light shade

Noelle’s Tip: Once established, water each plant deeply approximately 3-4 times a month in summer, 2-3 times a month in spring/fall, and every three weeks in winter.

More Garden Resources:

Growing container gardens? Don’t miss Noelle’s advice in this Associated Press article published in the Washington Post.

Want more drought tolerant tips? Check out this advice for a water-wise garden from expert Nell Foster.

Connect with  Noelle Johnson of AZ Plant Lady

Website

Twitter

Facebook

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Seasonal Wisdom is raising a glass to herbs, fruits, flowers and veggies that are ideal for love and romance.

To get the scoop on this titillating topic, we climbed under the sheets with a copy of Plants with Benefits. This new book provides a tasteful guide to aphrodisiac plants, including the appropriately named passionflower (Passiflora incarnate) shown above.  You’ll also find recipes and growing tips for these plants, along with folklore and history. Enter to win an autographed copy! All photos copyright Plants with Benefits.  Congratulations to Shana of South Carolina for winning this giveaway.

When Helen Yoest sat down to write Plants with Benefits, she began “a quest to understand how plants can play with our erotic feelings, as well as stimulate our sense of wellbeing and receptivity to intimacy.”

Her plant research revealed that aphrodisiac plants are indeed “nature’s little helpers” who can act as catalysts for fertility, and even improve sexual performance due to the plants’ physiological and psychological effects.

The 45 common (and not-so-common) plants in Plants With Benefits  have certain qualities.

Sometimes, they are psychologically suggestive due to their smell or shape.  It’s easy to see why carrots might be in this group, for instance.

Other plants directly affect the brain chemistry by increasing the blood flow to sex organs or contributing other pleasurable sensations.

Cayenne pepper, cinnamon and cacao in the book’s Hot Cocoa, Vianne Style recipe offer delicious flavors and help heat up the night in more ways than one.

Other aphrodisiacs in Plants with Benefits have hormones that actually mimic our own human hormones, and can affect our libidos.

The coriander in the book’s Hippocras Spiced Wine recipe has phytochemicals that support hormonal balance, writes Helen.

Some plants are quite healthy for us, and good nutrition stimulates a little passion too.  But the plants in this book had to be more than just healthy. They needed to have a rich aphrodisiac history as well.

Garlic may be famous for its antibiotic properties and health benefits. But the reason the plant is included in this book is that garlic also improves blood circulation and gets the blood flowing to important body parts. That’s why Tibetan Buddhist monks abstain from garlic … to avoid stirring the passions.

In Plants With Benefits, you’ll find lots of ways to stimulate your passions, learn about plants and incorporate these foods into your diets.

Win Plants with Benefits!

Here’s how you can win an autographed copy of this book. Please click the below Rafflecopter device to enter this giveaway. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends at midnight on Feb. 14, 2014. Please check your email’s spam folder so we can contact you quickly if you win.  Congratulations to Shana of South Carolina for winning this giveaway.

Thanks for participating. Good luck everyone!

Connect with Helen Yoest, author of Plants With Benefits. Buy this book.

Disclosure: This prize was provided at no charge, and Helen Yoest is a garden writer friend. However, I was not reimbursed for writing or planning this giveaway. My opinions are my own, and I’m looking forward to sharing this book with the lucky winner.

Feeling Romantic? Don’t miss this Seasonal Wisdom article on old folklore about Valentine’s Day, illustrated with vintage valentines.

True confession: I’ve fallen in love with fabulous plant foliage in recent years. Red romaine and speckled lettuces. Lime green and black sweet potato vines. Chartreuse pelargonium leaves marked with reddish brown. Who needs flowers when you can have this fabulous plant foliage?

Come see a few examples of unusual edible and ornamental plants with foliage too pretty to ignore.

Ipomoeas batatas ‘Blackie’ is a fast-growing vine with fabulous plant foliage. But despite the pretty flowers, this vine is often grown for the blackish-purple, hand-shaped leaves.

‘Blackie’ looks striking when paired with lime green ‘Marguerite’, as you can see here. The ornamental sweet potato vines are typically grown as annuals, but are perennials in USDA Zones 9 to 11.

In my garden these vines are growing in partial sun, but they really thrive in full sun.  In one summer, they’ll quickly cover a hanging basket or container.

Lime green and black are matched with golden yellow and chartreuse in my garden.  Even on a gray day in late-September, the colors really pop against the green grass.

Thuja occidentalis ‘Filip’s Magic Moment’ is an easy-to-grow evergreen from Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs.  The compact shrub grows 6 to 8 feet tall, and 1 to 3 feet tall. I can’t wait to see it grow a bit taller in these new containers.

Isn’t that golden foliage dreamy? Now imagine this cheerful color in winter next to your deciduous trees and snowy yard.

Proven Winners asked me to test this shrub for them this summer, and I’ve been very happy with its performance so far. This shrub is hardy to USDA Zone 3.

Red Russian Kale, Black Kale and Blue Curled Kale are growing peacefully together in this container.  Between the purple stems and deep-green leaves, the edible kale plants are pretty enough to grow near your prized ornamental plants.

Cold-hardy kale will often overwinter in many climates, tasting better after the first frost. That’s especially true if you provide some winter protection like a frost cloth. See more about growing vegetables in winter.

When I buy Pelargoniums (otherwise known as geraniums) I typically buy them for the flowers.

But ‘Indian Dunes’ is pretty enough without any blooms at all.  When these geraniums do flower, the orange-red flowers literally jump out against this fabulous plant foliage. Grown as annuals, the plants are perennials in Zones 9 to 11.

The chartreuse leaves marked in reddish brown are gorgeous next to reds, blacks and oranges. These are all good colors for Halloween and autumn, so if your climate is warm enough, plop a pumpkin down beside this pretty plant.

A gloomy day in late-September is brightened by Thuja occidentalis ‘Filip’s Magic Moment’, Pelargonium ‘Indian Dunes’ and mixed kales.

In another spot in my garden, I’m growing more edibles and ornamentals with fabulous plant foliage. They are planted in hardy burlap girdles from The SeedKeeper Company, who provided them for a Seasonal Wisdom product review.

Basically, these handsome containers come in 1-, 5- and 10-gallon sizes. There is a stitched burlap bag that sits on top of a black growing bag with good drainage holes. This means the soil won’t leak all over your jute bag, and make it dirty. But your plants will still have good soil aeration and drainage.

When winter comes, you can empty the bags and store them easily in your garage or garden shed. If you’re active on Twitter, you may already know the ladies at The SeedKeeper Company. They are a real hoot, and full of gardening information. Follow them at @SeedKeeperCo.

In my 10-gallon container, I’m growing ‘Panisse’ green oak leaf lettuce (top); red romaine lettuce (middle) and speckled butterhead x COS (bottom).

Besides having fabulous plant foliage, these sweet lettuces are “cut and come again” vegetables. That means you can cut back the leaves, and they will come again a few times more.

Plant your lettuces in rich garden soil, amended with worm castings, well-aged manure or premium compost.  A regular foliar feeding of fish emulsion will keep them growing well.

In my garden, we always have plenty of birds hanging out. They love to eat my vegetables as much as I do. That’s why I use bird netting on my greens, so I can make sure there will be plenty of lettuces left for us to eat this fall.

What are some of your favorite examples of fabulous plant foliage?

Disclosure: The Proven Winners ColorChoice shrub samples,and the burlap girdle bags from The Seed Keeper Company were provided at no charge. However, I was not compensated to write this story, and my opinions are my own.

More Resources 

Silver-Leaf Plants

Ten Great Foliage Plants for Containers

Fantastic Foliage Picks

Ten Black Foliage Plants for Halloween

Lime Colored Plants

Each summer, my garden literally bursts into blooms from a wide variety of annuals and perennials. This year was no different. In fact, I was asked by Proven Winners to review a number of their newest plants for my USDA Zone 6b garden over the last few months.

Here are a few of my favorites. Photo copyright Teresa O’Connor.

Echinacea purpurea 'Little Annie' with two varieties of edible thyme. Photo by Teresa O'Connor.

Among the new Proven Winners plants I tested, Echinacea purpurea ‘Little Annie’ simply stole my heart. Echinacea varieties (also known as coneflowers) typically grow 2 to 4 feet tall, although you can now find several dwarf types.

‘Little Annie’ is a dwarf that really shines in small spaces. It’s the most dwarf, compact coneflower available on the market, growing only 10 to 12 inches tall.  The small size makes it ideal for containers or scattered near the front of garden beds.

Lavender-pink flowers on Echinacea 'Little Annie.' Photo copyright Kevin O'Connor.

I planted my ‘Little Annie’ with two types of thyme. Echinacea also looks great with ornamental grasses, Shasta daisies, salvia, rudbeckia and more.

The lavender-pink flowers keep coming on ‘Little Annie’ from mid-summer to early fall. This easy-care perennial likes it sunny and hot. Once established, ‘Little Annie’ is drought tolerant, although you’ll need to water it daily in a container. The pretty plant is hardy in Zones 3 to 8.

'Little Annie' coneflower with pansies and snow in summer. Photo copyright Kevin O'Connor.

Plant ‘Little Annie’ in light, loamy, well-drained soil. Even when the flowers start to die away, they still maintain an interesting shape in the garden, as you’ll see above. To keep this coneflower blooming, be sure to deadhead it regularly.

Superbena® 'Royale Iced Cherry.' Photo copyright Teresa O'Connor.

Another favorite was Proven Winner’s Superbena®  ‘Royale Iced Cherry,’ shown above with Ageratum ‘Pearl Azure.’ This new verbena hybrid keeps blooming until a hard frost. ‘Royale Iced Cherry’ is hardy to 15 degrees F. and in my garden, it withstood hot, dry weather nicely too.  The red-flowered plant is an annual everywhere, except in Zones 8 to 11.

Superbena® 'Royale Iced Cherry' and Ageratum 'Pearl Azure' provide non-stop color. Photo copyright Teresa O'Connor.

Growing around 6 inches tall, these easy-to-grow plants are ideal in containers or in front of garden beds. The verbena thrives in full-sun conditions, and tolerates high temperatures. The ageratum tolerates both sun and partial shade.

Superbena® 'Royale Iced Cherry' attracts butterflies. Photo copyright Kevin O'Connor.

Butterflies adore the verbena’s colorful red blossoms, according to the Proven Winners’ plant tag. In our garden, this certainly proved to be the case.

Proven Winners Superbells® with ageratum, dichondra and ornamental grass. Photo copyright Kevin O'Connor.

This summer, my front porch has been accented with two matching containers, featuring some of Proven Winners’ newest Superbells® (Calibrachoa hybrid). Shown above are Superbells® ‘Sweet Tart’ and ‘Cherry Star,’ along with Ageratum ‘Pearl Azure‘ and Stipa ‘Sirocco’ grass from my local independent garden center.

Superbells® 'Cherry Star' and 'Sweet Tart' with ageratum. Photo copyright Kevin O'Connor.

These Superbells® (Calibrachoa) provided non-stop color, all summer long.  The hummingbirds love the flowers. And the blossoms don’t require deadheading either, which is a major time saver.

Although these annuals are heat tolerant, they are hardy to 30 F. and will keep blooming until a hard frost.  So, I’m expecting them to bloom into early-fall too.

Proven Winners Superbells® 'Grape Punch' with Stipa 'Sirocco' grass. Photo copyright Kevin O'Connor.

Above is another angle of the container, which features a dramatic Stipa ‘Sirocco’ grass in the middle. The grass is surrounded with Proven Winners Superbells® ‘Grape Punch’ interspersed with Dichondra ‘Emerald Falls.’  All these plants thrive in full sun conditions.

Unlike the other two plants, the Stipa ‘Sirocco’ grass is a perennial, which grows about a foot or two tall.  As temperatures drop, the wispy foliage changes to shades of pink and copper. I love the way the delicate grass cascades gently over my Superbells®.

Proven Winners Superbells® with Stipa 'Sirocco' grass. Photo copyright Kevin O'Connor.

Fertilize these plants regularly with an organic, balanced plant food, for best results. Even drought-tolerant plants in containers will need to be watered daily.

Meanwhile, what are some of your favorite flowers grown this year?

For more information on the Proven Winner varieties.

Learn about Stipa ‘Sirocco’ grass.

“We have plowed, we have sowed,
We have reaped, we have mowed,
We have brought home every load,
Hip, hip, hip, harvest home.”

For the last few months, I’ve spoken with some of the nation’s most well-known garden writers, bloggers and personalities about their must-have plants. So, you might just be wondering which plants I can’t live without myself. That’s why this blog post is dedicated to some of my favorite plants.

As you can see above and below, my garden is a rather unruly mix of wildflowers, roses and perennials. The Shirley and California poppies self-seeded themselves from last year, and seem determined to take over my late-spring/early-summer garden.

As garden writer and designer Rebecca Sweet would say, there are a lot of “showgirls” in my garden. These are the plants that bloom outrageously and then disappear in winter. So, I’m working on adding more four-season interest to my new garden, including some lovely little boxwood shrubs which you can’t see here because of all the showgirls. But I’ll be glad to have their evergreen shapes in the winter months. You can hear more about showgirl plants from my Nest in Style podcast interview with Rebecca Sweet.

I’m a big fan of succession planting. So although my raised beds started out with lettuces and radishes of all types in early spring, they were replaced with squash and corn when the weather heated up.

It’s harvest time! So, these “must-have” plants are delicious and delightful edibles of all types. Three clever gardeners, from across the nation, show you how beautiful fresh food can be … and how you can grow vegetables, herbs and fruit in even the smallest urban spaces. Photo by Elaphurus on Flickr

Jean Ann Van Krevelen is a big fan of fresh foods from her Portland, Oregon (Zone 8) garden. She was the main author of Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Foods, which I also co-authored. She also co-hosts the funny and popular Good Enough Gardening podcast with Amanda Thomsen on iTunes. Somehow she finds time to be social media director at Cool Springs Press. Find Jean Ann on Twitter @JeanAnnVK. Or, at her blog Gardener to Farmer.

Jean Ann likes her edibles to not only taste good, but look lovely as well. Perfect example? The purple tomatillos at the top of this post.

“I just love purple tomatillos,” says Jean Ann. “In addition to being absolutely gorgeous, they produce in cooler weather than tomatoes. Their crisp, clean, slightly sour taste is ideal for fresh dishes like salads and salsas. Cook them down into a sauce and use them in Mexican or Asian dishes.”

Photo by beautifulcataya on Flickr

Another favorite is ‘Peacock’ broccoli. “It’s twice the bang for the buck,” explains Jean Ann. “You can eat the little broccoli florets and the leaves. This broccoli is tender and small, so it doesn’t need much cooking. Try it in salads, stir fries and grilled dishes. The leaves can be used as kale and incorporated into almost any dish. They will be a bit more tough, so blanch the leaves or saute them.”

Photo by Lisa Gustavson

Photo by Lisa Gustavson

Photo by Mike Lieberman

Photo by Mike Lieberman

As more Americans embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle these days, the timing couldn’t be better for a new PBS television series called Growing a Greener World, distributed by American Public Television.

Growing a Greener World combines traditional gardening knowledge with a strong focus on sustainability – and provides plenty of cooking and preserving tips for your garden harvests. Each episode tells the story of people making a difference in our world today.

These inspiring stories have ranged from …  Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory (called “America’s Greenest Public Garden”) to the Edible Schoolyard Project, spearheaded by local-foods advocate Alice Waters at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California.

Must-Have Plants: After traveling around the country and touring these fantastic gardens, what “must-have” plants do the hosts and producers of this national television series recommend? Their answers might surprise you.

A suburban garden in New Jersey. An apartment balcony in California. Acreage in northwest Ohio. These gardeners may enjoy the outdoors in different ways, but they all know plenty about plants. Here are their “must-have” plants for this year…

Like gardening blogs? There’s a good chance you’ve read Kylee Baumle’s Our Little Acre. Her award-winning blog takes place in a rural northwest Ohio garden. Recently, it was awarded not one, but several 2010 Mouse and Trowel awards.

Somehow this dental hygenist also finds time to write Gardening by the Book and co-write Soil Sisters, as well as write for Cool Springs Press GREEN Program. On Twitter, you can find this busy woman at @OurLittleAcre.

This summer Kylee is thinking about plants “that offer a little out of the ordinary,” such as Toad Lily (Tricyrtis sp.) suitable for Zones 5 to 9. Toad Lily ‘Miyazaki’ is shown above, while Toad Lily ‘Tojen’ is pictured at the top of this blog post.

These orchid-like flowers bloom in autumn, “when nothing much besides mums and asters are really going to town,” says Kylee. “Plus, Toad Lilies come in various colors, and the foliage varies from cultivar to cultivar. Some leaves have spots or stripes. Some are golden in color. And some are traditional green. A particularly nice feature is that they add color to shade gardens and are in the mid-height range.”

Her second choice is an edible one … corn. “Where I live, in northwest Ohio, corn is as common as the dirt it grows in,” explains Kylee. “Summer just wouldn’t be summer without sweet corn. My favorite variety is the white and yellow bicolor, but I’m a big fan of the pure white, such as ‘Silver Queen.’ ” (Shown above.)

“In August, I make a meal out of just sweet corn,” she says with a laugh. “I slather the corn with butter and salt and can eat six ears or more at a time. Most people gain weight over winter, right? For me, it’s in August.” (Shown above is ‘Ruby Queen’ corn, which she grew in 2008.)

Gardening in a smaller space? You still have plenty of options. Just ask Fern Richardson, who writes the award-winning blog Life on the Balcony. Also a 2010 Mouse and Trowel award winner, the blog has won praise from Sunset Magazine and others. On Twitter, Fern can be found at @LifeOnTheBlcny.

Some favorite plants Fern likes growing on her California balcony…

The first one is … Aeonium. “There are so many interesting varieties of Aeoniums, you really can’t go wrong,” says Fern. “I particularly like the variegated and black varieties like the one in this picture. Their floral-like rosettes provide year-round interest and ask for only the tiniest bit of attention in return.”
 

“Another favorite is chocolate mint,” says Fern. “This plant is nearly indestructible, and yet so tasty! I love using the leaves in teas, and they’re also a yummy addition to banana bread.”

When she makes banana bread, Fern adds 2 to 3 tablespoons of dried chocolate mint with the dry ingredients.

In the New York Metropolitan Area, award-winning landscape and design consultant Susan Cohan is busy managing Susan Cohan Gardens and serving on the Board of Directors for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. That is… when she’s not writing her thought-provoking blog Miss Rumphius’ Rules or tweeting as @SusanCohan on Twitter.

Susan admits it’s not easy to choose only a few “must-have” plants. But she did agree to provide “two finalists culled from a long list of favorites.” As she explains, “I won’t give a plant the thumbs up until I’ve actually grown it. So even from a landscape designer’s perspective, both are absolute winners!”

Her first choice is ‘Red Romaine’ lettuce. The plant really stood out among the rest when she recently designed and planted a large vegetable garden.

“I chose plants based not only on their cool weather preferences,” says Susan. “But also for the beauty of their foliage. Unfortunately, the flats were only labeled as ‘Red Romaine’. But this unnamed red romaine was my favorite of all the lettuces. It is a striking plant that added a punch of color to a very formal vegetable garden and would look great mixed with ornamentals as well.”

Her second choice is the ‘Abalone Pearl’ peony, shown above.

“The peony has a single clear salmon pink bloom held upright on fernlike foliage,” explains Susan. “I hardly ever buy plants for myself anymore. And I even thought about this when I saw the plant in the nursery. But as I was ready to leave, I started to feel remorse at leaving it there. So I had to buy one.”

She hasn’t regretted her decision yet.

Hear Susan Cohan discuss landscape design (and design in general) on Nest in Style.

Like this? Don’t miss these other stories:
Must-Have Plants
Must-Have Plants (Part II)

Favorite Winter Plants (Maine Containers)
Favorite Winter Plants (Northern Idaho)
Favorite Winter Plants (Canada)
Favorite Winter Plants (North Carolina)
Favorite Winter Plants (Western Washington)

More expert plant suggestions to come soon!

Another plant that has won Rebecca’s heart is the Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ shown above. “I’m always on the lookout for plants that give my clients the biggest bang for the buck,” she explains. “This euphorbia tops my list. It has the darkest, most velvety maroon-colored leaves, and the flowers are a gorgeous complimentary chartreuse green.”

This euphorbia is beautiful in a mixed garden bed, as you can see above. But the plant is also a practical choice. “It’s deer-resistant, snail proof and drought tolerant,” adds Rebecca. “In our Zone 9 climate, this plant is an evergreen. All it needs is a little dead-heading once in awhile. But watch that sap, as it can be a skin irritant.”

Hear more gardening tips from this award-winning garden designer on Nest in Style.

Photo by BambooGarden.org

Jenny has fallen hard for Bambusa multiplex ‘Alphonse Karr’. “This gorgeous clumping bamboo grows up to 15 feet tall,” she says. “But it spreads slowly, so the plant doesn’t have the invasive qualities of other bamboos. With the lower-to-medium height, it makes a great screen. Plus, the yellow culms are smaller in diameter, making it easy for homeowners to cut back.”

The designer likes the Alphonse Karr bamboo in minimalist contemporary landscapes, as well as blended into Asian and tropical landscapes.

Photo by Northern Territory Government, Australia Another favorite is Mexican Feather Grass (Nasella tenuissima). “I love this smaller ornamental grass and use it at many of my clients’ homes,” says Jenny. “It grows to 2 feet high. And the smaller size makes it very versatile in the landscape, while the chartreuse green color and fine texture make this plant a beautiful accent.” This grass will reseed, but Jenny says it’s easily controlled. She likes to plant this grass en masse or as an accent to other plants. See other “must-have” plants for 2010. Coming soon! More must-have plants for June.

It’s early May, and no doubt many gardeners are asking themselves what to grow this year. So, I turned to five experts for advice on some of their favorite plants.

These folks are landscape designers, garden bloggers, journalists and ordinary citizens from around the nation. But the one thing they have in common is their love of gardening. Here are some of their “must-have” plants for 2010.

In her cottage craftsman-style gardens, Anna likes to grow the pale yellow lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) mixed with colorful annuals.

“Okra has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember,” says Tee. “It is the perfect vegetable during those dry, blistering summer days, as it seems to thrive the hotter it gets. The morning blossoms of the okra plant are as beautiful as many ornamentals. In fact, they resemble the hibiscus bloom, which is a cousin to okra. My favorite okra varieties are ‘Clemson Spineless’ and ‘Red Velvet’.”

“Zucchini is my second must-have vegetable for 2010,” explains Tee. “It is fairly easy to grow and very versatile in the kitchen. Zucchini can be used to make delicious bread, added to stews, grilled, sauteed and the southern classic – battered and fried. For our region, ‘Black Beauty’ and ‘Aristocrat’ are popular varieties.”