Cosmos Sea Shells

A verbena species originally from South America. In our country, it is often used as an annual, but in mild winters it can overwinter and reproduce by self-seeding. The firm, airy stems beautifully soften perennial beds and make them special with their purple color. It beautifully complements steppe plantings with grasses and rose beds.

Meadow sage occurs here primarily in warmer regions, especially in southern Moravia and northern and central Bohemia. It grows on sunny meadows and hillsides and along paths. Fragrant leaves form a basal rosette, from which several less leafy branched stems grow. The inflorescences are composed of striking bilabiate flowers, which are a great attraction for bees and bumblebees. Rose Rhapsody has light pink flowers.

Geums are cute spring perennials with adorable cup-shaped flowers in warm color shades. Flowers grow on long branched stems. Petals are usually ruffled, flowers semi-double. Their clump-forming foliage is also interesting, eventually creating good ground cover. Flowering Geums are a great attraction for insects, especially butterflies. For bouquets, we harvest as soon as a quarter or half of the flowers on the stem are open. They last 7 days in a vase. Mai Tai begins to bloom in peach tones with a pink tinge and later transitions to more muted pastel tones. It blooms very vigorously with a large set of flowers. Mai Tai was bred in the USA in 2005.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms abundantly flowering small clumps with straight upright stems. In beds, it looks best in groups. Traditionally, it is planted as a companion to roses due to the matching flowering time. However, it will look equally good in mixed drought-loving steppe plantings with grasses. It is an excellent food source for bees. It lasts 7 days in a vase. The cultivar Ostfriesland blooms with a strikingly dark violet-blue color.

Gaura is a clump-forming perennial native to Texas and Louisiana. Here, it behaves more like a short-lived perennial. It combines beautifully with grasses and adds lightness and airiness to flower beds. It is excellent pasture for insects. Tiny flowers resembling small butterflies bloom tirelessly from June until the first frosts. For bouquets, harvest as soon as the first two or three flowers on the stem open. The pure white blooming Cool Breeze has no hint of pink like other varieties. The flowers have greenish-white stamens, and the buds are also greenish-white. It grows more compactly than other Gauras.

Eucalyptus 'Silver Dollar' has round, silvery grey-green young leaves. With us, it is most often used as a portable potted plant that benefits from spending the summer on sunny terraces and balconies. Before the first frosts, it is moved to a frost-free, bright space.

Lady's mantle naturally grows on mountain pastures and meadows and in mixed forests. It is ornamental in both leaf and flower. The leaves have fine hairs giving the plant a velvety character. It is a perennial sought after by ancient alchemists for the drops of dew that appear in the pleated leaves. Valuable for florists for its multitude of tiny greenish-yellow flowers. Important in flower beds for its ground-covering character. Lasts 10 days in a vase.

Coriander is an annual herb. Indispensable in Asian cuisine, but also consumed in Arab and North African cuisine. It also belongs in Indian recipes and Latin American cuisine. Both leaves and seeds are used. It is an indispensable part of Asian cuisine. In the Middle Ages, it was part of recipes for love elixirs, and in China, it is a plant of immortality.

Anemones come from the same family as buttercups. With their elegant flowers on long slender stems, they can enliven and brighten up late summer and autumn flowerbeds. They stand out against the darker background of shrub groups and will also appreciate their partial shade. The Czech Perennial Association chose autumn anemones as the perennial of the season for 2022. They last 7 days in a vase. Königin Charlotte is a massive taller variety bred as early as 1898. It has strong, firm stems and semi-double large violet-pink flowers. The outer sides of the silky smooth petals are colored violet.