Focus on Flowers

There are over 200 species of hibiscus, and they are beloved because of their big showy flowers and green, clean-looking foliage. They fall into three different major categories: tropical, perennial and hardy. 
The tropical hibiscus is native to Hawaii and comes in beautiful colors, and we often see them in photos tucked behind the ear of a beautiful model. 
The perennial varieties go dormant in winter and come back the following spring, but they often do not survive cold snaps.
Hardy hibiscus come just in three colors—white, pink and maroon—and can be grown from seeds. Their blooms are large and showy and grow on small shrubs about 3-4 feet tall. A popular one in Midwest gardens is 'Blue Bird' and it is as lovely as its name. 
Rose of Sharon shrubs that grow up to 15 feet tall are old-fashioned members of the Hibiscus family, too, and they reliably bloom in late summer/early fall, year after year, in purple, white, and violet shades. 
While the older varieties self-seed everywhere, modern ones do not. So, try 'Cherry Cheesecake' with pink flowers with maroon centers, which grows 4-5 feet in full sun and also part shade. But before you buy any hibiscus, check to be sure it is hardy in your zone.

Stylophorum diphyllum is our native celandine poppy that grows well in dappled shade in woodland conditions. 
It has cheerful yellow flowers and hairy seed pods. There are also two other woodland poppies that are native to China. All three species prefer moist soil and self-sow. They bloom in spring and intermittently into summer. 
Wordsworth even wrote a poem about this unassuming charmer:
"Long as there’s a sun that sets,
Primroses will have their glory;
Long as there are violets,
They will have a place in story:
There’s a flower that shall be mine
‘Tis the little celandine.
 
Comfort have thou of thy merit,
Kindly, unassuming spirit!
Careless of thy neighborhood,
Thou dost show thy pleasant face
On the moor, and in the wood,
And in the lane; there’s not a place
However mean it be,
But ‘tis good enough for thee."
 Wordsworth obviously was as impressed with this versatile plant as we still are today. 
 It is wonderful in shade gardens with companions such as forget-me-not, pulmonaria, ferns, bleeding heart, Virginia bluebells and other wild flowers.

If you welcome birds into your garden you probably know that during the summer, water sources are very important to them. Place your birdbaths in the shade and clean them regularly to keep the water fresh. Have a few birdbaths in different parts of your yard, maybe one where you can see it through a window. 
Some types of birds prefer ground level water sources also, so even a plant pot saucer can serve during hot days. You don't need feeders during the summer, but water is crucial in times of drought. 
Also, some debris in a yard gives birds places to search for insects and grubs. Grow shrubs that produce seeds and fruit that will appeal to your feathered friends and plant a variety of natives that the birds enjoy during different times. For example, native viburnums such as those that attract birds as well as pollinators. They are host plants for the larvae of spring azure butterflies and hummingbird clearwing moths. 
The Serviceberry arborea has flowers to attract insects and small fruits late spring early summer that are eagerly consumed by cedar waxwings, bluebirds, and catbirds. They also have fall color, attract butterflies, and are deer resistant.

Canna comes from the Greek word spelled "kanna," which means "reed," though the canna plant does not have narrow reed-like leaves. 
There are about 10 species in the genus, which has showy flowering plants that grow from tender rhizomes that can only be left in the ground over winter in zones 7-10. In other zones they must be dug and stored over the winter. 
Canna plants enjoy moist but well-drained soils in full sun. Plant the rhizomes 4-6 inches deep and space them 18-24 inches apart for best results. They can also be grown in large pots and stored in the pots in areas where the winter temperatures remain above 40F degrees. 
If dug for storage, do this after the first frost and store the rhizomes in vermiculite. The rhizomes can then be divided and replanted in the spring. If they shrivel during winter storage, spray lightly with water occasionally. 
Plants can be grouped and used to provide height and dramatic effect, in beds and borders, or used to conceal a fence or shed. When bloom is finished, cut the flower stalk right down. If you grow and enjoy these bold, showy plants, you will soon have a lot, as the rhizomes increase quickly. The original bright reds, yellows, and oranges, as well as the newer shades, pack quite a punch in the garden in high summer.

The common evening primrose is native to Virginia and was sent to England in the early 1600s, feeling quite at home there and has naturalized in several parts of Britain. 
The Missouri primrose was identified first in 1811. 
The evening primrose has both roots and leaves that are edible. The roots are sometimes eaten in France and some herbalists believed that the plant can be used medicinally for asthma and whooping cough. 
The botanical name for evening primrose, Oenothera, is from the Greek, which is interesting since all members of this plant family are natives of the New World. 
Oenothera fruticosa is hardy zones 3-8 and blooms in late spring, and its common name is sundrops. The nectar attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, and it grows 12-24 inches high. 
The pink evening primrose is Oenothera speciosa, and the flowers open in the evening and close in the morning. The white form is called 'Alba'. 
The Missouri evening primrose 'Missouriensis' has lemon yellow flowers on low red stems. It blooms from May through August and enjoys a dry soil. 
Divide these plants in spring or fall. Sometimes these primroses are aggressive growers, especially the pink ones, but they also often die out after a while. They are popular pass-a-long plants and easy to grow and are fun.