Easy Annuals

Ten years back coleus were gaudy relics from Grandmother's generation, but now coleus are back and teetering on the cutting edge. 'Wizard Sunset' is one of the softer colours from the Wizard series, with heart-shaped leaves in beautiful shades of bronze - apricot. Excellent in full sun.

The 'Wizard' Series is best seed raised strain for bedding and containers. The heart-shaped leaves show their colour early and keeps its hues right through the worst summer heat and humidity. Vivid shades of gold, jade, pineapple, rose, scarlet and sunset. The brilliant apricot-bronze Sunset and deep Velvet Red, each is a distinctive work of art.

Coleus have been perfected, the new varieties have colours that intensify in sun, but can also thrive in shade. “Coral Sunrise” is an excellent example of the new developments, The beautiful coral pink heart-shaped leaves have neatly serrated edges, with shades of olive and intense bright green margins.

Coleus 'Coral Candy' features a new plant form - narrow, serrated leaves that gracefully drape down the mounded plants. The first seed raised coleus to ever win the coveted AAS Winner designation. The Judges noted that this beautiful variety holds its colour well, even when grown in full sun and holds up nicely in the autumn.

The neatest Coleus to come along in quite a while, 'Chocolate Mint' offers rich cocoa coloured foliage with a mint-green scalloped edge. A 'Premium Sun' variety, they perform at their best in a position of full sun and are quite heat and drought tolerant outdoors. The leaves are very uniform, turn them over and they gleam bright mint. Scrumptious!

‘Chocolate Covered Cherry’ is one of the prettiest introductions of the series. Velvety leaves painted in a rich cocoa-brown, flushed with glowing cherry red, and trimmed with a bright green margin that sets the whole plant alight. A 'Premium Sun' variety that performs best in a position of full sun, remarkably heat and drought tolerant once established.

This wonderful Victorian type coleus ‘Black Dragon’ forms a riot of rumpled leaves in velvety purplish black leaves, each bordered by frilly edges. The ruby red centres are sometimes flecked with violet or pink. Easy to grow from seed, they will show their first colours in as little as two weeks.

Featuring huge leaves that are coral in the centre and edged in bright green, Coleus 'Kong Salmon-Pink' is a 'Premium Shade' variety, that are great for large containers and mass plantings, performing best and showing the most intense colour in full shade, they also work well for indoor plant programs. It's hard to go wrong with this plant.

Over the past few years, the new breeding of Coleus has exploded them into hundreds of wild and crazy types of colours and forms. Overwhelmingly the favourite is the Kong series for its sheer presence, each leaf is easily as big as your palm, and probably twice as large as the next biggest Coleus you can buy.

This beautiful highly versatile, aristocratic border plant has become very much in vogue in recent years. Oval, fleshy blue-green leaves spiral up the stem with tightly packed, sea blue bracts - and then the finale - small clusters of rich purple-blue tubular, nodding flowers which are adored by bees.

Centranthus 'Snow Cloud’ produces airy clusters of white flowers that appear from July to October on tall, fleshy stems with glaucous leaves. Very long flowering, sweetly-perfumed and easy-to-grow from seed, given an early sowing Centranthus will flower from July right through to October.

'Classic Romantic' is a delightful mixture of charming pink and pretty rosy-red shades. The flowers are often in two shades of pink, or have a dark center and lighter petals. Many flowers are rosy-red and have white tips. By sowing this variety you will add some romance to the border, and to summer bouquets.

The 'Classic' series of Cornflowers offers flower lovers three fabulous shade-mixtures. A harmonious mixture of exceptional shades, 'Classic Magic' produces blooms from light mauve with a dark centre to flowers that are close to black with white tip on each petal. For magical borders and bouquets.

Cornflowers are the most splendid of annuals. Centaurea cyanus 'Classic Fantastic' blooms in a mixture of captivating blue shades, ranging from light heavenly blue to dark blue. The flowers are often in two shades of blue or have a dark center and lighter petals. They are breathtaking when they're grown in dense drifts.

Gardeners and florists alike value Celosia spicata for its long-lasting blooms. 'Xantippe' has spikes that start pale pink and gradually mature to silver. A favourite for use in arrangements where its unusual structure adds height and an airy, wispy aesthetic. Its flowers can also be dried.

Celosia cristata ‘Tall Varieties Mix’ offers a stunning blend of warm shades, from sunny yellow and soft salmon to vibrant orange, pink, and red. The bold, crested flowerheads are velvety to the touch, long-lasting, and retain their colour well. Ideal for both fresh and dried arrangements.

'Touch of Red Mix' is an exceptional, unusual and dramatic mix of colours. Containing the three colours in the 'Touch of Red' series, Buff, Orange and Yellow, each with deep bronze and red edges and backs of each petal. A very pleasing effect that will brighten up the garden or any floral arrangement.

Calendula 'Touch of Red Buff' is a very interesting and unusual colour, a very contemporary beige-pink with darker petal tips giving a beautiful antique and vintage effect. For cut flowers, harvest when blooms are partially open and clip spent flowers to achieve a longer blooming season.

'Sunset Buff' is a lovely, more subtle coloured calendula. It is the soft apricot-buff version of 'Indian Prince' with the same crimson petal backs. They grow to a height of around 60cm and a spread of 45cm, are an excellent variety for borders and make a stunning cut flower.

Don’t be misled by the name - Calendula officinalis 'Orange Flash' produces stunning peachy apricot-copper coloured blooms with darker shades of ombré-rose on the reverse. They grow to a height of around 60cm and a spread of 45cm, are an excellent variety for borders and make a stunning cut flower.

A delightful compact mix of single and semi-double forms, the daisy-like open petals of 'Oopsy Daisy' are bright in the centre with dark tips. Easy to grow they thrive in the cooler weather of spring and autumn. This is an excellent variety for borders and containers and will add cheer to any location.