(Roman Chamomile)

This classic herb is both easy to grow and pretty in the summer garden. Roman chamomile is a mat-forming perennial that originates from Western Europe. Throughout the growing season it has fine, ferny, sweetly aromatic green leaves and in summer produces small white daisies with yellow centers. These draw bees and butterflies and may be harvested and dried for chamomile tea. Chamomile prefers full sun and average garden soil with good drainage. It's ideal for the herb garden and is also well placed...

(European Fan Palm, Mediterranean Fan Palm)

European fan palm has large, rounded, palmate leaves that are deeply divided and sit atop long, sharply toothed petioles. Foliage is either green or blue-green on top and has silver-green undersides. Its trunk(s) is clothed in a sheath of fibers and old leaf bases. In summer, these palms bear bright yellow flowers that rise from short stalks among the leaves. These are followed by ovoid brown to yellow fruit.

European fan palm requires well drained soils and can tolerate partial shade, but prefers...

(Matted Sandmat, Prostrate Spurge)

Practically every gardener has come across this warm-season, summer weed. Prostrate spurge forms nearly flat, spreading mats of small, deep green or green and burgundy-blotched leaves that can be found in sunny beds and pavement crevices across the whole of the United States, southern Canada and northern Mexico. It is an annual weed that produces loads and loads of seeds, so it's essential to pull plants as soon as they pop up in the garden.

Dense, spreading mats of small, oval leaves supported...

(Geraldton Waxflower)

Needle-thin leaves on tall, thin stems contrast in texture and color with Geraldton waxflower’s lush clusters of light-pink flowers. An open, fine-textured evergreen shrub for warm climates, it is native to the Shark Bay region of extreme western Australia. The leaves are short, thin, and bright-green to dark-green, depending on the season. Crush a leaf and a pleasant scent of lemon escapes. The branches are smooth and grayish-brown, but on older plants become shaggy. Young twigs can be slightly...

(Fireweed)

Commonly known as fireweed in North America, this pretty wildflower bears tall spikes of bright rose flowers in summer and fall. It is native across much of the northerly regions of the northern hemisphere where it thrives in moist ditches, old fields, open woods and along forest and stream edges. It is commonly called "fireweed" because this true pioneer species responds well to fire and is one of the first plants to seed in and thrive after a fire. It spreads by both seed and wide-spreading rhizomes...

(Fireweed, White Fireweed)

White flowers don this vigorous fireweed cultivar from summer to fall. Commonly known as fireweed in North America, this pretty wildflower bears tall spikes of white flowers. Chamerion angustifolium is native across much of the northerly regions of the northern hemisphere where it thrives in moist ditches, old fields, open woods and along forest and stream edges. It is commonly called "fireweed" because this true pioneer species responds well to fire and is one of the first plants to seed...

(Indian Woodoats, Northern Sea Oats)

Northern sea oats is an upright growing ornamental grass native to the eastern United States and northern Mexico. Its gracefully, arching stems bear spikes in the late summer to early autumn that resemble flattened oat seedheads. The bamboo-like leaves turn a golden-tan in the winter and the seedheads remain on throughout most of the winter adding to the garden interest.

Plant northern sea oats in full sun in any fertile soil that is well-drained. It performs better with moist soil, but can...

(Northern Sea Oats)

Northern sea oats is an upright growing ornamental grass native to the eastern United States and northern Mexico. Its gracefully, arching stems bear spikes in the late summer to early autumn that resemble flattened oat seedheads. The bamboo-like leaves turn a golden-tan in the winter and the seedheads remain on throughout most of the winter adding to the garden interest.

Plant northern sea oats in full sun in any fertile soil that is well-drained. It performs better with moist soil, but can...

(Longleaf Woodoats, Southern Woodoats)

Longleaf woodoats is a clumping perennial grass that forms tufted flowers along tall, wiry stems. Native to the southeastern United States, it forms a fountain of upright, medium-green, narrow leaves. In summer, thin, tall stems arise from the clump, with sparse clusters of flower tufts, with tiny white flowers emerging from the green buds.

Longleaf woodoats will perform superbly in a fertile, moist garden soil that isn't overly alkaline in pH. It will grow well in full sun if summers are not...

(Alabama Lipfern, Lipfern)

Here's one of the amazing ferns that manages to grow on rock faces and crevices without lots of water or soil. The Alabama or smooth lipfern naturally inhabits rocky slopes and ledges -- usually limestone -- from the southern Appalachians and the Ozarks into north-central Mexico. They grow at higher elevations, protected from intense summertime heat.

Alabama lipfern produces upright, triangular-shaped fronds of medium to dark green. The tiny leaflets in the frond are flat, smooth and triangular...