(Ornamental Gourd, Small Formula Mix Gourd)

Seed mixtures sold under this name yield a crop of small decorative "gourds" in a wide variety of shapes and colors. Numerous cultivars from several species of Cucurbita (including C. pepo) are typically included.

Most "gourd" seed mixtures contain cultivars of Cucurbita pepo, C. moschata, C. maxima, Lagenaria siceraria, and other members of the squash family (the Cucurbitaceae). These warm-season, trailing or...

(Cumin)

Mexican and Indian foods are renowned for their flavors of cumin, but surprisingly this annual herb originates from North Africa along the Mediterranean, most specifically Egypt. It is a fast-growing but short-lived plant that completes its life cycle in only three or four months. Cumin may be grown during the frost-free times of year when temperatures are comfortably cool, such as spring or fall. The cumin spice is the dried fruit and the seeds, which are typically ground.

An upright plant...

(Arizona Cypress)

Named for the silvery blue color of its foliage, Blue Ice Arizona cypress is a slow-growing, conical evergreen conifer native to the southwestern United States but adaptable to slightly damper climates. The tiny, scale-like, clasping leaves are densely arranged on finely divided branchlets, giving the tree a feathery texture. Small reddish brown cones and smooth mahogany bark add to the year-round display. Cultivar 'Blue Ice' was a chance seedling discovered in a garden in New Zealand in 1960. It...

(Eastern Cyclamen, Perennial Cyclamen)

The charming flowers and elegant foliage of this hardy cyclamen are highlights of the winter garden. A low, clump-forming, tuberous perennial, it is native from eastern Bulgaria to western Azerbaijan, with disjunct subspecies in Northwest Iran and the Levant.

Relatively small, fuzzy tubers shaped like cheese wheels give rise in autumn to deep green, kidney-shaped to heart-shaped leaves with scalloped or toothed margins. The leaves of some plants have striking silver or pewter markings. The...

(Perennial Cyclamen, Something Magic Cyclamen)

Truly magical is this selection from Terra Nova Nurseries. Cyclamen ‘Something Magic’ offers a compact plant with stunning foliage and large bright rose-pink blooms. One of the first plants propagated from tissue culture so the individual plants are uniform in size, color and growth requirements.

This is one of the hardiest cyclamen for garden use. Native to the mountains of Bulgaria, Turkey and Lebanon, C. coum is a tuberous perennial. Like many garden cyclamen,...

(Ivy-leaved Cyclamen)

This hardy, durable, low-growing perennial offers charming flowers in late summer and handsome foliage through the chilly months. Native to southern Europe and westernmost Turkey, it has escaped gardens and established naturalized populations over much of the rest of Europe.

The gray- to dark-green, heart-shaped to lance-shaped leaves of Cyclamen hederifolium arise from underground tubers in late summer or early fall. The leaves are often strikingly marbled or veined with contrasting...

(Quince)

(Quince)

Long cultivated for its fragrant, tasty fruit, this small, slow-growing deciduous tree from western and central Asia is also notable for its lovely spring flowers and its picturesque multi-trunked habit.

The simple oblong-oval leaves flush light green in spring, soon followed by large, five-petaled, white or pale pink blossoms that are visited by bees. The leaves mature to dull medium green with fuzzy, paler undersides. The pear-shaped to apple-shaped, fuzzy-skinned fruits ripen by early autumn,...

(Quince)

A small, slow-growing deciduous tree from western and central Asia, quince has long been cultivated for its tasty fruits, its lovely spring flowers, and its picturesque multi-trunked habit. The cultivar 'Smyrna' bears large, white-fleshed, pear-shaped fruits.

The simple oblong-oval leaves flush light green in spring, soon followed by large, five-petaled, white or pale pink blossoms that are visited by bees. The leaves mature to dull medium green with fuzzy, paler undersides. The fuzzy-skinned...

(Chinese Forget-Me-Not, Summer Forget-Me-Not)

Prized for its summer-long display of azure flowers, this short-lived tender perennial from East Asia is typically grown as an annual or biennial.

Dense clumps of felted, gray-green, lance-shaped to oval leaves give rise to one-sided sprays of small, five-lobed, sky-blue flowers on calf- to knee-high stems. Flowering begins in early spring or 2 months after sowing, continuing as long as temperatures remain mild. Small, bristly, bur-like fruits follow the flowers. Self-sowing often occurs, sometimes...