Begonia

Begonias are a profusely-flowering, low maintenance option for the garden or containers that require very little care and pack a huge punch. Keep begonias’ soil moist but not soaked, check on your variety’s light preferences (depending on the variety, begonias will produce spectacular blooms in full shade all the way to full sun), and watch out for botrytis blight, a fungal leaf infection that plagues these plants in the garden.

Begonias will bloom from spring to your first frost without any deadheading needed, but you can always pinch off old blooms or do some light pruning of the stems to promote a more incredible show. Some (tuberous) varieties can be dug up in the fall, stored, and replanted the following spring, which makes them a great investment, and all can be potted and brought inside to spend their winters as houseplants if you just can’t live without them between gardening seasons.

Begonias are members of a genus (Begonia!) containing about 1400 different subtropical and tropical perennial flowering plants often grown seasonally in cooler climates. Those include fibrous-rooted begonias like the wax begonias; cane stem types (angelwing begonias), characterized by their tall stems; and hairy begonias, which have felt-like leaves. Rhizomatous begonias include the rex begonias, grown for their brightly coloured and patterned leaves. Rieger begonias, tuberous begonias, and whopper begonias are also popular in nurseries.

• Offer tons of color, height, and green or bronze foliage options
• Low maintenance
• Can tolerate full shade to full sun, depending on the variety
• Do well in containers and planted in the ground

• Needs extra water in extremely hot weather
• Susceptible to botrytis, a fungal leaf disease - pick these leaves off and put in landscape waste collection (do not compost diseased plant material) / solution: water the soil, not the foliage
• Cannot “overwinter” in the Chicago area (will need to be dug up and stored indoors or sacrificed to the snow gods in the fall)
• Will drop their leaves if the soil is too wet or too dry for an extended length of time

Rex Begonias

You’ve probably seen Begonia rex as a houseplant, but did you know they can be stunners in the garden, too? Even though these plants do flower, they’re really prized for their strikingly colored and patterned foliage.

Rex begonias love humid conditions, but don’t like to get their feet wet . . . overwatering this plant will result in a soft, wilted mess. You can also over-fertilize this one, which will result in discolored, burned leaves and a lingering feeling that no good deed goes unpunished. Long story short, give this beauty some space and she’ll give you a season’s worth of fabulous foliage.

• Thrives in partial to full shade
• Gorgeously colored and patterned foliage
• Doesn’t require deadheading for continuous blooms (but honestly, who cares about the blooms with those leaves!)

• Can be a bit of a diva when overwatered
• Will burn if over-fertilized
• Susceptible to botrytis blight, a fungal leaf disease / solution: water the soil, not the foliage

Wax Begonias

Often called “Wax Begonias,” for their shiny, waxy leaves, Begonia semperflorens are a bit “vertically challenged” which makes them a beautiful choice for borders and the outside edge of mixed containers. These plants will tolerate partial shade to full sun, depending on how hot and humid their growing environment is: they’ll grow taller but bloom less in shady areas, and will be shorter but have more blooms in sun, but are prone to burning in full-sun, dry, very hot conditions.

• Will tolerate partial shade to full sun
• Blooms from spring until first frost
• Doesn’t require deadheading for continuous blooms
• Beautiful along borders or in containers

• Prefers consistently moist soil, which could mean daily watering during hot weather...
• ... But will wilt and/or rot if overwatered
• Needs well-draining, loose soil to grow and thrive
• Does best in humid conditions (only a con if you have curly hair and/or an aversion to feeling slightly sticky all the time)
• Susceptible to botrytis blight, a fungal leaf disease / solution: water the soil, not the foliage

Whopper Begonias

Showy and fabulous in gardens and containers, Begonia benariensis grows to a respectable 2 feet tall and likes to be the star of the show. Her shiny, waxy dark green leaves and rose-hued blooms are romantic, sure, but don’t let that fool you - this girl is tough as nails. If your version of "gardening" is to pop something in a pot in April and forget about it until the Fourth of July, Begonia benariensis might be just the boss babe you’ve been searching for.

Her tour du force? She’s happy in both sun and shade, making her a truly versatile star.

• Blooms from spring to first frost
• Doesn’t require deadheading for continuous blooms
• One of very few plants that thrives in both shade and sun

• Um... she’s too tall to wear heels?
• But seriously, there’s very little to not love about this gal except her susceptibility to botrytis blight, a fungal leaf disease (solution: water the soil, not the foliage)

Rieger Begonias

Begonia x hiemalis is kind of the best of two worlds. This plant is a hybrid of a tuberous begonia and a wax begonia, a match made in low-maintenance heaven. These little gems are super easy to grow and have one parents’ lovely, waxy leaves, and the other parent's tubers, making it easy to dig them up, overwinter them in a cool dry place, and pop them back in the ground come spring.

• Thrives in part sun to full sun
• Tubers can be dug up in the fall, overwintered in a cool dry place, and replanted in the spring
• Doesn’t require deadheading for continuous blooms

• Doesn’t like “wet feet,” so be sure the soil dries out between waterings
• Susceptible to botrytis blight, a fungal leaf disease (solution: water the soil, not the foliage)

Tuberous Begonias

Need a pop of color for that shady corner of your garden? Look no further than Begonia x tuberhybrida! Commonly known as “tuberous begonias,” these little lovelies pack a powerful punch and are pretty unfussy, as a general rule. Their Achilles Heel is powdery mildew, so don’t plant too densely to allow for air circulation between each plant, which will help fight off this unsightly affliction.

• Thrives in shade
• Tubers can be dug up in the fall, overwintered in a cool dry place, and replanted in the spring
• Doesn't require deadheading for continuous blooms

• Doesn’t do well in full sun
• Susceptible to powdery mildew and botrytis blight, fungal leaf diseases (solution: give them space and water the soil, not the foliage)

Calibrachoa

Calibrachoa are also called million bells or trailing petunia because of their prolific, bell-shaped flowers and their resemblance to petunias (but typically with smaller flowers). They are a fairly new ornamental, introduced in the 1990s, and rapidly gained popularity with the gardening world. Their trailing habit make them very suitable for hanging baskets and other places you might want Petunias.

Caladiums

Caladiums (Elephant Ear) are in the arum (Araceae) family and native to Central and South America. They are hardy only to USDA zone 9 or 10; therefore, caladiums should be used as annuals in Chicago gardens. These tropical foliage plants are grown for their decorative, multicolored foliage.

Caladium leaves are combinations of red, pink, green, and/or white, with colored midribs and contrasting backgrounds and borders. The varied leaf colors and patterns create many uses for caladiums in the landscape. The leaves do not have stems, but instead originate on long petioles emerging directly from the tuber. They may produce a greenish-white spathe flower. Caladiums are grown for their beautiful foliage; therefore, remove the flower as it takes food away from the leaf production and reduces the tuber size.

Since Caladiums prefer heat and humidity and do not tolerate cold, soggy soils, for most gardeners who live in the north will have best results in containers, as the soil in pots or planters warms up faster and has better drainage so plants will not become soggy. Remember for best growth always keep the temperatures above 65 F.

New Guinea Impatiens

Commonly known as “New Guinea Impatiens,” Impatiens hawkeri are quite similar to Common Impatiens, with a plot twist: they can be grown in full sun. Their blooms are also slightly larger than their cousins’, which makes for some awkward Impatiens Family dinner conversation.

• Can be grown in sun or shade
• Season-long blooms
• Well-behaved, mounding growth
• Wide range of colors available

• Many varieties are susceptible to powdery mildew, a fungal leaf disease
• Not cold-hardy

Common Impatiens

Often simply called Common Impatiens, or, our favorite, "Busy Lizzy," (how cute is that!) Impatiens walleriana is one of the most grown annuals in the world. This "mounding" (read: well-behaved, full and lush) annual thrives in hanging baskets, pots, or in the ground along walkways and borders. Its true allure lies in its light requirements: this plant is one of very few shade-tolerators who offers up dense, spectacular, vibrant, long-lasting carpets of blooms from spring to early fall.

Because of that, it's a popular annual bedding plant with a wide variety of colors and does best in part shade to full shade. This plant tolerates full sun, but is a water guzzler and tends to look wilted when heat loads are high and water is less plentiful. Over watering, however, can cause rot. Flowers may be bicolored or double. This plant has low drought tolerance and is hardy in zones 10-11. This plant performs best when soil is moist, well-drained, and supplemented with organic material.

• Thrive in shade
• Season-long blooms
• Well-behaved, mounding growth
• Wide range of colors available

• Do not do well in full sun
• Many varieties are susceptible to powdery mildew, a fungal leaf disease
• Not cold-hardy

Petunias

Would spring even happen without a gorgeous hanging basket of petunias on every front porch?

These planter favorites are easy to care for and give much more than they take. Petunias love the sun but can tolerate partial shade. They grow best in well-drained soil (planting with a handful or two of peat moss can help with this) but should be kept moist when potted, so plan on watering these beauties every few days or daily during hot weather if you have them in a planter. Petunias are HUNGRY and should be fertilized often to promote the most blooms!

• Tons of colors and varieties available
• Bloom from spring until the first frost
• Showy and colorful in planters or the garden
• Adapt easily to most soil conditions
• Prefer full sun, but can tolerate partial shade (6 or more hours of sun a day)

• Dead blooms need to be pinched off to keep the plant looking its best
• Require selective pruning to retain lushness
• Need daily watering during hot weather
• Prone to root and stem rot if planted in poorly-draining soil
• Need to be fed (fertilized) often / solution: every other week with fertilizer dissolved in water or once a month with a slow release granular fertilizer in the soil

Hydrangea anomala (Climbing Hydrangeas)

White, lacy, hand-sized blooms adorn this thick and lush climbing vine. The old adage "first they sleep, then they creep, then they leap" definitely applies here; it takes several years for a climbing hydrangea to get established, but once that’s taken care of, Hydrangea anomala will grow quickly and can reach up to 50 (yes, you read that right!) feet tall.

Climbing hydrangeas cling to their building of choice quite vigorously with small rootlets and like sun, but are content with a fair amount of shade.

Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth Hydrangeas)

"Smooth" or "wild" hydrangeas tend to grow to 4-5 feet high and sport gorgeous profusions of large pompom or lacy blooms, making them a wildly popular choice for privacy plantings, borders, or focal points in the garden. These shrubs grow extremely quickly and can actually be cut back almost all the way to the ground each winter, but don’t require shaping or deadheading during the growing season.

Interestingly, these hydrangeas do not react to the pH in the soil by changing the color of their blooms like many other hydrangea varieties. Smooth hydrangeas always have greenish-white or bright white blooms that fade to a sepia-toned brown by fall and make gorgeous cut fresh or dried flowers.

Common cultivars include 'Incrediball,' 'Annabelle,' 'Invincibelle Wee White,' and 'Invincibelle Limetta.'

Hydrangea macrophylla (Bigleaf Hydrangeas)

Bigleaf Hydrangeas tend to grow in a rounded manner, and can grow from 3-6 feet tall, with large leaves that are serrated and sort of oval. People love these because of their summer blooms, which last a long time, and can be either “lacecap” – with flattened flower clusters, or “mophead,” with globe shaped flower heads. If you plant this hydrangea in alkaline soil, you’ll get a plant with pink flowers. If you plant it in acid soil (or add acidifier to the soil, which is easy to do – just add a few cups to the soil periodically), you’ll get blue flowers. Tip: If the flower color of newly opened flowers is either blue, purple or pink then you have a Macrophylla type. If the flower buds open a green color, then turn white, and as they age turn green or greenish brown, you have an Arborescens type.

Common cultivars include 'Endless Summer', 'Endless Summer Crush,' and 'Blushing Bride.'

Hydrangea paniculata (Panicled Hydrangeas)

Panicled Hydrangeas tend to be larger than bigleaf or smooth hydrangea and some can grow to 15 feet tall if you don’t prune them, though there are varieties for every size, including awesome dwarfs like 'Bobo,' and 'Little Lime.' Unlike the flowers of big leaf hydrangea (above), these blooms are not round ball-shaped – but instead, are more cone shaped. The flowers have a distinctive, very different look than the round ones.

Examples of paniculata hydrangeas include 'Lime Light,' 'Quick Fire,' and 'Vanilla Strawberry.'

Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangeas)