Cotton - Garden Ideas & Outdoor Decor

Light:

Sun

Type:

Annual

Height:

From 1 to 8 feet

Width:

2-4 feet wide

Flower Color:

Pink,
White

Foliage Color:

Purple/Burgundy

Seasonal Features:

Fall Bloom,
Summer Bloom

Special Features:

Good for Containers,
Low Maintenance

how to grow Cotton

Propagation

Seed

Stem Cuttings

plant Cotton with

Dusty miller

Dusty miller is a favorite because it looks good with everything. The silvery-white color is a great foil for any type of garden blossom and the fine-textured foliage creates a beautiful contrast against other plants’ green foliage. Dusty miller has also earned its place in the garden because it’s delightfully easy to grow, withstanding heat and drought like a champion.

Fountaingrass

Like so many grasses, fountaingrass is spectacular when backlit by the rising or setting sun. Named for its especially graceful spray of foliage, fountaingrass also sends out beautiful, fuzzy flower plumes in late summer. The white, pink, or red plumes (depending on variety) continue into fall and bring a loose, informal look to plantings. This plant self-seeds freely, sometimes to the point of becoming invasive.

Spider Flower

It’s amazing that the tall, dramatic spider flower is only an annual. Once temperatures warm up, it zooms to 4 feet or more plants very quickly and produces large balls of flowers with fascinating long seedpods that whirl out from it. Cut it for vases, but be aware that the flowers shatter easily after a few days. It typically self-seeds prolifically, so you only have to plant it once. Because it develops surprisingly large thorns, it’s best to keep spider flower away from walkways.Plant established seedlings in spring after all danger of frost has passed. Cleome does best in moderately rich, well-drained soil. Be careful about fertilizing or you’ll have extremely tall floppy plants. Group in clusters of 6 or more for best effect.

Find more about choosing and growing annuals.

How to Pick Healthy Plants

The Best Annual Flowers of 2014
Trend Spotting with BHG: Flower Combinations
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