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Venus Flytraps, Carnivorous Plants and More at Meanplants.com	Annuals Purple Fountain Grass Grass "The Purple Fountain Grass, `Pennisetum setaceum,' is a fairly fast growing clump grass. Its purple foliage and foxtail-like flowers make it a very striking ornamental. An annual in northern climates, this grass makes a great specimen plant and can even be the centerpiece of any container. Purple Fountain Grass should be planted in fertile, well drained soil under full sunlight once all danger of frost has passed. This beautiful ornamental grass grows very vigorously and will quickly fill in any bed or container. The foxtail plumes appear during the summer months and will last until the first frost." $9.95 Buy now!	The Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt', 'Paeonia', a fall planted bulb. The Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt is one of the most popular Double Peonies. This gorgeous variety produces large, soft pink flowers, of perfect form with a delightful fragrance. They produce superb, long lasting cut flowers. During late spring-early summer, they fill the garden with fragrance. Peonies usually take a few years to establish and bloom heavily. Staking is recommended. Peonies attract butterflies and are great cut flowers and borders. The Spanish Bluebells  Hyacinthoides hispanica ', is a fall planted bulb. These Spanish Bluebells produce elegant flowers with a heavenly, sweet perfume. This is one of the tallest-growing Scilla species. Hanging from the sturdy, round flower stalks are lots and lots of broad, bell-shaped flowers. Bluebells bloom for a 3 week period in late spring/early summer. Spanish Bluebells are great for mass planting, containers, rock gardens, and borders. The Hibiscus 'Plum Crazy', is one of the Fleming's most colorful varieties of Hibiscus. The plum shaded flowers have a 10" bloom with a plant height of 4'. The dark purple, maple-cut leaves make a great contrast. Named by Dave Fleming himself, 'Plum Crazy' took over 20 years to develop and refine the species and one can see why. It is best to plant this Hibiscus in a full sun area and it will tolerate most soil types. 'Plum Crazy' looks wonderful with grasses, as a background plant or with Hibiscus 'Fantasia' and Hibiscus 'Old Yella'.

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Choosing the Best Plants for Your Garden

Have you always wanted to learn more about this topic?  Then I'm sure you've come to the right place. This short article will be useful to you as it explains some basic principles in a simple, easy, engaging fashion.  Hope you like it.

Many times we buy plants on impulse then find there is nowhere in the garden that really suits them. Before buying plants carefully examine your garden to see how much sun and shade it gets, whether the soil is well drained or waterlogged and whether your aspect is sheltered or windswept. You'll then be equipped to go and buy the best plants for your situation; shade-loving plants for the sheltered areas, sun-lovers for the warm spots, drought-resistant plants for the parched areas which may be either sunny or shaded, and swamp plants for the poorly-drained parts.

But wait! Test your soil first, to determine the pH level of your soil and what kind of nutrients you need to add, if any. Is the soil acid or alkaline? Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are some that must have alkaline soil to grow.  You can alter the soil\'s pH level, but it\'s much easier to simply plant for the soil you have.

Yes, surprising as it may seem, it really is this simple to find the most valuable information you've been looking for on the topic.  And there's more to come.  Read on.

Now you are ready to plant. Well - almost. Will you plant in groups or singly? If you buy 'one of everything'  your garden may seem rather spotty. Group plantings are organised, harmonious and you can vary the color for interest.

Before planting out, place your chosen plants around the garden bed in their pots to see how they will look. Re-arrange them until you are satisfied. Grouping plants in sets of threes or fives usually looks better than planting in groups of even numbers. Be sure that you have an interesting combination of colors and textures of plants. Tall plants should go to the back, or the centre if your garden will be viewed equally from all sides. Try to keep your plants away from trees. The roots of trees are fiercely competitive and will steal all the nutrients and moisture meant for your flowers.

The right color scheme is one way to maintain the harmony in your garden. Imagine the color of the flowers when they are in bloom. Some colors may clash with others, but can still be planted side-by-side if they have a different blooming season. Foliage color is also important. Many flower plants have silver, grey or purplish foliage that is just as attractive as the flower. This means that they are still attractive well past the blooming season and so have added value.

Writing this article was hard - but fascinating - work.  We spent hours researching this material and crafting it painstakingly into an article that will provide you with useful, valuable, practical information. And the end result was worth all the hard work!  Don't you agree?