Sparkler Blush Spider Flower Seeds

All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2002

Now you can enjoy the airy blooms and bushy habit of cleome like you've always wanted—up close, instead of shoved in the back of the border. This dwarf hybrid spider flower gives you armloads of blooms over a very long season on plants that don't exceed 4 feet tall. The butterflies and hummingbirds will be delighted, and so will you.

Sparkler Blush offers big, 4- to 6-inch spidery blooms of light pink brushed with white. They hold well on the plant and are wonderfully long-lasting as cut flowers. The dark green foliage is narrow and stylish, too, making an attractive back drop for the big, fluffy blooms.

This plant begins flowering in early summer (as soon as the hot weather arrives) and doesn't quit until the temperature drops in fall. A sun lover, it is at home in the baking-hot border, bed, or patio, and once established is quite tolerant of dry conditions. (Water it well during growth, though, to get it off to a good start.) It rapidly reaches 3½ to 4 feet tall and about 1 foot wide, with a bushy fullness that adds weight to its presence as an accent, low hedge, poolside planting, or mid-border standout.

So revolutionary is Sparkler's dwarf habit that it received an AAS Award. And if you want other colors to offset this gentle blush-pink, try Sparkler White, Lavender, or Rose. There is even a mix of all 4, plus an economical collection that gives you a packet of each separate color, for patterning in the garden.

Cleome is a good companion to spreading petunias in the sun-soaked bed or border. The unusual silvery Tidal Wave would make an excellent companion. Or, for low-growing coverage, try a spread of portulaca pastels. Stunning.

Tolerant of extreme heat, it is very uniformly sized and floriferous. In other words, a rare find. Start indoors in late winter or directly in the garden when the soil is warm enough to be workable.