Smooth Oxeye’s daisy-like, yellow-orange flowers with darker centers bloom from midsummer to fall. The bright, showy flowers are excellent fresh-cut. Deadheading the spent flowers will prolong blooming. Smooth Oxeye grows naturally along stream banks and woodland edges. Use it in beds, borders, and wildflower gardens.
Gazania is an annual with trailing stems and daisy-like flowers, which bloom from summer into fall. Its bright yellow-orange flowers close at night and may not fully open on cloudy days. It tolerates hot, dry conditions and prefers sandy soil. Remove the spent flowers to encourage more blooming. Excellent in hanging baskets as well as in beds and borders.
Eastern Teaberry is a woody, evergreen groundcover. Its small, white, bell-shaped flowers bloom June-July, followed by small, red, edible berries that have a refreshing wintergreen flavor. Birds feed on the berries, which persist through the winter. The waxy, dark green leaves also smell like wintergreen when crushed. The leaves, which turn reddish in cold weather, are also a winter food source for wildlife. Both the leaves and berries can be used to make an herbal tea. Use Eastern Teaberry as groundcover or in woodland gardens, shade gardens, or naturalized areas.
Blue Fescue is a semi-evergreen ornamental grass with attractive blue-green foliage. It grows in a small, neat, cushion-like clump and does not spread by runners. Divide the plants in early spring every couple of years. Blue Fescue prefers dry, sandy soils and is tolerant of salt spray, making it a good choice for seaside gardens. Use it as an edging plant or in borders. Space plants close together to form a beautiful groundcover.
Eastern Showy Aster has bright purple flowers with yellow centers, which bloom August-October. It grows well in dry, sandy soils and is tolerant of salt spray. It spreads by rhizomes (underground stems) to form loose colonies. Use in sunny borders, wildflower gardens, and seashore gardens. Good addition to cut-flower bouquets.