Blog

Welcome back to the Alice & J. Liddon Pennock Flower Walk! If you haven’t already, be sure to read part one of this blog post, where I write about how this garden has changed during my tenure and afforded me the most growth as a designer. For part two, I will highlight a few of the plants that have caught guests’ attention the most this season. 

My designs often start with a color palette, and this summer was no different when I chose to go with my favorite color: pink. The Cuphea, Gomphrena, and Celosia were chosen to help establish that palette and intended varying heights of the design while the Thunbergia and Aechmea offer a countering pop of height and color. Almost every plant in the central beds is a full-sun annual and the garden is irrigated regularly to keep everything looking lush.  

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Cuphea procumbens Totally Tempted® Frosted Violets™ 

This is by far the most-asked-about plant in the Pennock Flower Walk, and you can see why. Lesser known than some other bedding annuals, these flowers have been putting on a show since day one. Cupheas have varied flower shapes, so you may be familiar with the tubular ‘cigar plant,’ but this one has a large open flower face with ruffled petals. Frosted Violets™ has a white and purple petal color (you can find the Watermelon Wine™ version in Exuberant Blooms). They can start to flop a little mid-season, but nothing a quick chop back can’t fix!   

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Aechmea blanchetiana 'Hawaii' 

No matter where I use this plant, it’s a winner, which is why I continue to make space for it in our greenhouse over the winter. A type of bromeliad, its orange foliage seems to only get bolder in the full sun. I especially loved the moment this season when the orange lilies were blooming around the outside of the garden to carry through that pop of color. Keep your eyes peeled for where you might find Aechmea blanchetiana 'Hawaii' next season! 

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Thunbergia alata Sunny ™ Rose Sensation 

Many people are more familiar with the yellowish-gold flowered version of this vine but this wonderful pink cultivar is a favorite of our horticulture department (you can also find this one in Exuberant Blooms climbing up the exquisite deadwood pieces). I love how the pink has some variation in it, giving the plant and overall display more depth and interest.  Make sure to give this vine a nice tall support, or it will start to scramble over neighboring plants instead.  

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Celosia spicata ‘Flamingo Purple’ 

You can’t walk into Pennock Flower Walk without these tall celosias making their presence known. Originally intended to be an accent with their vertical blooms poking through the other tall purple plants, these really took off and filled up the bed! I love how the foliage bridges the gap between the green-foliaged canna and the purple-foliaged coleus and Strobilanthes (Persian shield).  

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Gomphrena globosa ‘Ping Pong Purple’ 

A special mention for the bold pink gomphrena, also known as globe amaranth, which you may have also seen in the Rose Garden. This all-summer performer has bright pink blooms on a tidy upright structure, making it a great cut-flower that you can continue to harvest all season long to use in fresh or dried arrangements. 

These showstoppers will be in the Pennock Flower Walk until late September, when we start to switch the design over to this year’s pansy display. Until then, come by and see which is your favorite!