Busy Lizzie had been unavailable for years because of a downy mildew epidemic. It has only recently been regaining availability and popularity. During its absence, New Guinea impatiens, Impatiens hawkeri, became more popular. Although a closely related species of the same genus, the two are actually very different. Resistance to mildew is important.

Besides that, New Guinea impatien is about as foliar as it is floral. Its bolder and slightly bigger flowers are notably less abundant than those of busy LIzzie. Also, its floral color range is limited to white, pink, red, lavender, magenta or orange. Its rich green or bronze foliage below compensates though. Many cultivars are variegated with yellow or salmon.

New Guinea impatiens are unfortunately a bit more expensive than most other annuals. The smallest that are available are in four-inch pots. They are unavailable in smaller and less expensive cell packs. They can grow about a foot wide and slightly taller if crowded. During winter, they deteriorate; but they can be tender perennials with shelter from frost.

Simplicity is a recurring theme among wax begonia, Begonia X semperflorens–cultorum. Floral color is white, pink or red. Foliar color is green, bronze or dark bronze. Each floral color combines with each foliar color. Variation within this simple color range is minimal. So is variation of foliar or floral form. Cultivars with slightly fluffier double bloom are rare.

Perfection eliminated the potential for improvement. Regardless of such simple variation, wax begonia is among the most popular annuals. Technically, it is perennial. Technically, it prefers warm weather. It remains available as cool season color after summer because it blooms until frost. Later, it can recover from minor frost. Without frost, it blooms all year.

Mature wax begonia rarely grows higher or wider than a foot, with densely rounded form. Flowers are small but abundant. Both leaves and stems are succulent and tender, with a waxy sheen. Propagation is remarkably easy by cuttings or division. Consistent watering is very important. Partial shade is tolerable, but if too shady, can inhibit bloom somewhat.

My neighbor describes sweet alyssum, Lobularia maritima, as a ‘polite’ weed. It naturalized over an area of her vegetable garden that was not in use at the time, but was easy to get rid of when the space was needed for something else. A few plants that were left in the perimeter bloom almost continuously and fill in other unused space between herbs and perennials without interfering with them.

As a bedding planting, sweet alyssum is most often planted from cell packs like most other annuals. Yet, seed is so easy to sow in bare spots among mixed annuals or perennials. Naturalized sweet alysssum sows seed so abundantly that new plants replace old plants before the old plants deteriorate.

Bloom is most often white, but can be shades of pink or purple. However, naturalized sweet alyssum eventually reverts to classic white. The minute, sweetly fragrant flowers form small, round clusters over the delicate mounds of finely textured and sometimes sparse foliage. The tiny leaves are only about an inch long and quite narrow. The largest naturalized plants are not often more than a foot tall.