The flowers may look dainty, but dont be fooled: Coreopsis is one tough plant. Coreopsis is a highly adaptable group of plants, easy to use in nearly all garden parameters. The tender perennial and annual coreopsis plants are available in an array of colors and patterns. Credit: Marty Ross With bright little blossoms, coreopsis is a great companion plant forornamental grassesand other tough annuals and perennials. Coreopsis typically begins blooming in early summer, and the blossoms can last a while....

Sweet corn(Zea mays)is a fast grower, developing tall stalks with bright green leaves. One corn plant usually produces one or two ears in the home garden. you might choose varieties with yellow, white, bicolored (yellow and white), oreven rainbow kernels. Credit:Bob Stefko Heres everything you better know about how to plant and grow corn in your garden. Keep in mind that the tall stalks cast shade over shorter crops. Avoid windy sites; strong winds can cause the tall stalks to fall over....

These colorful annual wildflowers brighten up sunny spots in early summer. With their brilliant orange-red paper-like blooms, corn poppies add a ton of color to the garden. They are also called field poppies, a reference to this wildflowers tendency to naturalize in open fields. Credit:Andre Baranowski Corn poppies are easy to grow and often self-seed, allowing them to appear year after year. In addition to the classic fire engine-red species, there are also corn poppy varieties in different colors....

This shade-loving perennial will be your new springtime favorite. In most cases, they will return the following spring. It thrives in woodland gardens, along stream banks, and in the understory of trees. Credit: Lynn Karlin In fact, it is commonly found growing wild in wooded areas west of the Cascades. As they germinate, keep the soil consistently moist, but not wet. This will encourage the roots to grow outward in the new planting spot....

This unfussy annual makes a colorful addition to cut flower bouquets. Cosmos is a day-sensitive plant that blooms best in late summer when the days get shorter. If you decide to plant cosmos, you are spoiled for choice. Credit: Peter Krumhardt There are more than 25 species of cosmos and numerous varieties and cultivars. The choices dont end here. Cosmos come with single, semi-double, or double flowers, and in sizes ranging from dwarf to tall....

Many varieties of cotoneaster show off spectacular colors in the fall. Cotoneaster, with its small, deep-green leaves, makes an attractive backdrop for many other plants. The cotoneaster genus comprises more than 70 species, most of them native to China. Credit: Denny Schrock In spring, cotoneaster is covered in small 5-petal blossoms in shades of white and pink. Most varieties bear red berries, although some types bear golden yellow berries. Many varieties of deciduous cotoneaster also exhibitspectacular fall colorsin glowing shades of orange, red, and purple....

Add small stature to the list of attributes and you have a fitting choice for almost any landscape. This hardy deciduous tree typically grows 10 to 20 feet tall and wide. Some of these cultivars mature at less than 10 feet tall. Credit: Mike Jensen Create aliving fenceby planting crabapple trees along with other flowering shrubs and evergreens along a property line. Crabapple trees also make excellent specimen plants. Anchor the corner of a foundation bed with a low-branching, spreading cultivar....

Here’s what you better know to grow cranberry plants in your backyard. Cranberry plants form mats about eight to 18 inches tall with small dark evergreen leaves. Cranberries need pollination to produce decent sized fruit, says Sandler. Credit:Klaus Honal / Getty Images Get them in before the weather gets too warm so that new roots develop before summer. In warmer regions, they can beplanted in the fall. Cranberries do best in full sun....

Cranberry hibiscus is a fast-growing shrubby plant with beautiful burgundy foliage. It is botanically a perennial butgrown as an annualin all but the warmest areas of the United States. The plant quickly reaches its full size in the heat of summer. Credit:Dean Schoeppner Where to Plant Cranberry Hibiscus Cranberry hibiscus thrives in a full-sun spot withrich soiland regular moisture. you could grow this plant in-ground or in large planters. Allow space for your cranberry hibiscus; it will mature into a full-size plant by mid- to late summer....

The midsummer color show is followed by foliage that turns yellow, orange, and red in fall. The sculptural trunks' smooth, pinkish-gray bark peels off in winter for additional intrigue. Crape myrtle grows quickly and enjoys a long life span. Credit: Marty Baldwin Where to Plant Crepe Myrtle Need shade near apetite patio? Or do you garden on a tiny lot? Crape myrtle may be the tree for you. Credit: Marty Baldwin...

Plant creeping shrubby ice plant for a no-fuss mat of evergreen (sometimes shimmering) foliage and fuchsia flowers. Creeping shrubby ice plant is a member of the Aizoaceae family, a huge grouping of mostlylow-lying groundcovers. It is only hardy in zones 6-10. Credit: Helen Norman Plant creeping shrubby ice plants with otherlow-water perennials and xeric plantsfor a garden that shines during extended dry periods. Its creeping, mat-like growth habit also discourages weeds while its fuchsia-pink blooms invite pollinators....

Fragrant and colorful creeping thyme is a low-maintenance groundcover, and its even edible. In addition to tons of ornamental appeal, most creeping thyme varieties are highly fragrant and edible. Creeping thyme is commonly grown as a groundcover and can beplanted on hillsidesto help control erosion. Credit: Matthew Benson Whats more, creeping thyme plants are deer-resistant, but pollinators love them. Creeping Thyme Care Tips Creeping thyme is a low-maintenance plant that doesnt require much fuss....

This heat-loving annual creates a colorful mat of yellow flowers from summer through the first frost. Creeping zinnia hugs the ground and sprawls to create a colorful mat of yellow flowers and tough green foliage. Creeping zinnia begins blooming in early summer and continues flowering with gusto until the first frost. Space plants at least 12 to 14 inches apart. Some trailing varieties spread even more so ensure to give them sufficient room....