Browallia ‘Blue Bells’

These browallia 'Blue Bells' look nice to me and tolerate shade, too.

* Common name: Bush violet ‘Blue Bells’

* Botanical name: Browallia speciosa ‘Blue Bells’

* What it is: An under-used, under-appreciated annual flower with nickel-sized, five-petal, rich-purple flowers all summer. Flowers have white throat.

* Size: Grows about 2 feet tall. Stays fairly upright in the ground but develops arching habit later in season, especially in pots.

* Where to use: A great choice massed in a pot or a border. Ideal in morning sun, afternoon shade. Good substitute for over-worked, over-used impatiens in a color not found in impatiens.

* Care: Plant in May and fertilize every few weeks with a high-phosphorus flower fertilizer. You may need to start your own from seed since not all garden centers carry this plant. Save seed from a few browned-out seed pods in early fall before frost kills plants.

* Great partner: Looks good with white-flowering hydrangeas or shrubs with white-variegated leaves, such as variegated dogwood, five-leaf aralia or variegated weigela.