Pepper ‘Colossal’

* Common name: Pepper ‘Colossal’

* Botanical name: Capsicum annuum ‘Colossal’

* What it is: A bell pepper that’s one of best yielders you’ll find. Produces perfectly formed, large (6-inch), thick-walled, blocky fruits that ripen red in August. (Seed source: www.parkseed.com)

* Size: About 2 feet tall, space 18 inches apart

* Where to use: Sunny well-drained spots, traditionally in a vegetable garden but who says you can’t spot a few in a mixed garden or along a sunny foundation?

* Care: Water deeply once or twice a week if it doesn’t rain. Loves compost-rich soil and appreciates a booster dose or two of a balanced organic fertilizer in early summer. Same fertilizer as tomatoes.

* Great partner: Interplant with red/gold marigolds or ‘Profusion’ or ‘Zahara’ zinnias.