Linger outdoors a little longer thanks to the mosquito plant! If you love being outdoors in the summer, make sure you pick up a few of these! Nicknamed the mosquito plant, the citronella geranium is a drought-tolerant, vigorous grower, with thick, lacey-green leaves that give off the fresh scent of citrus. Some believe that mosquitoes will avoid the strong citrusy scent at all costs. It is grown more for the foliage and the scent, not the flower, although in spring you will see small, lavender flower bloom.
There’s just something about a crepe myrtle. Vibrant blossoms that radiate elegance on lengthy, artistic limbs that seem to beckon the summer sun. And although we struggle to find a favorite, we’ve compiled a list of our most prized varieties of Hampton Roads’ “favorite tree.”
Staff Pick: Mike Crepe myrtles “The Locals' Favorite” have two standouts “Ebony Flame,” a black leaved variety with brilliant red blossoms and “Ebony Ivory,” also with black leaves and pure white blooms. Both of these will provide the pop of contrasting color one needs to create colorful focal points and screens in the garden.
Even though the gardenia is famed for its intoxicatingly sweet, fragrant flowers, the Chuck Hayes Gardenia is my favorite plant for a variety of reasons. First, it was developed right here in Virginia Beach by Mr. Chuck Hayes, at the Virginia Tech test site. It has superior performance and is more cold hardy and heat tolerant than other varieties.
