Alyssum

Lobularia maritima

Alyssum looks fantastic in borders, as edging or draping gracefully over the rim of a container. It self-seeds in my garden like mad. It's an annual in the colder zones, but in Central Florida it's a perennial.

It makes a fine informal ground cover and grows well in rock gardens and between paving stones. Plant it in bulb beds and it will help obscure the unattractive foliage that remains after bulbs finish blooming.

Alyssum likes its feet wet, but will tolerate dry times and heat. It has a low growing habit and spreads rapidly. While it enjoys full sun, my plants thrive on just a half-day of sun. Alyssum comes in pink, purple or white. I prefer white flowers as they add a cooling touch to the brighter, hotter colors in the garden. The plants have a sweet honeylike scent. They grow without any problems other than our neighborhood peacock who feels this plant is his dessert.

You can shear alyssum back a few inches in midspring, which encourages more compact growth and better bloom later in the season. A light feeding of a general-purpose fertilizer in the spring will take cares of its food requirements. If you fertilize too heavily you'll end up with too much foliage and not enough blossom.

Bloom time in my garden is January through June. During the dog days of summer, it will fade away, but don't yank the sorry-looking remains out of its cozy nest and discard it. Just let it sit and sulk. It will revive when the time is right.