Spider Flower Sparkler Collection

Now you can enjoy the airy blooms and bushy habit of Cleome like you've always wanted -- up close, instead of shoved in the back of the border! This dwarf hybrid Spider Flower gives you armloads of blooms over a very long season on plants that don't exceed 4 feet tall! The butterflies and hummingbirds will be delighted, and so will you. And with this economical collection, you receive 1 pkt of each of the 4 separate colors (25 seeds per pkt)!

Sparkler offers big, 4- to 6-inch spidery blooms of white, lavender, rosy-red, and AAS-award-winning blush (pink with white brushstrokes). They hold well on the plant and are wonderfully long-lasting as cutflowers. The dark green foliage is narrow and stylish, too, making an attractive back drop for the big, fluffy blooms.

This plant begins flowering in early summer (as soon as the hot weather arrives) and doesn't quit until the temperature drops in fall. A sun-lover, it is at home in the baking-hot border, bed, or patio, and once established is quite tolerant of dry conditions. (Water it well during growth, though, to get it off to a good start.) It rapidly reaches 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall and about 1 1/2 feet wide, with a bushy fullness that adds weight to its presence as an accent, low hegde, poolside planting, or mid-border standout.

If you like all the Sparkler colors and aren't choosy about which shade goes where, try the money-saving mix. You'll get all 4 colors for the price of a single packet!

Cleome is a good companion to spreading Petunias in the sun-soaked bed or border. Try it behind crisp white Avalanche or unusual silvery Tidal Wave.

Tolerant of extreme heat, it is very uniformly sized and floriferous. In other words, a rare find! Start indoors in late winter or directly in the garden when the soil is warm enough to be workable.