Bill Koch,
president of Hawthorn Gardens, 2448 N. Old McHenry Rd., Hawthorn Woods.

Patty Bailey,
retail greenhouse manager at K and W Greenery, 1328 Hwy. 14, Janesville, Wisconsin.

“I’d have to say Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’. It never stopped blooming last year. It looks like a baby’s breath so it’s not so exciting by itself, but in a combination it’s great. In November, we moved it indoors and it kept blooming. We put it under poinsettias for our holiday display.”

“One of the easiest, most carefree plants is the ivy geranium. With their waxy leaves, they can handle the heat better than many plants and not dry out as quickly. They’re developing new colors—purple, white, burgundy—and they’re really low maintenance.”

Liz Holmberg,
founder of Lizzie’s Garden, 24254 W. 111th St., Naperville.

Jennifer Brennan,
Plant Information Specialist at Chalet Nursery & Garden Shops, 3132 Lake Ave., Wilmette.

“Scaevola is the gardening equivalent to the ‘little black dress’ that looks stylish and elegant every time you wear it. It’s a strong grower that takes our intense summer heat. It doesn’t require cleaning, and it lasts beautifully all summer.  It’s available in pink, white and blue. Note that it can be aggressive; in mixed containers, it probably comes in first place in the race for survival. We like to leave it by itself in a basket for that reason.”

“I always have to have bacopa (Sutera cordata) in my hanging baskets. New colors such as pink and lavender are available, but my all-time favorite is the white one called ‘Snowflake’. It forms great cascades that extend the lines of the presentation, and it flowers in both sun and shade.”