“Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and a new life.” Janine di Giovanni. “God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’” Billy Graham. “The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ came to do three things. He came to have my past forgiven, you get a purpose for living and a home in Heaven.” Rick Warren.

Spring weather and storms have led us into Easter Sunday. We will soon be bidding farewell to the 60’s and 70’s and welcoming the 80’s and 90’s. Enjoy this awesome spring weather while you can because the heat of summer is on its way.

Everyone seeks to have a beautiful and attractive landscape with curb appeal that is functional, inviting and appealing. These spaces provide an area for you to enjoy with family and friends while sharing life in  an outdoor environment filled with fresh air and fragrant plants during the different seasons of the year.

Bedding plants add color and curb appeal to the landscape. Plants that are tolerant of summer heat include salvia, torenia, wax begonia, coleus, & ornamental pepper, as well as herbs such as basil, Mexican tarragon, and rosemary. Keep a lookout for harmful insects such as thrips, scale, and mites on ornamental plants.

Additional plants that offer various color qualities which help to beautify the landscape and grounds throughout the season and year include the following.

EverLast dianthus is double-flowered and characteristically mounded which earns its name from its ability to continuously flower throughout the season. This hardy dianthus blooms with vigor from early spring season to late summer season and is available in many colors including white, burgundy blush, lavender, lilac, and orchid. Plant them in full sun as they reach a height and width of 12 inches. EverLast dianthus work well in beds with lambs’-ears.

Electric Wizard hibiscus has swirling blooms which add a mystic, tropical touch to porches, patios, decks and gazebos. This new hardy hibiscus produces 9- to 10-inch wide clear pink flowers with a dark red throat boasting in red streaks and purple foliage shaped like maple leaves. This drought tolerant hibiscus makes a great landscape addition and grows 3 feet tall. Its small physique and large blooms make it a spectacular container planting. Grow it in full sun and it looks great planted or positioned near roses. Hibiscus is also called rose mallow.

Midnight Marvel hibiscus has huge deep-red flowers (8- to 9-inches wide) with dark purple maple-shape leaves.  It flowers from midsummer until frost and is a prolific bloomer in the heat of summer. Midnight Marvel prefers full sun to partial shade and will reach a height and width of 4 feet and makes a fabulous border planting. It looks great growing alongside turtleheads (Chelones).

Hypnotic hibiscus offers colorful blooms and colorful leaves as well. This hardy hibiscus has 11-inch diameter white flowers which are veined with rose pinstripes. In addition to its blooms, its characteristic purple maple-shape leaves are most fascinating. It prefers full sun and will grow 3 to 4 feet tall and makes an outstanding landscape plant. It looks great growing near roses.

Crystal Ball hibiscus has 11-inch wide deluxe white flowers and it will reach a height of five feet. This hardy hibiscus is bred with increased pest tolerance. It prefers full sun and looks great in a mass planting and with roses.

Heartthrob hibiscus has 8- to 10- inch wide, dark red flowers and its canopy is compact and well-branched.  This 4-foot tall hibiscus is a prolific bloomer in mid- to late summer and looks great in the landscape.  Heartthrob is deer-resistant and prefers full sun to part shade.  It looks great growing with asters.

Pardon My Purple monarda (also called bee balm) highlights fancy, nectar-rich flowers that attract such pollinators as butterflies and bees. Its fuchsia-purple flowers bloom in midsummer as it grows to a height of 12- inches. This tiny perennial is ideal for placing in the front of a flower border as dazzling edging. It prefers full sun and grows well with the butterfly bush.

Mercury Rising coreopsis is a brilliant red cultivar (most coreopsis varieties are yellow) blooming from early summer through early fall. Its small, wine-red flowers feature a golden button center and it looks awesome in beds and borders. Mercury Rising will reach 18- inches in height and prefers full sun, and it looks great planted near perennial geraniums.

Phenomenal lavender is very hardy and flowers in midsummer. It forms a mound of silvery foliage with long spikes of purple-blue flowers growing vertically from within its canopy. It works great in fresh bouquets and in dried arrangements. The lavenders prefer well-drained soils in full sun. Phenomenal will grow to 32- inches in height and looks good with roses.

Gone with the Wind belamcanda looks like an exquisite tall yellow iris that reaches upwards to six feet tall. This blackberry lily flowers all summer followed by the production of clusters of blackberry-like seed in the fall. It is a cross between the dwarf iris ‘Hello Yellow’ and the taller wild blackberry lily, which has orange flowers. This plant meets its southern exposure limitations in this area and prefers full sun. It looks good with coreopsis.

Continue to think in terms of native and sustainable plants in the landscape rather than those with invasive characteristics. May the results of your immediate efforts be long-lasting so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor for seasons to come. Remember to feed and water the songbirds, and give your pets the care they need. Be on the lookout for children playing and bicyclists riding along the streets and roadways throughout our communities. Pay attention to school buses and respect their stop signs and other signals as they transport our children to and from school and home. And remember to safely share the road with motorcycles. Drive alert and arrive alive. Don’t drive distracted or impaired, don’t text while driving, and “click-it” or ticket. Let’s keep everyone safe while enjoying the spring season! Help the homeless every chance you get. And as you receive blessings, always pay them forward and share with others.

Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 26) are fast approaching – so plan on doing something favorable for the environment at home or the office, whether planting a single tree or a bed of landscape plants. Also, the Thomasville Rose Show and Festival is April 25-27 and The Storehouse at Heritage Church Moultrie will be having their quarterly sale for missions on Friday, May 3 (7am -5pm) and Saturday, May 4 (7am -1pm) on Pavo Road. In addition, continue to be in prayer for our annual Peru Mission Trip on June 10-17. If you feel led to do so and would like to donate to this cause, please make a check payable to Heritage Church and mail to Eddie Seagle, Peru Mission Team, 108 Tallokas Circle, Moultrie, GA 31788. Happy Easter!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Philippians 4:4-5. “The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” Psalm 103:6. “I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your Name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise You and extol Your Name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145:1-2.

Eddie Seagle is a Sustainability Associate, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland), Agronomist and Horticulturalist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International), Professor Emeritus and Honorary Alumnus (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), Distinguished Professor for Teaching and Learning (University System of Georgia) and Short Term Missionary (Heritage Church, Moultrie). Direct inquiries to csi_seagle@yahoo.com.