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gardens are a bewitching mixture of annuals, ornamentals, perennials, and herbs. Remember to put the tallest plants in the center and to work outwards, planting the containers full. Use a good potting mix, and make sure your pots and containers all have drainage holes.
    Earth
    Green (full to part shade). With lots of textured foliage, this is perfect for a mysterious, shady garden. Try ferns, lady’s mantle, hostas, varieties of ‘Wizard’ coleus, licorice plant ( Helichrysum ), and mints for fragrance. Add white begonias or impatiens for sparkle. Variegated white and green ivy will attractively spill over the edges of the pot.
    Air
    Yellow (full sun). Plant shorter varieties of the sunflower in the center. Add yellow cockscomb, white daisies or feverfew, marigolds, lemon-colored snapdragons, yellow calendulas, yellow zinnias, and santolina. Variegated vinca vine or prostrate rosemary have foliage that will spill gracefully over the sides of the container and add fragrance and style.
    Fire
    Red (sun to part shade). For the center of the arrangement, try annual purple fountain grass; its botanical name is Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’. Or use perennial Japanese blood grass for height and visual interest. A miniature red rose or a standard tree rose in red would be gorgeous as well. Plant bright red annual sage (salvia), red geraniums, and scarlet petunias so that they dangle over the sides of the pot. Try deep purple, annual sweet potato vines to flow over the edges and to add more flair. In the autumn, switch out the spent annuals with russet- and red-colored chrysanthemums.
    Water
    Blue (shade to part shade). Plant tall blue delphiniums in the center of this pot for height. For fragrance, add heliotrope, streptocarpella, and bacopa, a trailing herb that has become popular in the past few years. Bacopa has a wonderful scent and tiny white flowers. Tuck bacopa into hanging baskets and pots to spill and drape over the sides of the pot. Finish out this theme container with purple- and blue-colored pansies, blue lobelia, and forget-me-nots. Switch out the pansies with pale violet and white-colored impatiens when the cool- weather-loving pansies fade in the summer heat.
    Culinary Herbs
of a Different Color
    I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple
in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.
    alice walker

    For added interest in the garden or in your containers or pots, look for varieties of culinary herbs with different-colored foliage. These will add even more color to the garden as they grow and bloom. Here is a colorful list to choose from. The herb is listed first, then the variety of the name (if applicable), and lastly, the color of the foliage.
    Basil ‘Dark Opal’: deep purple leaves and stem
    Basil ‘Holly’s Painted’: purple-splotched leaves
    Basil ‘Purple Ruffles’: dark purple leaves and stem
    Bay ‘Golden Bay’: golden leaves
    Fennel ‘Bronze’: brownish green leaves and stems
    Lemon Balm: variegated gold-splashed leaves
    Marjoram, Golden: gold-splashed to golden yellow leaves
    Mint, Ginger: gold-splashed leaves
    Mint, Orange Bergamot: purple- to bronze-tinged leaves
    Mint, Pineapple: cream-edged leaves
    Sage ‘Iceterina’: yellow variegated leaves
    Sage ‘Pupurascens’: purple leaves
    Sage ‘Tricolor’: purple, deep pink, and white leaves
    Sorrel ‘Red’: red-veined leaves
    Thyme, Lemon ‘Argenteus’: silver-edged leaves
    Thyme, Lemon ‘Aureus’: gold-edged leaves
    Windowsill Culinary Herb Garden
    Parsley—the jewel of the herbs,
both in the pot and on the plate.
    albert stockli

    Herbs that are grown indoors add fresh aroma to your home, and because they are so close at hand, they encourage you to make use of them for seasonings and in food preparation. Basically, indoor-grown herbs require a sunny growing area (five to six hours of sunlight per day), water, and humidity. They