PLANT OF THE WEEK Monkey Flower

Botanical name: Mimulus x hybridus, "Magic White with Blotch"
Attributes: This variety of monkey flower features fun little white flowers with red dots and blotches in irregular patterns; it looks like it was doodled on. A fast-growing cool season annual, this plant is great for fall containers or baskets with pansies and violas.
Bloom color: White and red.
Bloom time: September until a hard frost.
Culture: Buy healthy, well-grown plants with numerous flowers and buds. Plant in pots with good drainage and fertile soil or in baskets with other fall cold hardy annuals. Remove spent flower heads and fertilize biweekly with a 10-20-30 fertilizer for continual bloom. Although this plant loves cool temperatures, it will not tolerate a hard frost and should be protected during cold nights.
Landscaping tips: Plant monkey flower with purple pansies, red snapdragons, white ornamental kale and yellow violas for an explosion of color for a container garden on a front step.
Cost: $2 to $4 depending on number of plants or size of container. Available at local greenhouses and nurseries that sell the newest and best annuals for the Midwest.
Source: Powell Gardens (www.powellgardens.org)