Plant breathtaking blooms!

✤ Draw butterflies to your window!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to watch butterflies fluttering outside your window? It’s easy these days, thanks to the new long-blooming “Lo & Behold Blue Chip Jr.” butterfly bush, which draws butterflies with its bright blue blossoms and sweet fragrance all season long, says gardener Charlie Nardozzi (Gardeningwith Charlie.com), author of Foodscaping and New England Month-by-month

Gardening. What makes this butterfly bush so special? It’s fully mature at only two feet, instead of the usual seven feet, so it flowers sooner and fits even on a balcony! One option: Lo and Behold Blue Chip Jr. Butterfly Bush, $17.99, Homedepot.com.

Be captivated by color-shifting hydrangeas!

“For maximum beauty and minimum fuss, a recent newcomer to the plant world—the award-winning Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea— can’t be beat,” declares garden expert Don Kinzler (Growingtogether.areavoices.com). “Originally cultivated in France, its flower clusters start out white, become pink and eventually turn strawberry shades! Not only is it breathtakingly beautiful, it’s also amazingly hardy, making it a great, versatile choice anywhere in the country.” One option: Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea, $19, Waysidegardens.com.

Plant the “lazy” gardener’s showstopper!

“The new Vinca Mega Bloom Pink Halo produces big flowers, yet thrives in compact spaces and is basically hands-off,” says Diane Blazek, executive director at All-american Selection/ National Garden Bureau. Plus, the blooms last a long time! One option: Mega Bloom Pink Halo Vinca Seeds, $3.95, Parkseed.com.

Enjoy a fresh take on sunflowers!

Sunflowers are always bright yellow, right? Not anymore! The new Sun-filled Green Hybrid Sunflower ($ 6.99 for 25 seeds, Burpee.com) creates unique cut-flower arrangements. “And since sunflowers are a favorite of bees, it’ll also attract the pollinators to your yard,” says Nardozzi. That will help your whole garden thrive!