Exuberance is everywhere, in the gardens, the nurseries and especially here in my little plant haven. A dear friend and former grower at Windy Hill has filled her greenhouse with old time favorites as well as newly acquired seedling plants which has sparked my plant lust, something that (truthfully) needs no spark at all.

In my acquisitions I picked up Linaria triornithophora, also known as three birds flying, a tender perennial with flowers perched, balanced in tiers and opening 3 at a time. As linarias go, the flowers are much larger than average.

There are about 100 species of linaria which include annuals and perennials. Commonly known as toadflax, most are short lived, related to snapdragons and considered pioneers, seeding where open spaces permit. Some reseed to the point of invasiveness, but certainly not the case with this lovely species, a native of Spain and Portugal.

Most commonly found in the nurseries is the short lived perennial Linaria purpurea 'Canon J. Went', with its tall spires and small pink flowers. In its short life it will volunteer itself, returning with a blend of pink to purple flowers. If you ever want more, simply let the plant seed and restrict mulch. Planted with peonies and iris, it's a refreshing vertical accent. When you find there are too many, mulch your garden to squelch them out.

The same technique can be used with seeding larkspur, cleome and Verbena bonariensis. The thick layer of mulch effectively convinces the seed (with its little seed brain), that there's no room left to grow, no vacancies. Once the mulch has worn away and light hits the ground again, they sprout with abandon. Hence your roadside weeds, growing with little competition, at the edge of blacktop or alongside railroad tracks.

The pollination of linaria is largely carried out by bees. The spur at the back of each flower holds nectar which lures the bee further into the flower. This little sip of nectar gives them a sugar high, or at least a boost to forage for more.