‘Little Gem’—This one is about six inches tall, but atones for its height by being a more profuse bloomer, with small white flowers.
‘Pink Heather’—The blooms open in a delicate pink and slowly darken. It has vigor and scent, and seems to want to bloom constantly.
‘Rosie O’Day’—The pride and joy of the family, and the winner of an award comparable to being chosen Miss America. The blooms are a deep pink, even more so when the weather is a bit cool. It is quick to bloom, easy to grow, and nicely fragrant.
‘Royal Carpet’—This one is only about two inches high. With its purple flowers it fills in vacant spots most beautifully. A single plant may spread out ten inches.
‘Violet King’—Somewhat shorter than ‘Violet Queen,’ but has a deeper color and more compact shape.
‘Violet Queen’—Averages about five inches, and is as its name says a rich violet color. Delightfully scented, it is wonderful for edging, borders, and flower beds.
Alyssum has long been one of my garden favorites, whether for a ground cover, for rock gardens, as an edging for walks and beds, or just for its own sweet alyssum self.
Balsam
In my concept of miniature plants I had always thought of balsam as a towering giant of at least two feet or more. Then one night while going through seed catalogues I discovered an entire column listing ‘Tom Thumb Double Flowered Dwarf,’ ‘Tom Thumb Purple,’ ‘Tom Thumb Scarlet,’ ‘Tom Thumb Shell Pink,’ ‘Tom Thumb Pure White,’ ‘Tom Thumb Rose.’
According to growing directions, Balsam likes a rich soil, well-drained but slightly moist, and full sun.