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25 Plants for a Pop Culture–Inspired Garden

Cultivate these flowers to channel your favorite pop culture icons, from wild and eclectic Lady Gaga to the seemingly innocent characters on Glee

Sunset
1 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

5 botanical Lady Gagas

Just like the unpredictable Lady Gaga, the following five flowers are over-the-top, theatrical, and ironic. Subtle? Not exactly.

2 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Incrediball' hydrangea

White flower clusters so enormous (a foot wide!), they're almost comical. And like Gaga, held up by very sturdy stems. Sunset climate zones A3; 1-21

3 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Gum Drop' Echinacea

Nothing modest about this cone-flower. Except for a miniskirt of tiny pink petals, it's all look-at-me core. Zones A2, A3; 1-24, needs full sun.

4 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Gator aloe

An unusually bold pattern for such a small plant. Like the pint-size diva herself, it's proof that drama doesn't depend on size. Climate zones 8, 9, 12-24, part shade.

5 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Techno Blue Iobelia

A blue so intense, it feels hot rather than cool. A prolific bloomer and a real show-off. All zones.

6 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Little Shark agave

Perfect symmetry and high drama with black-outlined leaves. And check out those spines. Zones 4-24.

7 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

5 plants that evoke Marie Antoinette

Frilly, floaty, fanciful, and feminine, these next flowers are a total embrace of the soft side, just like the queen herself.

8 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Sun Spun Yellow petunia

Shaped like a twirly skirt in the sunny color of optimism. Innocent and idealistic. All zones as an annual.

9 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Wendy's Wish' Salvia

Jewel-like buds, seemingly always in bloom, with petals like pink petticoats and dainty stems. Zones 14-24. Needs full sun.

10 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Fireworks' fountain grass

The girliest of grasses: Predominantly pink, billowy, and, in summer, it dresses up with tassels. Zones 8-24; H1, H2. Needs part shade.

11 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Superbells Blackberry Punch Calibrachoa

A flower with the flared shape and rich colors of the finest haute couture gown. Zones 8, 9, 14-24. As an annual: zones 2-7, 10-13.

12 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Dark Towers' Penstemon

Blackish red foliage topped with baby pink flowers--a romantic pairing of radical and sweet. Zones 6-9, 14-24. As an annual: all zones.

13 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

5 picks that bring on the Bollywood

Spicy, jewel-toned, gilded, and otherwise adorned, these flowers have an Indian flair. Jai Ho!

14 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Million Bells Cherry Pink Calibrachoa

The saturation level in these petals rivals that of the best saris. A color you'd like draped around you. Zones 8, 9, 14-24. As an annual: zones 2-7, 10-13.

15 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Flame Thrower' Echinacea

A coneflower that looks like it swirled its way out of a train-station dance number. The red centers resemble bindi beauty marks. Zones A2, A3; 1-24. Needs full sun.

16 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Lemon Fizz' santolina

A sizzling chartreuse that we'd love to see in a bolt of silk. The every-which-way foliage is fun too. Zones 2-24; H1, H2. Needs part shade.

17 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Lunacy Orange marigold

As intricate as a henna tatoo. The searing orange color and strong aromatic scent make is especially exotic. All zones as annual.

18 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Belinda's Find' red hook sedge

Red sedge is already extravagant. But add some twists and turns and you've got a real melodrama. Zones 4-6, 15-17.

19 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

5 plants that channel Black Swan

These next flowers are gothic, brooding, mysterious, and definitely dark. Maybe even dangerous.

20 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Pinstripe' petunia

White streaks dissolving into velvety black petals like shooting stars disappearing in dark skies. All zones as annual. Needs full sun.

21 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Tropicanna Black canna

This exotic canna has leaves so dark, you'll wonder how it photosynthesizes. Sinister, to say the least. Zones 6-9, 12-24; H1, H2; or dig and store.

22 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Fire and Ice Echeveria

Pale, pale foliage that looks even more so thanks to its blood-red edges. Ethereal or ominous, you decide. Otherworldly either way. Zones 8, 9, 12-24. Needs part shade.

23 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Burgundy Ice' Dyckia

Dark red blades and sharp white teeth--just the right amount of menace. Zones 4-24.

24 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Mojito' elephant's ear

A heart-of-darkness tropical plant. Inky splotches across its mammoth leaves give this new elephant's ear a gothic sort of glamour. Climate zones 12, 16-24; H1, H2.

25 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

5 flowers fresh off last week's Glee

A batch of buds that have exuberant exhibitionism paired with wholesome innocence--just like our favorite show.

26 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Hot Lava' Echinacea

Knockout color, simple bold shape, and stems as strong as a cheerleader's legs. Center stage only, please. Zones A2, A3; 1-24. Needs full sun.

27 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

Big Bang 'Redshift' Coreopsis

More modest than some of its fellow cast members, but showy in its own quiet way. A sweet little explosion of color. Zones 1-24.

28 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Ascot Rainbow' Euphorbia

Looks as if it might burst into song. And when it blooms, you'll swear it has--the flower shares the same three colors of the leaves. Zones 3-24. Needs part shade.

29 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Campfire' Crassula

Full of juice and raring to go. That's the impression these propeller-shaped leaves create--especially in sizzling red and lime. Zones 8, 9, 12-24.

30 /30 Written by Sharon Cohoon

'Electra' coral bells

Cayenne red veins streaking across saffron yellow leaves. Imagine this spicing up a bland patch of shade. Zones 1-9, 14-24.