Black is back--and beautiful.

• Position: Ball Horticultural Co.'s Black Pearl Pepper

The Black Pearl Ornamental Pepper is making its debut. That's right, black, and this year it's not optional. Black-leafed plants are the "little black dress" of the garden world. Everybody needs at least one; they never go out of style and they make every garden look great. The Black Pearl showcases leaves of pure black with fruit that matures from black to deep red on plants that are vigorous and bushy.

These upright, well-branched plants love heat and humidity and are not fazed by drought. They virtually are carefree and perfect for containers or the garden in full sun. Everything you plant will pop with brighter, bolder color with this beauty as a backdrop for vibrant annuals and perennials. And everything you plant should come from the same source as your Black Pearl Pepper--the Simply Beautiful line from the Ball Horticultural Company, West Chicago, Ill., now celebrating its 101st year in business.

With black as our now well-described backdrop, a sure foreground winner is the Blazin' Rose Iresine--its striking foliage forming an eye-catching, multicolor pattern. Its leaves present a rich mix of green, burgundy, and pink, with hot-pink stems. Blazin' Rose has a vigorous habit that makes it ideal for large mixed containers or other combination plantings, where it struts its stuff without getting lost among other varieties.

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