Synonym: 'Hot Lips.' Big, petal -packed flowers that look like waterlilies cover this vigorous plant over a long season, begging to be cut. 'Elodie' is an Asiatic hybrid, very choice and hard to find, with exquisite flower form and an unusual color.

Pollen-free and very long -lasting, these blooms are perfect for the vase, but they also add luscious color to the garden. The plant is dwarf, reaching only 2 to 3 feet high and spareding less than a foot wide, but it still improves each year, setting a few more buds and branches each season.

Give it sunshine, good drainage and plenty of water, and it will increase magnificently over time, flowering heavily in early to midsummer. Zones 3-10.