By Sunset garden staff

Maybe seed companies and wholesale growers are trying to tap into the strong interest in edibles, but we've definitely noticed that a lot of new blooms have delicious names as well as flowers.  Here are a few that made our mouths water.

`Cherry Brandy' rudbeckia

Julie Chai thought this flower's berry-red blooms were the exact same luscious shade as ripe Bing cherries.  She also loved that new cherry color makes this a true departure from the familiar gold rudbeckia. Flowers reach 3 to 4 inches across on 2-foot-tall plants.  Source:  Thompson & Morgan.

photo courtesy of National Garden Bureau

`Mac `n` Cheese'  and `Tomato Soup' echinacea

Kathleen Brenzel calls these beauties "comfort food for garden beds--warm, spicy, and reliable."  She loved seeing the long-lasting summer perennial cone-flower in these excitiing new hues.  To make the most of their hot colors, she'd surround them with blue-flowered catmint.  Terra Nova Nurseries propagates these plants.  Click here to find a retail source near you.

photo courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.

`Raspberry Swirl' dianthus

Sharon Cohoon thought this flower looked as delicious as an ice cream parfait and smelled as spicy as a pfeffernusse cookie.  She also liked how blatantly feminine it looks with its ruffled edges and show-off colors.  Plants are available in 3-inch pots from Park Seed.

photo courtesy Plant Haven, Inc.