We all know Joanna Gaines for her spectacular interior designs, delicious recipes, and hit TV shows—and it should come as no surprise that she’s also an expert gardener. She shared her favorite spring flowers earlier this year, and now she's revealing her standout bloom of the summer season: Fata Morgana scabiosa.

As she shared on her Magnolia blog, after one of her favorite plants failed to thrive (it happens to even the best gardeners), she was thrilled to see the Fata Morgana scabiosa truly flourish. Joanna wrote, “Another variety I had never grown before took me by surprise: the Fata Morgana scabiosa. In complete contradiction to the Fama, the Fata Morgana grew wildly and produced the most beautiful buttercream petals. Unplanned and unexpected, this simple-to-grow perennial became my absolute favorite bloom of the season.”

fata morgana scabiosa plant in bloom

To help you succeed with this plant, Jo also shared a few growing tips that led to her success:

Grow in full sun and keep evenly moist.
Fertilize with compost tea every other week.
Cut mature blooms to encourage more growth.

Joanna explains that the experimentation that is required for gardening doesn't always come naturally to her. But she's learned to use the space as her “own personal testing ground.” She says, “Here, I can nurture spontaneity. I can practice surrender. I am captive to wonder and delight.”

garden sketch

Fans can expect more to come from Jo—she shared a sketch of her latest garden plan, which she describes as “wild and whimsical.” She says, “I sketched out this idea for a secret-garden-style meadow in the pasture by the bees. For now, it’s just a seed of a dream, but it’s always fun to imagine out-of-the-box ideas when it comes to the garden.”