Nepeta, or catmint, is a very useful little plant. Most varieties get about a foot tall, but ‘Six Hills Giant’ can grow to three feet. Grey-green leaves and spikes of purple flowers are characteristic. Bees love Nepeta and deer tend to leave it alone. N. cataria is catnip, the herb of choice for many cats. It grows to about three feet and seems to self-sow freely. Nepeta is reasonably drought tolerant, but will look better with water.
Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) This plant is often seen at houses dating back to the thirties and forties. It is extremely drought tolerant and very showy. Colors available are orange, yellow and cream. The leaves are strap-like with flowering stems that vary from eighteen inches to five feet, depending on the variety.
Invasive Plants or Plants for The Lazy Gardener? It all depends on your point of view! All these perennials are hardy and colorful. and some are prolific reseeders. Pictured is Erigeron karvinskianus (Santa Barbara daisy). It will bloom all summer with very little care, but you have to decide if you want it everywhere or if it’s worth it to pull out…
Agapanthus, or lily of the Nile, can be evergreen or deciduous, one foot tall or four feet tall, white or blue flowered. There are several shades of blue, from pale to dark blue-violet. It has green, strap-like leaves with round clusters of flowers rising above the foliage on bare stems. It can take sun to…
Hemerocallis (daylily) have arching narrow leaves and lily-like flowers. They are tough plants and reasonably trouble free. A couple of favorites are ‘Stella D’Oro’, a dwarf golden yellow with a longer bloom period than most, and ‘Bitsy’, a repeat bloomer with bright yellow flowers on tall, dark stems about eighteen inches tall. Many flower colors are available including cream, orange,…
Lantana ‘Miss Huff’ is hardy to ten degrees. Although it dies back in the winter, it returns with a vengeance in early summer and blooms until frost. This plant can reach six to seven feet in one season. It is very bright with yellow, orange and pink flowers that light up the garden for the entire summer. Deer don’t care…
Calylophus drummondii (Texas primrose) Low and spreading, this plant blooms from late spring through fall. Calylophus becomes a three foot mat of papery, bright yellow flowers. It likes lots of sunshine and demands little water. It is one plant we always attempt to have on hand in the nursery and has become one of our very best…