The two most popular varieties are ‘Butterfly Blue’ and ‘Pink Mist’. This perennial is possibly the longest blooming of all. Removing the spent flowers will encourage the plants to bloom even more and keeps them looking nice. Height is about one foot and the spread approximately eighteen to twenty-four inches. They prefer moderate to regular water.
The genus Chrysanthemum provides gardeners with some indispensable plants. Shasta daisy (C. maximum) is a wonderful summer blooming perennial that is available in tall or dwarf forms. Flowers can be single, double or somewhat shaggy. C. hosmariense is a great little plant, growing to about eight inches tall and two feet wide. It has finely…
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. …
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,…
There are so many colors and sizes of penstemon hybrids. Among the favorites are ‘Firebird’ (red), ‘Midnight’ (purple), ‘Garnet’ (fuchsia pink), ‘Thorn’ (white with a pink blush), ‘Apple Blossom’ (pink), ‘Bev Jensen’ (magenta) and ‘Raven’ (darkest purple). A very floriferous variety on a smaller plant is ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’. All these varieties take heat and cold and…
Perovskia, or Russian sage, is not a true sage, but it has some similarities. It needs little water, is very tolerant of heat and requires good drainage. Sprays of purple flowers appear in late spring and summer.
Phlomis, or Jerusalem sage, is not a true sage, but it has similar requirements. It needs little water, good drainage and is tolerant of heat. Leaves are woolly and flowers can be either yellow (P. fruticosa) or pink (P. purpurea). Phlomis generally grows to about four feet tall and wide.