Achillea (yarrow)
Green or gray ferny foliage and lots of colors to choose from! White (‘Calistoga’), yellow (‘Sunbeam’ or ‘Moonshine’), crimson red (‘Red Beauty’) and orange red (‘Faust’ and ‘Terra Cotta’). They all endure the hot summers and cold winters. Water needs are low and bloom time long.
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.
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. …
Centranthus, or Jupiter’s beard, is a great perennial, but be prepared for its rather vigorous self-sowing. It is very tolerant of most conditions and needs little water. Flower color ranges from crimson to pink to lilac to white, with a very long bloom period. Gophers do not seem to like it, perhaps because of its…
Echinacea, or coneflower, is a tough plant that blooms for a long period in summer and autumn. Recent breeding has produced flowers of many colors and plants of varying heights. These plants are suitable for the garden or containers.
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.