Want to be the envy of your neighboring gardens? Be it sun or shade, planting something different is the new “new” in gardening.
Agastache ‘Summer Glow’ / by Terra Nova
Looking for a beautiful summer bloomer with yellow flowers that attracts hummingbirds and is also deer and drought tolerant? Drum roll for Agastache ‘Summer Glow’, also known as hummingbird mint with fragrant green foliage and a mature height of 18 to 22 inches tall. Grow in full sun.
A wonderful background partner for the Agastache is Echibeckia ‘Summerina Orange’ with bright orange blooms and a red center. This Echibeckia is hardy like a coneflower but resembles a black-eyed Susan. It tends to be a fast grower reaching 2 to 3 feet tall and is drought tolerant.
Salvia ‘Crystal Blue’ / by Proven Winners
Check out the Salvia ‘Crystal Blue’, admired for its grayish-green fragrant foliage and mass of light blue flower spikes reaching 18 to 20 inches tall. This plant is also deer and rabbit resistant, and flowers consistently from late spring to mid summer.
Gaillardia ‘Sunset Mexican’ / by National Garden Bureau
A partner for the Salvia is Gaillardia ‘Sunset Mexican’, a compact mound reaching 12 to 16 inches tall. It sports awesome grayish-green foliage with stunning creamy yellow petals and pink centered flowers that appear in early to mid-spring and last right through fall.
Heuchera ‘Galaxy’ / by Terra Nova
For shade lovers, try Heuchera ‘Galaxy’, a coral bell with incredible variegated red foliage and white whimsical flowers in summer. The foliage reaches 10 to 12 inches in height, making it great for containers, too.
Try pairing it with Heuchera ‘Glitter’, another coral bell with gorgeous bright silver foliage and black veins. This standout sensation also flowers in summer with whimsical fuchsia blooms and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. It grows in a mounding 10 to 12 inches tall. You will also find this plant to be drought, heat and humidity tolerant once established.
Happy Gardening to all and may your season be budded, blooming, bold and grand as you get out there and be different with your plants this year.
Featured image – Heuchera ‘Glitter’ / Terra Nova
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Nelsa Cox is the owner and head horticulturist of The Garden Hut. She is passionate about plants and has worked in the retail garden center business since 1983 sharing her knowledge about what works best in our area. 919-552-0590. www.nelsasgardenhut.com.