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Sunset
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Amending Soil
See how to improve your soil for healthier plants and a better harvest.
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Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily)
Flowers of the evergreen hybrids come in shades of purple with dark flecks and last well in bouquets. Alstroemeria aurea blooms come in shades of yellow and orange.
The 2-to 3-foot tall plants produce flowering shoots as long as the soil doesn’t get too hot. (Twist the shoot off at the base to keep them coming).
Photo courtesy of Terra Nova nurseries
3 of 16 Photo courtesy of Terra Nova nurseries
Coreopsis 'Mango Punch'
The low, mounding perennial covers itself in summer with mango-orange flowers that have a red blush.
We love the fresh, fruity hue of this new variety. Clip the faded blooms so the flowers will keep coming.
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Euphorbia characias wulfenii
Upright stems crowded with narrow blue-green leaves form a dome-shaped bush 4 ft. high and wide.
Chartreuse flower clusters appear in late winter or early spring (cut spent ones out at the base).
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Gaillardia x grandiflora
Cheerful daisylike blooms in various warm shades of yellow, bronze, and red. Many varieties are available, with single or double flowers.
Ones we love: foot-tall ‘Goblin’ with deep red flowers bordered in yellow; ‘Yellow Queen’, pure yellow flowers (2 1/2 feet tall), and orange ‘Tokajer’ (3 feet tall).
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Gaura (G. lindheimeri)
White flowers cluster like butterflies atop tall spikes on these airy 2½- to 4-foot-tall plants. Selected forms include 'Siskiyou Pink' (to 2 feet tall), with rose-pink flowers and 'Whirling Butterflies' (to 3 feet tall), with white flowers.
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Geum chiloense
Tall flower spikes grow from mounds of velvety foliage to 15 inches high, 2 feet wide.
‘Lady Stratheden’ has clear yellow blooms; ‘Mrs Bradshaw’ has double scarlet blooms. Both have a delicate wildflower look.
Photo by Norm Plate
8 of 16 Photo by Norm Plate
Gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)
Deep golden petals radiate from chocolate centers on 2- to 4-inch-wide flowers.
Plants reach 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 ½ feet wide. Shorter varieties such as ‘Goldilocks’ and ‘Toto’ top out at 10 inches tall.
Photo courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
9 of 16 Photo courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
Heuchera
These garden workhorses thrive in light shade (full sun in cooler climates).
They send up slender, wiry stems of tiny bell-shaped, pink or white blooms. But it’s the scalloped or lobed leaves we love most; they come in delicious shades of cool lime, plum, chocolate, and more.
Our current crave: ‘Southern Comfort’ from Terra Nova nurseries; its hue is rich and mellow, like its namesake.
Thomas J. Story
10 of 16 Thomas J. Story
Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa)
Tall stems of these Mediterranean natives are set with widely-spaced, hooded yellow flowers. Moisture-conserving thick, typically furry or hairy leaves are lance-shaped. Pretty planted with lavender and red hot poker (Kniphofia ‘Bressingham Comet’).
Photo by Thomas J. Story
11 of 16 Photo by Thomas J. Story
'Moonshine' yarrow (Achillea)
One of the most carefree and generous bloomers, yarrow has tight clusters of deep yellow flowers on 2-foot tall plants.
Pair it with blue flowered catmint.
Photo by Marion Brenner
12 of 16 Photo by Marion Brenner
Penstemon (P. gloxinioides)
These bushy plants are fairly short lived, but to make up for it, they produce lots of trumpet-shaped blooms over a long period.
Deep purple ‘Midnight’ and scarlet ‘Firebird’ are standouts for their vivid, south-of-the-border colors. Pink and white ‘Appleblossom’ looks fresh and springlike.
Photo courtesy of Proven Winners
13 of 16 Photo courtesy of Proven Winners
Pineapple sage (salvia elegans)
At its best in fall when it sends up spikes of vivid red flowers, this salvia’s foliage smells like ripe pineapples.
The plant grows 4 feet tall. S.e. ‘Golden Delicious’ grows 1- to 3 feet tall with fire-engine red blooms and chartreuse leaves.
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Salvia leucantha
Masses of velvety purple flower spikes cover gray-green shrubs from late summer into spring in mild-winter climates (bloom stops with frost in colder regions).
Plants reach 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide.
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Sea holly (Eryngium amethystinum)
Amethyst flower heads surrounded by 2-inch silvery-blue bracts open atop tall stems in summer, emerging from a rosette of spiny, medium green leaves.
The thistlelike blooms resemble 4th of July fireworks ― great for bouquets.
Thomas J. Story
16 of 16 Thomas J. Story
Sedum telephium
Dense summer flowers cluster on sturdy stems rising above bright green leaves. Blooms start out blush-colored, aging to coppery pink, then rust as weather cools. Pretty beside asters.
