Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Salvia subrotunda

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(A/TP) to 4¢. Giant Brazilian Sage. South America. An absolute winner ‘for attracting hummingbirds and other pollinators to your garden. The scarlet, trumpet-shaped flowers are subtended by green bracts and arranged in verticillasters on tall, leafless spikes. Flowers appear to float above the sea of heart-shaped, bright green foliage. Easy to grow in rich garden soil with adequate moisture and sun to part shade conditions. 4 & T2

This seed is either sold out or unavailable

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Platycodon grandiflorus 'Perlmutterschale'

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 3′.  Mother of Pearl Balloon Flower. A lovely, delicate pale pink version of the above with spidery, dark pink veins.  Blooms from mid-summer and into the autumn when flowers are dead-headed.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Glaucidium palmatum var. leucanthemum

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 2′.  A lovely white form of the Japanese Wood Poppy.  Large, heavily-veined and crinkled maple-like leaves create a perfect backdrop for Poppy-like flowers comprised of four, snow white, petaloid sepals that surround a large, showy central boss of numerous bright yellow stamens.  This rare woodland aristocrat blooms in May and the show continues with interesting fruits of substantial, upright, two fused follicles which persist until fall.  Moist soil.  Partial shade.  3 & 7 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Datisca cannabina

Family: (Datiscaceae)

(P) to 7′. False Hemp. An imposing herbaceous plant from India with graceful arching stems and finely divided foliage. A midsummer bloomer with ornamental tassel-like yellow flowers in racemes. This herb yields a yellow dye often used for silks. We have enjoyed it in a pot and now love it in the garden. Sun. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Ratibida pinnata

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 4′. Grey-headed Coneflower. Central North America. Tall, branched flowers stems are topped by yellow-rayed blooms resembling badminton shuttlecocks. The short, rounded, central cone of each long-lasting flower begins a greyish green and ripens to chocolate brown. The handsome pinnate leaves adorn only the lower half of the flower stems and form a tidy, bushy clump. A much underused, long-blooming and carefree plant. Sun. Well drained soil. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Stachys macrantha

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 2.5′. Caucasus. One to covet. Wavy-edged, dark green foliage and spikes of purplish pink, hooded, lipped flowers. Excellent in the border. Sun/partial shade. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Paeonia daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii

Family: (Paeoniaceae)

(P) to 3′. Affectionately known as ‘Molly the Witch’. This robust, herbaceous peony from the Caucasus makes a fine garden specimen. In spring it bears large, single, cup-shaped, lemon-yellow, five inch-wide flowers – the ovary pubescent, the two to four carpels white, pink or yellow, and the stamen filaments yellow-green. Flowers in May. Rare and very choice. Well-drained soil. Sun/partial shade. 3 & 6A

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Lithospermum erythrorhizon

Family: (Boraginaceae)

(P) to 2.5′. Chinese or Red-rooted Gromwell. East Asia. A bristly or coarsely hairy, upright perennial with greyish green, lanceolate leaves. Terminal clusters of numerous, small, five-petalled, white flowers in midsummer are followed by white, shiny fruits along the dark stems.  Very cool.  The dried roots produce a purple dye and the entire plant has been used since ancient times for burns, cuts, and skin conditions in Chinese herbal medicine. Moist, well-drained soil. Sun/partial shade. 3 & T2 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Sisymbrium luteum (syn. Hesperis lutea)

Family: (Brassicaceae)

(P) to 4′. Japan and Korea. Forms a bushy clump of coarsely pilose, pinnate, grey-green foliage that freely produces dense, elongated racemes of four-petalled, pale yellow flowers in summer. Good for cutting. Well-drained soil. Sun/partial shade. 4 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Isatis glauca

Family: (Brassicaceae)

(B/P) to 3-½’.  Woad.  Asia Minor to Iran.  A lovely, short-lived perennial with dense panicles of large, golden yellow, four-petalled flowers atop glabrous, blue-green, basal foliage.  Attractive blackish bronze, dangling, persistent, papery fruits to follow.  This plant was once the ancient world’s only source of blue dye.  Late spring/early summer.  Self-sows.  Well-drained soil.  Sun.  3 & T1