Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Conoclinium coelestinum (syn. Eupatorium coelestinum)

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 3′.  Mist Flower, Hardy Ageratum.  Eastern United States.  Small tufts of misty blue flowers cluster in dense panicles on erect stems.  Apple green leaves are triangular-ovate and coarsely toothed.  A sturdy perennial, that performs superbly at the front or mid-border.  Late summer and autumn.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Salvia verticillata

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 2.5′.  An interesting plant whether in or out of flower.  Whorls of lavender-blue hooded flowers on long spikes adorn the textural pubescent foliage.  After flowering, the whorls of bracts keep the excitement going.  Also excellent for cutting and drying.  Self-sows when happy.  Full sun. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Nepeta parnassica

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 5′.  Tall Greek Catmint.  Albania and Greece.  Truly the biggest and most impressive Catmint we have ever seen.  Although native to the dry, rocky meadows of the Balkan Peninsula it seems to luxuriate and thrive in our fertile garden soil.  The strong, upright stems bear fragrant, greyish green foliage and produce dense whorls of rich lavender-blue flowers in crowded, elongated spikes.  This is a “sturdy item,” that does not need to be cut back halfway through the season.  Blooms mid-summer onwards and will add stature, colour, and fragrance to the late summer garden.  Sun, well-drained soil.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Marrubium vulgare

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 2′.  White Horehound.  Europe.  Rounded, wrinkled, downy, thyme-scented leaves in opposite pairs along a stiff stem.  Clusters of white hooded flowers in the leaf axils.  Very accommodating.  Self-seeds.  Sun, well-drained soil.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Chamerion angustifolium 'Album'

Family: Onagraceae

(P) to 5′.  White Rosebay Willowherb.  Six-inch, willow-like leaves accent long, showy spikes of clustered, slightly nodding, white flowers with four elliptic petals.  A good grower and a mainstay in the Flower Garden White Bed.  Blooms in July and August.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Rudbeckia laciniata

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 6′.  North America.  Very striking and very tall.  Deep yellow, ray florets surround a green-brown cone.  Leaves are pinnatisect all along the stem.  Butterflies love it.  A long bloomer starting in late summer.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eryngium giganteum

Family: (Apiaceae)

Short-lived perennial/biennial to 4′.  Miss Willmott’s Ghost.  Miss Willmott was known to scatter this seed surreptitiously in the gardens she visited, leaving her horticultural calling card!  The elongated, dome-shaped, greenish flowerheads are surrounded by spiny tipped, silvery bracts.  Attractive, marbled, grey-green, spiny foliage with dark green basal rosettes adds more drama.  Excellent dried flower.  Self-sows happily.  Well-drained soil.  Sun. 3 & 6

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Digitalis ferruginea

Family: (Plantaginaceae)

(B/P) to 4′.  Rusty Foxglove.  South Europe, West Asia.  We have this plant at the entrance to our Gravel Garden, and what an extraordinary focal point it is.  Long dense spikes of hooded, pendulous, downy flowers.  The outsides of the flowers are rusty red, with darker veins inside.  After flowering, the whole spike is still covered in the incredibly attractive, five-lobed calyces with white edges, persisting for weeks.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Clematis integrifolia pink-flowered

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

(P) to 3′.  Solitary Clematis.  Central Europe and Asia.  An upright, non-climbing Clematis with 2-inch, bell-shaped flowers that are a bright clear to pale mauve pink with heavily ribbed, spreading tepals and a central cluster of deep yellow stamens. Attractive, feathery seedheads follow.  Mid-to-late summer.  Sun.  3 & 7 for 8 weeks, then T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Callirhoe involucrata

Family: (Malvaceae)

(P) to 12″.  Purple Poppy Mallow.  Central United States.  This Missouri native has attractive Geranium-like leaves, palmately divided into 5 to 7 finger-like lobes.  The stems are procumbent and spread nicely along the ground.  The solitary, upward facing, cup-shaped, five-petalled, magenta flowers are borne on axillary thin stems above the foliage. An attractive, spreading, drought tolerant perennial.  Long blooming, from late spring to late summer.  Sun.  3 & T2