High Country Gardens, a top online source for tough perennial plants that thrive in even the most challenging conditions, has introduced new perennials for Fall 2014 planting. The new varieties include the petite ‘Lutsko’s Dwarf’ Spanish Lavender and ‘Red Happiness’ Hummingbird Mint—an exciting new color for the Agastache genus.
“Spring gets most of the gardening attention, but in many ways fall is the ideal planting season,” says David Salman, chief horticulturist of High Country Gardens. “The fall planting season, from late-August through October, is an excellent time to plant cold-hardy perennials, shrubs and trees. Planting in the fall gives a plant a chance to set roots before freezing weather sets in. Plants started in the fall will be larger and have more flowers than those planted the following spring because they have a more established root system.
“Fall planting is especially helpful for hot summer areas in USDA Zones 7-10. It helps to establish plants with good deep roots before the extreme heat of the following summer.”
All of the new introductions described below—and hundreds of perennial favorites—are available at High Country Gardens.
‘Red Happiness’ Hummingbird Mint (Agastache ‘Red Happiness’)
Agastache ‘Red Happiness’ is an exciting new color for the Agastache genus. This High Country Gardens Exclusive Introduction has large, beautifully colored red flowers that are guaranteed to make you smile. A hybrid discovered by HCG founder David Salman in one of his Santa Fe xeric gardens, ‘Red Happiness’ is a very cold hardy hummingbird mint that’s long blooming from mid-summer into fall and attracts large numbers of hummingbirds to its nectar-rich flowers. The plant has excellent vigor in the garden and is also very deer and rabbit resistant with its strongly mint-scented foliage. Agastache ‘Red Happiness’ will reach 30-36” tall and 15-18” wide. It thrives in full sun in well-drained soil throughout USDA Zones 5-9. Each plant comes in a 5-inch premium pot.
‘High Plains Yellow’ Sundrops (Calylophus hartwegii ‘High Plains Yellow’)
Sundrops (Calylophus hartwegii) is a tough, low-growing native plant that has become a favorite for its yellow flowers. ‘High Plains Yellow’ Sundrops is a new, long-blooming wildflower introduction that was originally collected from the rugged, high dry plains of eastern New Mexico. This tough little native perennial is well adapted to heat, cold, wind and drought, and it thrives in harsh conditions that kill other plants. Colorful, red speckled buds burst open to revel large, brilliant yellow flowers. ‘High Plains Yellow’ Sundrops only reaches 4-6” tall and 12-15” wide, and it makes a superb companion plant for Lavender. It is cold hard throughout USDA Zones 5-9. Each plant comes in a 5-inch premium pot.
‘Lutsko’s Dwarf’ Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas ‘Lutsko’s Dwarf’)
This gem of a Spanish Lavender is compact with large, showy rabbit-eared flowers on sturdy stems that only reach a foot or so in height. A vigorous and easy-to-grow variety, the plant matures to form low, wide mounds of fragrant gray-green foliage. ‘Lutsko’s Dwarf’ makes a colorful companion plant for other taller, waterwise perennials such as Yarrow, Sage and Rosemary. Because of its small size, ‘Lutsko’s Dwarf’ Spanish Lavender is a great choice for containers, small gardens and pollinator-friendly gardens (honeybees love it!). Hardy in Zones 8-10. Grows 10-12” tall x 15-18” wide. Each plant comes in a 5-inch premium pot.
‘Hantamberg Orange’ African Daisy (Gazania krebsiana ‘Hantamberg Orange’)
It’s not an exaggeration to use the word “breathtaking” to describe ‘Hantamberg Orange’ African Daisy in full flower. Huge glowing orange daisies bloom over long, thin silver leaves for many months. This perennial Gazania is outstanding for mild winter Zone 7 -10 climates from California, Arizona, Texas, and into the southern states. For Zone 6 and colder, ‘Hantamberg Orange’ is a frost-tolerant beauty that’s perfect for seasonal containers. Like all Gazania, ‘Hantamberg Orange’ is an essential early-season flower to feed native and honey bees with nectar and pollen as they wake up from winter. This HCG exclusive introduction grows 8-10” tall and spreads 8-24” wide. Each plant comes in a 5-inch premium pot.
Giant Stipa Grass (Stipa gigantea)
A little known ornamental grass native to the Mediterranean of southern Europe, Giant Stipa Grass creates a dramatic, eye-catching presence in the landscape. Giant Stipa Grass is a cool-season grower, making it perfect for fall planting. This large ornamental grass blooms in late spring and early summer with graceful six-foot-tall flower spikes. But out-of-bloom, its mound of bright green foliage is only about 15” tall and wide. Giant Stipa Grass thrives in heat and poor, well drained soils—but it also does well in more favorable growing conditions. Cold hardy in Zones 6b (-5° F) and above. A single plant comes in a 5” premium pot.
Mesa Peach Blanket Flower (Gaillardia grandiflora Mesa Peach)
With outstanding vigor, uniform size and summer-long bloom, Mesa Peach Blanket Flower is an excellent native plant for parts of your garden where hot, dry, poor soil conditions dominate. The “peach-colored flowers seem to be dipped in golden honey” which makes the blossoms stunningly bright. This is an excellent pollinator plant that attracts bees and butterflies to the garden. The flowering plant grows 16-18” tall and about 20-22” wide in USDA Zones 5-9. Each plant comes in a 5-inch premium pot.
For a complete look at all of the new plants for Fall 2014 available, please visit High Country Gardens.
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