(Colchester White Centaurea, Dusty Miller, Silver Centaurea)

Few silver-leaved ornamentals offer the cool, crisp color of ‘Colchester White.’ This favorite foliage plant produces tall mounds of frosty, ferny leaves that look cool in the daylight and glow eerily in the evening. Centaurea cineraria is native to southern Europe where it is adapted to heat and moderate drought. It is a short-lived, shrubby perennial that’s often grown as an annual.

Botanically known as a subshrub, dusty miller develops a woody base with age. ‘Colchester White’ is...

(Batchelor's Buttons, Cornflower)

Treasured for its sky-blue flowers that resemble small thistles, cornflower is a short-lived, cool-season annual from the northern temperate regions. The cultivar 'Blue Boy' has frilly double blooms on thigh-high stems sparsely furnished with narrow gray-green leaves. Fall-sown seedlings often overwinter as rosettes and flower the next spring. Plants bloom about 85 days after early-spring sowing.

Sow cornflowers in full sun and well-drained soil in early spring. In USDA zones 6 and warmer, seeds...

(Batchelor's Buttons, Cornflower)

Easily grown from seed and treasured for its blue flowers that resemble small thistles, cornflower is a short-lived, cool-season annual from the northern temperate regions. The Silver medal in the 1937 AAS flower trials, 'Jubilee Gem' is a true old-fashioned favorite. This large-flowered cultivar has rich, double, dark blue blooms on stems sparsely furnished with narrow gray-green leaves. The compact bushy plants stay neat in the garden and the seed heads attract many types of birds. Fall-sown seedlings...

(Mountain Bluet, Perennial Cornflower)

Native to the mountainous regions of Central Europe, mountain bluet is a perennial that thrives in temperate climates with drier soils. Plants form low mounds of gray-green, lance-shaped leaves from which arise stems of single blue feathery flowers in late spring to summer. This montane plant is great for rock or alpine gardens as well as perennial borders. Plants tend to self-seed, so spent flowers should be removed. Divide these perennials every two to three years for best growth.

(Mountain Bluet, White Mountain Bluet)

Native to the mountainous regions of Central Europe, white mountain bluet is a perennial that thrives in temperate climates with drier soils. Plants form low mounds of gray-green, lance-shaped leaves from which arise stems of delicate single white spidery flowers in late spring to summer. This montane plant is great for rock or alpine gardens as well as perennial borders. Plants tend to self-seed, so spent flowers should be removed. Divide these perennials every two to three years for best growth....

(Mountain Bluet)

A striking mountain bluet, Amethyst Dream’ originates from the mountainous areas of Central Europe. This mounding perennial is distinguished by its deep purple flowers, high vigor and overall good garden performance.

The foliage is silver-green, lance-shaped and forms a low mound. In late spring to early summer strong stems topped with spidery royal purple. The blooms are attractive to butterflies and set lots of seed once spent. In fact, mountain bluets are known to self-sow with efficiency,...

(Amethyst in Snow Cornflower, Mountain Bluet, Perennial Cornflower)

What a pretty mountain bluet. The patented ‘Amethyst in Snow’ originates from the mountainous areas of Central Europe. This mounding perennial is distinguished by its large feathery white and purple flowers, high vigor and overall good garden performance.

The foliage is gray-green, lance-shaped and forms a low mound. In late spring to early summer strong stems topped with spidery white flowers with purple centers appear. The blooms are attractive to butterflies and set lots of seed once spent....

(Gold Bullion Cornflower, Mountain Bluet, Perennial Cornflower)

A flowering perennial with glowing leaves, ‘Gold Bullion,’ is descended from Mountain Bluet, a native of the mountainous regions of Central Europe. It thrives in temperate climates and drier soils. The plant forms a low mound of lance-shaped, golden leaves above which rise stems of single blue flowers with red centers from late spring to summer.

Grow this montaine perennial in full sun and well-drained, even rocky, soil. Like other mountain bluets, it is a great plantt for rock or alpine gardens...

(Red Valerian)

This selection of valerian is a compact perennial with white flowers borne in clusters on a profusion of stalks above the foliage throughout the summer. Originally from dry, rocky slopes surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, it is well-suited to a dry area of the garden. The flowers are borne in three-inch clusters called cymes and are lightly fragrant. It is a clumping plant with leaves that are fleshy and mid-green with hints of yellow or blue.

Grow ‘Albus’ in well-drained soil of poor to average...

(White Valerian)

This is a white-flowered selection of valerian. It is a perennial with flowers borne on stalks above the foliage throughout the summer. The parent species is red-flowered and native to dry, rocky slopes surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, so ‘Albus’ is well-suited to a dry area of the garden. The flowers are borne in three-inch clusters called cymes and are lightly fragrant. The leaves are fleshy and mid-green but with hints of yellow or blue.

Grow ‘Albus’ in well-drained soils of poor to average...