(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...

(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...

(Common Buttonbush)

The American native shrub, common buttonbush, develops striking pincushion-like flower balls of ivory in summer and early fall. These are followed by attractive fruits and russet red autumn leaves. This rounded, deciduous shrub is native to much of eastern North America as well as Cuba and regions in Mexico. Wild specimens can be found growing in moist or wet soils around lakes, ponds and streams.

Buttonbush has shiny, medium green leaves that are oval to almost lance-like in shape. The leaf...

(Snow-in-Summer)

Snow-in-Summer is an easy-care, mat-forming perennial that flowers so profusely in sproing that it resembles a drift of snow. This is a rampantly-spreading plant with small, wooly silver leaves that can persist through a mild winter. In spring, a carpet of clear white, star-shaped flowers with button centers rise above the leave on short stems and cover the plant into summer.

Grow Snow-in-Summer in full sun and average well-drained soil, A native of Italy and Sicily, it tolerates hot, dry conditions....

(Snow-in-Summer)

Tough and hardy, snow-in-summer is a vigorous, mat-forming perennial native to Italy. Its low-growing, fine, wooly, silver-gray leaves often persist through winter. In late spring to early summer, it blooms showily with five-petalled, star-like white flowers on stalks, covering the plant so densely that it resembles a mound of snow. This selection, ‘Columnae,’ lifts the flowers slightly higher than the parent species. The flowers draw many pollinators.

Give ‘Columnae’ full sun and average to poor...

(Silver Carpet Snow-in-Summer, Snow-in-Summer)

Tough and hardy, snow-in-summer is a vigorous, mat-forming perennial native to Italy. Its low-growing, fine, wooly, silver-gray leaves often persist through winter. In late spring to early summer, it blooms showily with five-petalled, star-like white flowers on stalks, covering the plant so densely that it resembles a mound of snow. This selection, ‘Silver Carpet,’ lifts the flowers slightly higher than the parent species. The flowers draw many pollinators.

Give ‘Silver Carpet’ full sun and average...

(Blue Leadwort, Plumbago)

Blue leadwort is a deciduous perennial from western China. Foliage emerges in late spring, followed by true blue phlox-like flowers summer. In fall the foliage turns a striking bronze-red.

The drought-tolerant perennial blue leadwort will perform best in rich, well-drained soil in full sun. Use it as a groundcover (even under a small tree), an edger, in a mixed border, or a rock garden. Blue leadwort is great for mixing with spring bulbs because its leaves emerge when bulbs are fading. In hot...

(Katsura Tree)

Regarded as one of the world's most beautiful small shade trees, the katsura tree has uniform heart-shaped leaves, golden orange fall foliage and persistent coppery-tan seedpods that decorate its bare winter branches. A deciduous tree from China and Japan, it generally has a spreading, vase-shaped to oval-canopy and gray-brown bark that exfoliates in vertical bands, adding winter and spring interest.

The heart-shaped leaves first emerge with a bronzy color before turning medium green. The leaf...