Sanguisorba menziesii

Blooms: Summer       32” tall

Perennial: This Alaskan native is ideal for the middle of a sunny border, or in containers. Plants form a low mound of lacy grey-green leaves, bearing bottlebrush spikes of deep maroon flowers in summer. Nice for cutting. Plants prefer a moist site. Clumps may be easily divided in early spring. Cut foliage back if it gets tired-looking after blooming. Rabbit resistant. Plant 18″ apart. Hardy to zones 2 – 9.

Sun – Partial Shade           Average soil              Average- Moist water

Allium cyathophorum var. farreri

Blooms: June – July                  12” tall

Perennial: Native to China. This dainty but hardy species has deep reddish-purple bell-shaped flowers that hang one-sided on pendulous umbels.  Used in borders, rock gardens, pots, and shade gardens.Deer resistant. Plant 10” apart. Hardy to zones 4 – 9

Sun – Partial Shade           Regular soil               Regular water

Allium Govanianum

Blooms: June                            12”   tall

Perennial: this species is from the Himalayas where its aromatic leaves are used medicinally. Fragrant white star-shaped flowers in 1” – 3” heads.  Deer resistant. Easy care, great naturalizer. Plant 4” – 6” apart.
Hardy to zone 4.        

 Full Sun – Light Shade       Average well-drained soil           Ample water

Allium senescens ssp montanum v glaucum

Blooms: June – July                  15” – 18” tall

Perennial: Native Siberia, Mongolia and China. Lilac purple 2″ flower balls that bloom in June. Dull green, strap like foliage. Likes a sunny, well drained location.  Used in borders, rock gardens, and pots.  Deer resistant. Plant 10” apart. Hardy to zones 4 – 8

Sun                  Regular soil                   Regular water

Fragaria vesca

Blooms: Spring – Summer               1’ tall

Perennial: Native to North America, Europe and Asia. Dainty white flowers. The fruit is a small, scarlet, cone-shaped berry studded with tiny seeds. They have a fragrance and taste more delicate than the larger cultivated berries. Plant 8” apart. Hardy to zones 5 – 9.

Sun – Part Shade               Rich acidic soil       Regular water

Amsonia hubrichtii

Blooms: Summer          24 – 36” tall

Perennial: Native to North America, South Central region. This low maintenance plant has showy star-like pale blue flowers in the summer. Leaves turn a beautiful yellow color during the fall season and have a wonderful airy look. Choice plant for two seasons in your garden. Deer resistant, attracts butterflies.  Plant 18” apart.  Hardy to zones 5 – 8

Sun – Partial Shade          Well drained soil            Moist to Regular water

Monarda didyma ‘Panorama’

Blooms:  Jul – Sep.       2.5 ‘ tall

Perennial:  Native to Eastern US. Gorgeous, showy flowers in wonderful shades of scarlet, purple and pink. Fragrant leaves which can be used for tea. Use in a bed or container. Thrives in any good soil. Can handle clay soils. Divide in spring as plants disturbed in fall often die in winter. Excellent cut flower. Hummingbirds love it! Hardy to zone 4.

Sun – Partial Shade       Regular soil          Moist

Amsonia tabemaemontana

Blooms: Summer          30 – 36” tall

Perennial: Native to North America, South Central region. This low maintenance plant has showy star-like pale blue flowers in the summer. Excellent cut flowers. Leaves turn a beautiful glowing gold color during the fall season. Choice plant for two seasons in your garden. Plant 18” apart. Hardy to zones 3 – 9.

Sun – Partial Shade     Well drained soil          Moist to Regular water

Camassia quamash

Blooms: Late Spring           15”

Perennial: Native to Washington. Flowers are pale to deep lavender blue. Tall spikes with many starry flowers with long, upright sword-like leaves, it was sometimes used by the Indians as a food crop. It tolerates damp meadows and pond edges as well as heavy clay soils. Plant 10”apart. Zone 4 – 8

Sun – Part Shade          Regular soil

Regular to ample water

Primula japonica

Blooms: Spring            12” – 18”   tall

Perennial: Native to Japan. The Candelabra group are grown for their colorful display of flowers arranged in layers or tiers on tall, upright stems. This species features flowers in a range of shades, from white through pink, to red. Performs best in moist soil. Tolerates wet conditions, beside a stream or pond. Excellent for cutting. Will also re-bloom in fall if cut back in spring. Plant 10” apart.  Hardy to zone 4.

Sun to Part Shade         Regular soil                Moist

Primula japonica ‘Rowallane’

Blooms: Spring            12” – 18” tall

Perennial: Native to Ireland. Rowallane Hybrids’ arose from Rowallane Garden in Northern Ireland. This vigorous and beautiful candelabra species is grown for their colorful display of flowers arranged in layers or tiers on tall, upright stems. This species features flowers that are pink-red carmine. Performs best in moist soil. Tolerates wet conditions, beside a stream or pond. Excellent for cutting. Will also re-bloom in fall if cut back in spring. Plant 10” apart. Hardy to zone 4.

Sun to Part Shade          Regular soil           Moist

Penstemon serrulatus ‘Albus’

Blooms: Summer                      2.5’ tall

Perennial: Native to Cascade Mt. Range. This rare variety has white flowers. This is a penstemon that prefers moist to wet conditions and is found growing in the wild near stream or river banks. Cascade Penstemon is found to the west of the Cascade Mountain crest from southern Alaska through British Columbia and Washington to northwest Oregon.  Hardy to zones 3 – 9..

Full Sun              Rich moist soil               Moist

Clematis integrifolia ‘Mongolian Bells’

Blooms: Spring – Summer         10” – 14”

Perennial: Native to Asia. This species is an uncommon non-climbing Clematis with lovely blue, pink, white or lavender bell – shaped flowers with a long blooming season. Compact bushy growth. Pretty seed heads in fall.
Sun – Partial Shade       Well drained soil       Arid to regular water

Clematis alpina

Blooms: Spring – summer           6’ – 10’’ tall

Perennial: Native to European Alps. Clematis alpina discovered in 1768, is a beautiful true-blue color and blooms about the same time as C.montana,This is a deciduous vine. Use them on trellises, arbors, walls, down hillsides, or to cover dead stumps. Hardy to zones 6 – 9.

Sun – Partial Shade       Moist well drained soil         Moderate water

Clematis heracleifolia

Blooms: Summer- Fall        3’ – 5’ tall

Perennial: Native to Asia. This species is an uncommon non-climbing Clematis with lovely blue – purple bell – shaped flowers with a long blooming season. Drought – tolerant once established. Pretty seed heads in fall.  Cut back to 6” in early spring. Hardy to zone 5.

Sun – Partial Shade       Well drained soil        Arid to regular water

Clematis stans

Blooms: Summer              2.5′ tall

Perennial: Native to Japan. This is a rare shrubby clematis. It has lovely purple-blue fragrant flowers that have very curly petals. They reflex back upon themselves into a spiral. Naturally grows on the edges of forests in the mountains ofJapan. Prefers part-shade but can take full sun on the coast as long as it has adequate moisture. This one is a heavy-bloomer! Hardy to zones 3 – 7

Full Sun – Light Shade    Moist well drained soil     Moderate water

Codonopsis clematidea

Blooms: Summer          3’ – 5’ tall

Perennial:. Native to China, Afghanistan and India. Hardy herbaceous twining climber. Beginning in summer has beautiful nodding, large bell shaped pale blue flowers with a striking interior of a yellow center surrounded by purple or blue\violet rings. A wonderful twiner to grow through small shrubs. Up to 5′ tall and eventually forms a clump 15″ wide.  Plant 18” apart. Useful in semi shade borders, can use others shrubs for support. Hardy to zones 7 – 9.

Sun – Part Shade          Regular  soil         Moist  to regular water

Aquilegia ‘Crimson Star’                               

Blooms: May – June                 18” tall

Perennial: Bright crimson-red, long-spurred flowers with a white corolla and yellow stamens explode into color in late spring. Like all columbine once they have bloomed out they have attractive foliage. EASY to grow, great cutflower. Plant 18″ apart. Hardy to zone 3.   

Full Sun – Light Shade        Rich humus well drained soil               Moderate water

Catananche caerulea bicolored

Blooms: Summer                      2’ tall

Perennial: Native to Northern Africa and Southwestern Europe. Lavender-blue flowers on long wiry stems above downy grey-green foliage.  Use as a cut flower or dried as an everlasting.  This is a wild flower originally from the Mediterranean.  Gerard was growing it in his garden by 1597.  Pliny recorded it being used in love potion, hence it’s name. Plant 10” – 12” apart. Hardy to zones 5 -10.

Full Sun                  Light to average soil        Grow on the dry side

Dianthus japonicus

Blooms: Summer          2’

Perennial: Native to Japan. This very unusual evergreen dianthus has lovely large heads of pinkish purple flowers that bloom for a long time. The leaves are much fatter and waxier than most other dianthus. Plant 15” apart. Hardy to zone 6.

Sun- Part Shade        Regular to sandy soil           Regular water

Dianthus superbus

Blooms: Spring-Summer           2’

Perennial: This exceptional Heirloom dianthus has pale green foliage topped by fragrant deeply fringed pale lavender flowers in spring and again in fall.  It has been documented growing in gardens since 1596. Plant 18” apart. Hardy to zone 5.

Sun                  Regular soil            Regular water

Allium sphaerchephalom

Blooms: June – July                  2.5’ tall

Perennial: Native to Europe. These hardy alliums have egg-shaped flowers in summer that start off green, then turn pink- then clover red-purple. Especially useful peeking up through other plants, such as roses or daylilies, so that their nondescript foliage is hidden. They naturalize freely. Used in borders, beds, fresh, dried and cut flowers.  Plant 10” apart. Hardy to zone 4.

Sun                  Regular soil                   Regular water

Iris pumila

Blooms: Early Spring                8” tall
Perennial: Native to Southern Europe. These delightful tiny iris with dark purple flowers are the earliest to bloom, starting in late March. An especially cold hardy perennial which forms neat clumps clothing itself in blooms. Perfect in the rock garden or front of the border where their special charm can be appreciated.   Plant 18” apart. Hardy to zone 3.

Sun – Shade           Humus rich soil           Regular to Moist

Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’

Blooms: Summer                      2’ – 4’ tall

Perennial:  Native to Eastern U.S. Large handsome reddish purple 4” wide flowers with darker centers.  A long lived plant valued by the Plains and Eastern Indians for it’s medicinal properties as an immune system stimulate.  Attracts birds, butterflies and bees. Deer resistant.
Plant 18” – 24” apart. Hardy to zones 3 – 9.

Sun – Light Shade          Average, well drained soil        Regular water

Campanula cochlearifolia

Blooms: Summer                      3” – 9” tall

Perennial:  Native to Europe. This campanula variety has dainty sky blue flowers on short wiry stems blooming through the summer. Spreads gradually by underground stems. Requires filtered shade all day, or morning sun and afternoon shade. Use in rock gardens, front of borders or shade gardens. Also works well in a container. Deer resistant. Plant 10” apart. Hardy to zone 3.

Sun – Part Shade        Well drained soil      Regular water