Gaura, white,
Gaura lindheimeri
This North American wildflower is a bushy, clump-forming, vase-shaped perennial with lance-shaped or spoon-shaped, toothed leaves on slender, wand-like stems. Leaves may be occasionally spotted with maroon. Loose panicles of 4-petaled white flowers open only a few at a time and fade slowly to pink, blooming from late spring to early autumn.
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Lamb's Ears
Stachys
Lambs' ears is a well-known ground-covering perennial, popular for its soft, fluffy foliage. The leaves are often retained quite late into autumn or winter in mild areas, but the plant is not properly evergreen, and the foliage falls eventually to be replaced by a fresh crop in spring. Plants flower in mid-summer, and the thick silvery-felty stems with knotty buds are quite a feature. The flowers are not very conspicuous, being hidden among the felt. Once established, plants are reasonably drought-tolerant, making this a good choice for a dry sunny border or gravel garden. To propagate, divide as soon as growth begins in spring. | |
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Leadwort,
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
This perennial is a deciduous or semi-evergreen ground cover that grows 6 to 10 inches tall. It has glossy green leaves on long, trailing stems and bears gentian-blue flowers. The 3/4-inch diameter flowers begin in early August and continue until frost. The foliage turns a lovely reddish bronze after the first frost and persists well into winter. | |
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