Hardy herbaceous perennials are plants that die down to the ground in winter, then come back each spring for at least 3 years after planting (and sometimes for as long as 50 years!). They are the backbone of the ornamental garden. Here are some favorites for Santa Fe gardens. (For tips on preparing a new perennials bed using the double-digging method, click here. For tips on perennials naturally suited to augmented clay soils, click here.)

Achillea ‘Anthea’ (Anthea Hybrid Yarrow): Zones 4-10. 1'H, to 30" in bloom, x 1-3'W. Lovely silver-grey foliage and soft primrose yellow flowers on upright stalks all summer if deadheaded. Blooms fade to cream. A nice break from some of the bright yellow shriekers in the yarrow family, 'Anthea' is the brainchild of the same breeders who brought us 'Moonshine' (see below).

Achillea filipendulina (Fernleaf Yarrow): Zones 3-10; 3-5'H x 3-4'W. Big flat or rounded clusters of golden-yellow to old gold flowers much of the summer if deadheaded; plants make big upright clumps and are clothed with finely cut dark green leaves. Very drought tolerant once established, much more so than Achillea millefolium. The flowers on their long straight stalks are often used in dried arrangements. 'Coronation Gold', a hybrid, is one of the most common cultivars. Very nice with Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia, see "Favorite Shrubs For Santa Fe" by clicking here).

Achillea millefolium (Thousand-Leaved Yarrow): Zones 4-10. 6-9"H, to 3' in bloom, x 2-3'W. Less drought tolerant than some species, the wild form has finely cut green leaves and blooms chalk-white repeatedly all summer if kept destalked. Many color forms have been developed from it. Customer favorites include:

• 'Appleblossom', a vigorous pinkish-peach fading to pale pink;
• 'Paprika', prized for its bright scarlet flowerheads, dotted with gold centers, which age to pale copper;
• 'Summerwine', with unusual, striking, pale-centered, dark wine red flowers fading to blush pink; and
• 'Terracotta', with rust-red flowers fading to pale goldish-tan.

Achillea ‘Moonshine’ (Moonshine Hybrid Yarrow): Zones 4-10. 6-9"H, to 3'+ in bloom, x 2'W. Drought-tolerant, with finely cut gray-green foliage and brilliant sulfur-yellow flowers on upright stalks all summer if deadheaded. Looks beautiful with Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht' (see below).

Agastache cana (Texas Hummingbird Mint; Double Bubble Mint): Zones 5-10. 2-3’H x 1.5'W, drought-tolerant. Dark green foliage, scented of bubblegum; tubular rich pink blossoms on stiff spikes. Hummingbird heaven. Blooms midsummer to fall. Pronounced uh-GAS-tuh-kee.

Agastache rupestris (Licorice Mint; Sunset Hyssop): Zones 4-10. 1.5-2.5’H x 1.5'W, drought-tolerant. Grey-green foliage scented of licorice; stiff stems flaunt tubular orange blossoms with lavender calyxes. Hummingbird heaven. Very long-blooming, particularly if deadheaded.

Ajuga sp. (Bugle): Zones 4-10. 5-14"H x 2'+W. Great ground cover plants for well-drained shade, spreading via runners into lovely mats. They bloom azure blue in late spring, but are usually grown for their foliage. Dark chocolate brown leaved varieties include A. reptans 'Black Scallop' and 'Chocolate Chip'; A. reptans 'Burgundy Glow' is variegated burgundy, green, and cream.

Anthemis tinctoria (Golden Marguerite, Dyer's Chamomile): Zones 4-10; 2-3'H x 2-3'W. Finely cut scented green leaves form spreading clumps covered with thin-stemmed, pure gold daisies all summer long. Amazingly tolerant of a wide variety of soils and conditions, thriving in full sun with moderate water. 'Kelwayi' is the most commonly found form; 'Moonlight' blooms pale yellow.

Aquilegia sp. (Columbine): Numerous cultivars, variously hardy, most of which attract hummingbirds. 6”-3’ H, adaptable water requirements (though most do best with regular water), sun to filtered shade in a well-drained, compost-enriched soil. Single to double, spurred or spurless, crown-shaped usually nodding flowers appear above bluish-green, airy foliage from mid-spring to midsummer in a wide color range of blues, pinks, reds, bicolors, and occasional yellows.

• Some species have a sweet scent, such as the gold-spurred columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha, Zones 4-10, 3-4'H x 1-2'W), shown to the right.
• Aquilegia caerulea, the blue-flowered native Rocky Mountain Columbine (Zones 3/4-10, 1.5-3'H x 2'W), is particularly popular; it is the state flower of Colorado.
• The seed strain 'Clementine Mix' (Zones 4-10, 14-20"H x 1'W) offers semidouble, upward-facing, spurless pompom-like blossoms in pink, white, salmon, blue, or purple.
• 'Origami Mix' (Zones 3-10, 14"H, to 32" in bloom, x 1'W) is an early-blooming pastel-flowered mix.

Arenaria montana (Sandwort): Zones 3-8, 4-8"H x 1'W. Dark green mats sport large round white cups in late spring. For full sun to part shade on moist, well-drained soils. Very nice with armerias and dwarf campanulas (see below).

Armeria sp. (Sea Pink, Thrift): Tough little grassy tufts for full sun and moist, well-drained, poorish soils; salt tolerant. From mid-spring to midsummer, tufts sport wiry stems topped with balls of pink, rose, or white flowers. Rock garden favorite. 'Joystick Mix' (Zones 6-10, 4-8"H, to 2' in bloom, x 1'W) offers large numbers of pink, white, or carmine blossoms late spring to midsummer. A. maritima 'Rubrifolia' (Zones 3-8, 4-10"H x 10"W) boasts burgundy early spring foliage and hot magenta pink flowers.

Artemisia sp. (Wormwood; Mugwort): Aromatic silvery-leaved perennials, sun- and drought-tolerant and Bambi resistant, grown for their foliage. At least one species, the nonflowering European Artemisia dranunculus 'Sativa' (French Tarragon, Zones 4-10, 1.5'H x W) is grown for flavoring and is a maintstay of herb gardens. Other species and cultivars include:

• A. 'Powis Castle' (Zones 5-10, 3'H x 6'W) makes a spreading, lacy silver mound and is frequently used as a ground cover.
• A. ludoviciana albula (Silver King, Zones 4-10, 2-3.5'H x 2'W), is a widely grown Southwest native with silvery white, lobed and unlobed leaves on slender, spreading branches. Its foliage is often used in flower arrangements. A. 'Valerie Finnis' (Zones 4-10, 2'H x 2'W) is related, with broader leaves and a more compact habit.
• The Japanese species A. schmidtiana (Angel's Hair, Zones 4-10, 2'H x 1'W) makes a lovely woolly, felted, silvery-white dome; 'Silver Mound' is a compact 1'H x 1'W  form.
• A. stellerana (Hardy Dusty Miller, Zones 4-10, 2.5'H x 3'W) has lobed silvery leaves and sprays of yellow summer flowers. A. s. 'Silver Brocade' is a popular dense-growing selection.

Aster sp. (Hardy Aster): A wide range of rather informal perennials, valued for their masses of starry blossoms in late spring, summer, or fall depending on the species. Butterflies adore them. Most prefer full sun and a well-drained, composty soil; some species (particularly the New York asters, Aster novae-belgiae) are prone to mildew in late fall. Species include:

• Aster x frikartii (Frikart's Aster, Zones 5-10, 2'H x 2'W) is very long-blooming, bearing masses of lavender-blue daisies from midsummer to fall; its cultivars 'Mönch' and 'Wunder von Stafa' ("Wonder of Staffa") are popular.
• A. lateriflorus 'Prince' (Zones 4-9, 2'H x 1'W), derived from a North American native species, bears much-branched, blackish-purple stems and leaves and clouds of small white daisies with red centers. They make stunning cut flowers.
• A. novae-angliae (New England Aster, recently reclassified Symphyotrichon novae-angliae; Zones 2-8, 3-5'H x 3-4'W), is despite its name native from the Northeast to the Southwest U.S. It makes big clumps of long, arching stems, clothed midsummer to midfall with white, pink, purplish, bluish, or reddish daisies. A. n.-a. 'Alma Potschke' (3'H x 3'W) blooms salmon pink; A. n.-a. 'Harrington's Pink' (3-5'H x 4'W) is clothed with shimmering baby pink blossoms over a very long period. A. n.-a. 'Purple Dome' is a neatly mounded dwarf (18"H x 18"W) violet-flowered cultivar.
• The hybrid asters, A. 'Wood's Series', are dwarfs, too (12"H to 18"H in bloom x 18"W), flowering in late summer and early fall. They boast particularly mildew-resistant foliage.

Aurinia saxatilis 'Compacta' (Hardy Gold Alyssum, Zones 4-8, 8-12"H x 1'W): A little rock garden treasure, smothered with bright gold blossoms in spring. Requires good drainage, full sun.

Campanula sp. (Bellflower): Oh, the beauty of bellflowers! Good in rich, moist, well-drained soils in full sun to filtered shade, they make great container subjects.

• C. poscharskyana (Serbian Bellflower, Zones 4-9, 9-12"H x 2'W) is a vigorous green spreader clothed with open blue-violet stars mid-spring to early summer.
• C. rotundifolia ‘Olympica’ (Olympic Blue Harebell, Zones 3-9, 6-12"H x 18"W) is a charming wildflower, with relaxed, upright, spreading foliage and blue bell-shaped flowers on airy foliage late spring to midsummer. It is one of the more drought tolerant campanulas once established, though it blooms better with moisture and regular deadheading.
• Popular hybrid bellflowers are C. 'Pearl Series' (Zones 3-9, 6-9"H x 18"W), featuring compact green mounds covered with large, open-cupped, upward facing blossoms (white in 'Pearl White', deep lavender in 'Pearl Deep Blue') most of the summer.

Centranthus ruber (Jupiter’s Beard or False Valerian; syn. Valeriana rubra): Zones 4-9, 2-3’H x 3'W+. An all-purpose perennial if there ever were one! Bushy clumps of blue-green leaves and stems topped with showy clusters of tiny reddish-pink tubular flowers that drive butterflies crazy. about. Blooms all summer if deadheaded. Adaptable to everything from full sun to full shade, moist soils or dry (though the blooms will last longer, and there'll be more of them, if the plants are watered regularly). 'Atrococcineus' (syn. 'Coccineus') is a darker reddish cultivar; 'Albus' flowers snow white.

Cerastium tomentosum (Snow-In-Summer): Zones 3-9; 6"H x 18"W. Drought tolerant
silver-grey-leaved groundcover bearing numerous tiny white blossoms in late spring and early summer. Prefers full sun and well-drained soil.

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Hardy Plumbago; Hardy Leadwort): Zones 5-9; 9-12"H x 12"W. Few blues can match the azure blossoms of Hardy Plumbago for sheer color intensity. Gentian-blue flowers are borne August-October on low, slow-growing dark green plants that turn glowing red in autumn.

Coreopsis sp. (Tickseed): Numerous cultivars of varying hardiness, growing anywhere from 6”-3’ H and the same wide. Somewhat drought-tolerant once established, they boast single to double, yellow-centered, daisy-like flowers with notched petals mostly in yellow or gold, sometimes with reddish spots at the inner base of the petals. Great planted with catmint, most varieties will bloom all summer if deadheaded religiously. Finches relish the seeds. Plants are prone to powdery mildew.

• C. auriculata 'Nana' (Zones 4-9) is a cute dwarf, to 9"H x 12"W, blooming orangey-gold in late spring to early summer.
• 'Baby Sun' (Zones 3-9, 12-18"H x 18"W) blooms all summer with single gold blossoms flecked red at base.
• C. grandiflora 'Early Sunrise' (Zones 5-9, 24-30"H x 18"W) bears gold pompoms all summer.
• 'Jethro Tull' (Zones 5-9, 12-15"H x18"W) bears unusual rolled petals, like tiny gold trumpets, most of the summer.
• 'Tequila Sunrise' (Zones 5-9, 18-24"H x 18"W) bears single yellow blooms, flecked red at base, above variegated green and pinky-cream foliage.
• Disease-resistant C. verticillata 'Crême Brulée' (Zones 4-9, 12-18"H x 2'W) bears narrow foliage and single deep yellow blossoms over a long summer period.
• C. verticillata 'Moonbeam' (Zones 4-9, 12-18"H x 18"W) bears blooms in soft lemon with orange-yellow centers on thread-leaved plants. All do best in full sun or very light shade in well-drained, compost-enriched soil.

Delosperma (Hardy Ice Plant): Drought-tolerant, sun-loving, succulent bright green mat-formers boasting brilliantly colored narrow-petaled daisies all summer in most species. D. cooperi (Zones 4-9, 2"H x 18"W) blooms in brilliant magenta all summer. D. nubigenum (Zones 4-9, 3"H x 3'W) blooms bright yellow in late spring and early summer. Great for well-drained, dryish sites in full sun.

Delphinium (Hardy Larkspur): Classic English cottage garden plants that provide some of the best blues of the summer garden, delphiniums can thrive in Santa Fe if given a deep, compost-enriched, well-drained soil and regular water in full sun to light shade. They come in short, medium, and tall varieties, and mostly bloom early to midsummer (longer if deadheaded).

The tallest (they often need staking) are the Pacific Giant Hybrids (Zones 3-9, 48-60"H x 18"W), which offer semidouble blooms featuring a central boss of petals (called a "bee") often in a contrasting color; the Pacific Giants are mostly named after characters from the knights of the Round Table. Our best-selling Pacifics are frequently:

• 'Black Knight' (indigo blue, black bee);
  
• 'Blue Bird' (blue with white bee).
  
• 'Galahad' (pure white);
• 'King Arthur' (dark violet with black bee);
• 'Summer Skies' (pure sky blue);

The Magic Fountains Series is a semidwarf strain (Zones 3-9, 24-30"H x 18"W) that usually needs no staking; it comes in dark blue, light blue, lavender, white, and dark blue with a black bee. Chinese delphiniums (Delphinium grandiflorum, Zones 3-8, 8-12"H x 18"W) ) are the dwarfest of all, multistemmed and bushy, with finely divided foliage; 'Blue Butterfly', an intense gentian blue, is a favorite.

Dicentra spectabilis (Bleeding Heart, Zones 3-8, 1.5-2.5’ H x 2'W): Old-fashioned spring bloomers make loose clumps of bright green leaves and arching stems of dangling, heart-shaped rose-red blossoms. Prefers shade, deep well-drained compost-enriched soil, and moderate moisture once established. D. s. 'Albus' bears white blossoms. A related species, the Fringed Bleeding Heart (D. eximia, 1-1.5'H x 1.5'W) blooms off and on all summer if deadheaded.

Digitalis (Perennial Foxglove): Most foxgloves are biennial, putting down roots the first year and blooming the second with tall spikes of open-throated trumpets, then dying. But several species are reliably perennial, returning year after year. The most popular is probably D. x mertonensis (Zones 4-9, 6-9"H to 3' in bloom x 1'W), sometimes called the Strawberry Foxglove; it blooms late spring to early summer, and its flowers are strawberry pink flushed salmon. Nice for cutting. Prefers a deep, compost-enriched, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade; water regularly for best bloom.

Doronicum (Leopard's Bane): This little known treasure is a welcome sight in early to late spring, when it opens its brilliant single to semidouble lemon-yellow daisies against its rich green heart-shaped leaves. Although all the books say it is not drought-tolerant, planted in dry shade and watered moderately once established we have found it a reliable clump former. 'Little Leo' (Zones 4-8, 12-18"H x 1'W) is a common dwarf form.

Echinacea (Coneflower): Echinaceas are all the rage these days, with new introductions in unusual colors being introduced every year. Native to North America, the species types feature stiff-stemmed summer daisies with white, pink, or rose petals, usually downward-curving, and central cones in rose- or orangy-green, often fragrant. All echinaceas make good cut flowers, but they must have well-drained, moderately moist, compost-enriched soil in full to dappled sun in order to thrive. Butterfly magnets!

• E. purpurea ‘Magnus’ (Zones 3-8, 2-3’H x 2'W) is one of the best, with large, purple-rose flowers whose petals stay flat instead of curving downward.
• E. p. 'Rubinstern' ('Ruby Star') is similar.
• E. p. 'Doubledecker' offers a second layer of petals around the top of its orange cone starting the second year.
• The most popular hybrid echinaceas are the Big Sky™ Series (Zones 5-8) featuring multiple stems of very large daisies in unusual colors.
• 'Pink Double Delight' (Zones 5-8, 2'H x 2'W) is a striking pink to mauve variety in which the ray-petals have been reduced to a fringe and the central cone greatly expanded, so that the flowers resemble rayed pompoms.
  

Erysimum ‘Bowles' Mauve’ (Bowles Mauve Wallflower, Zones 6-10, 18-24"H x 2'W): Most wallflowers are best treated as annuals or biennials, but several are reliably perennial shrubby evergreens with woody stems and four-petaled, often fragrant flowers in shades of yellow, orange, or lilac. 'Bowles' Mauve' makes bushy mounds of purple buds opening to soft mauve May-July; sheer after first flush to ensure second flush in fall. For well-drained, rather dry sites in full sun (will bloom best with moderate moisture). Needs a warm spot to overwinter reliably in Santa Fe.

Gaillardia (Blanket Flower): Variously hardy hybrids of American native wildflowers, known for their long-blooming bicolor red and gold or burgundy daisies on upright to lax thin stems.

• 'Arizona Sun' (Zones 3-10, 10"H x 1'W) is a superdwarf, long-blooming variety with grey-green leaves and gold-tipped reddish flowers.
• 'Burgunden' ('Burgundy', Zones 4-10, 2'H-1'W) boasts flowers of solid wine-red.
• 'Fanfare' (Zones 5-10, 28"H x 18"W) has upward-facing fluted red petals tipped in gold; it is particularly floriferous.
• 'Kobold' ('Goblin', Zones 5-10, 1'H x 1'W) is one of the most common cultivars, a hairy leaved dwarf with red, yellow-tipped petals. All must have very well-drained to sandy soil, medium to low fertility, with moderate water once established, and all act as butterfly magnets!

Gaura lindheimeri (Whirling Butterflies): 18-48"H x 2-4'W hybrids of several drought tolerant Texas native species, featuring willow-leaved green clumps with airy, loose summer spikes of white to pink flowers resembling fat-winged mosquitoes or (if you strain your eyes a bit) skinny butterflies (I suppose "Whirling Mosquitoes", though perhaps more accurate a common name, would put off plant shoppers). Loves gravelly, well-drained soils in full sun and moderate water once established. Takes little care.

Geranium sp. (Hardy Geranium): Many cultivars. 6”-2’ H & W, adaptable water requirements, sun to shade on well-drained, compost soils. White, lavender, pink to electric- blue blossoms are your color choices on these plants. Miniature to large mounds. Wonderful accents for native gardens. Blooms early summer to fall depending on cultivar. 'Johnson's Blue' (shown at right) and 'Vision Pink' are popular, but one of our favorites is 'Rozanne' (Zones 5-9, 18-24"H x 30"W), which features large lilac-blue blossoms literally all summer and well into fall.

Gypsophila (Baby's Breath): Two main species, wildly differing in height and impact, both preferring the alkaline soil conditions Northern New Mexico offers in such abundance. Gypsophila paniculata (Zones 3-10, 2-3'H x 30"W) blooms in summer, putting up several delicate, multibranched stems studded with numerous tiny single to double pure white to pinkish-white blossoms. They are good cut and dried for arrangements. G. repens, Creeping Baby's Breath (Zones 4-8, 6"H x 18"W) is a dark-leaved groundcover spangled with white blossoms in summer (rose in G. r. 'Rosea'). Both prefer full sun, well-drained soil.

Helenium (Helen's Flower; Sneezeweed): A curiously underused class of late summer daisies featuring thin, wiry stems and big-bossed heads of yellow, gold, scarlet, and tricolor blossoms beloved of butterflies and ideal for cutting. Despite their common name, the plants do not cause hay fever. One of the best cultivars is 'Mardi Gras' (Zones 4-9, 3-4'H x 3'W), blooming gold with scarlet and orange streaks in August and September. For full sun, any soil, moderate water once established.

Helianthemum (Sunrose): A charming class of compact, drought- and sun-tolerant, woody-stemmed, evergreen, green to grey-leaved minishrubs sporting May to July five-petaled single or semidouble blossoms in shades of pink, yellow, or orange depending on the cultivar. The blooms resemble those of wild roses. Great for full sun on dry, rocky, well-drained sites. Most rarely top a foot high to 2' wide, and most are hardy from Zones 5-10.

Kniphofia (Torch Flower; Torch Lily; Red Hot Poker; pronounced nif-OAF-ee-uh): Zones 4-10; 2.5-6’ H x 3'+W. Red Hot Pokers thrive on well-drained alkaline soils in full sun, and are extremely dramatic when in full flower, which is generally late spring through midsummer depending upon the cultivar. The long tubular blossomsare held in dense clusters at the ends of the stiff, upright stems; the flowers open from the bottom of the cluster to the tip. All the blossoms on a plant may be one color, but more usually the upper half of a cluster's blossoms contrast in color to those on the bottom half of the cluster. Particularly striking when planted against walls and fences, kniphofias can bloom in solid coral, solid primrose yellow fading to buff (K. 'Little Maid'), tangerine, orange, peach, or scarlet, and they attract hummingbirds in droves. Most torch lilies sold in this country are hybrids, including the ones billed as Kniphofia uvaria; the most commonly seen types bloom orange and yellow.

Lamium maculatum (Dead Nettle): Zones 4-9; 6"-1'H x 18"-2'+W. A member of the mint family like the true nettle (Urtica dioica), dead nettle (so called because it possesses no stinging stem- and leaf-hairs) is widely used in Northern New Mexico for shade and semishade plantings under and around trees and tall shrubs. The oval, notched leaves are green to grey-green, bordered and/or splashed with silver or gold; white, pink, lilac, or rose flowers are borne spring into summer. Surprisingly drought tolerant once established, dead nettle prefers moderate moisture on a well-drained composty soil. Popular varieties are 'Beacon Silver' (green and silver leaves, pink flowers) and 'White Nancy' (silver leaf narrowly margined in green, white flowers).

A valuable related species is Yellow Archangel 'Hermann's Pride' (Lamium galeobdolon 'Hermann's Pride', formerly Lamiastrum galeobdolon), which makes a 1-1.5’ H x 18"+W mounding clump with beautiful silver and green etched leaves and pale yellow blossoms in spring. It is popular in mixed container plantings.

Linum perenne (Blue Flax): Zones 4-10; 1-2'H x 1'W. One of the prettiest blues in the early summer garden, perennial blue flax makes thin, airy clumps of needlelike green leaves clothing wiry stems, each stem topped in early summer with a sky blue (occasionally white) 5-petaled cup that last only 1 day before being replaced by another flower. Flowers are followed by round seeds, and plants commonly reseed on Santa Fe's dry alkaline soil, though they never become a pest. 'Blue Sapphire' is a dwarf (1'H) form with branched stems.

Nepeta (Catmint): Zones 3/4-9; 1-3’ H x 2'+W. Drought-tolerant perennials from Europe and Asia most of which are well-adapted to Northern New Mexico's alkaline soils and dry heat. Most have  a mounding habit; soft, grey to green, aromatic leaves; and profuse lavender, white, or muddy pink flowers in spring and summer, beloved by bees.

• Nepeta cataria (Catnip) is an unshowy 2-3'H & W weed with heart-shaped toothed grey-green leaves and white to pinkish-white flowers in late spring and early summer; many (but not all) cats (including lions and tigers) find the scent of the leaves intoxicating; the leaves have also found applications in herbalism.
• Nepeta x faassenii (Faassen's Catmint, often sold as N. mussinii) makes a loose spreading 1-2'W grey-green mound, often cat-attracting, with lavender blue flowers. The vigorous 'Dropmore' is a commonly sold variety. 'Six Hills Giant' (2.5-3'H & W) is a stunning, heavy-flowering, extra-large-clumping hybrid.
• Nepeta racemosa (formerly N. mussinii, 6-12"H x 2'+W) hails from Turkey and Iran, and is best known for its cultivar 'Walker's Low', which has extra-dark lavender-blue flowers and despite its name is not a dwarf variety ("Walker's Low" is a site in Britain after which it was named).

Oenothera (Evening Primrose): Upright to lolling perennials and biennials prized for their silky four-petaled bright yellow or pale pink flowers, which in some species open in late afternoon and close the next morning. Like others members of the Onagraceae, such as clarkias and godetias, evening primroses are often completed stripped of flowers and leaves by blister beetles in summertime. If this happens to you, don't panic. The beetles (so-called because they have glands on their bodies that release a caustic oil if they are touched) are a major predator of grasshopper eggs, and quickly leave the area once they have eaten their fill, whereupon the primroses calmly put out new foliage and flowers.

Oenothera macrocarpa (Ozark Sundrops or Missouri Evening Primrose, formerly O. missouriensis and still often marketed as such by nurseries): Zones 4-10; 6"-1'H x 2'W. Lacelike green leaves and clusters of 1 to 2" shining deep yellow blossoms, which open during the day. For full sun to part shade.

Oenothera speciosa (Mexican Evening Primrose): Zones 5-9; 1'H x 3'+W. Few sights are more lovely than a clump of Mexican evening primrose in full bloom. Mounds of delicate green leaves sport masses of pink, perfumed cups that stay open all day long for most of the summer. Likes a dryish, well-drained site in full sun to partial shade. O. s. 'Rosea' (formerly called O. berlandieri) is pale pink. O. s. 'Siskiyou' is pink shading to greenish white at center. There is also a white form (O. s. 'Alba').

Paeonia cvs. (Peony): Shrubby perennials, 2-4' H x 2-4' W, with divided green leaves and single to fully double, often deliciously fragrant late spring blossoms in various shades of pink, red, rose, white, and occasionally lavender, the singles and semidoubles with golden central bosses. Plants die down more or less completely in winter, and the new buds are sometimes late to emerge in spring, so take care to mark the spot where you plant them — and keep dogs and kids away from them; emerging flowering shoots are extremely fragile, and once they're broken off, that's it for this year's bloom. Make lovely cut flowers. Their nectar attracts ants; just lower the cut bloom-stalks into a bucket of cool water and swish them around gently to dislodge any drunken critters. Peonies can be remarkably long-lived if well-sited, regularly fertilized, and kept watered; reports of up to 50 years are not uncommon. Resent transplanting, so once you put them in, leave them be.

Papaver orientale (Oriental Poppy): 2-4’H x 2-4'W, adaptable water requirements, though does best with moderate to regular water in well-drained soil and full to partial sun. Large single to double flowers, sometimes with fringed petals, all with black blotches at their petals' bases, appear in early summer, followed by ornamental seedheads (but see below). Plant with ornamental grasses for nice effect. Coarse, fuzzy foliage often dies back in mid-summer, but can persist in partial shade. WARNING: Oriental poppies do not normally come true from seed, so do not let seedheads stay on their stalks to scatter their seed, or the resulting seedlings, all of which will bloom screaming scarlet, will crowd out their mamas and eventually take over the planting. Then again, screaming scarlet may be just what you want.

• 'Beauty of Livermere' (often erroneously spelled "Beauty of Livermore") bears exceptionally dark red flowers.
• 'Brilliant' is the classic scarlet oriental poppy
  
• ‘Princess Victoria Louise’ bears large salmon-pink flowers, blotched black at center.
• 'Royal Wedding' bears blooms in snow white, blotched black at center.

Penstemon (Beardtongue): A huge class of plants, ranging from mounded dwarfs to 3-4 footers, native to North America, Mexico, and Central America. Many are exceptionally drought tolerant and are mainstays of the Northern New Mexico spring to midsummer border. All spring from basal leaf-clumps, and all bear spikes of tubular flowers, attractive to hummingbirds, on stiff stems.

• Penstemon barbatus (Zones 4-8, 3'+H x 1'W) bears spikes of widely spaced, somewhat drooping scarlet flowers; it is native to the mountain Southwest. For full sun to light shade in well-drained soil; prefers some water. 'Fireworks' is a compact 2'H x 1'W cultivar. 'Navigator Series' is a dwarf 12-18"H x 1'W seed strain blooming in pink, lilac, blue, or purplish.
  
• Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue) is native to eastern and central U.S.; it requires regular water to sustain its soft green leaves and fat white to pale pink flowers. In New Mexico prefers light to full shade. 'Husker Red' (2.5-3'H x 1.5'W) is a selection named for its burgundy foliage. 6-10” H, drought-tolerant. Needle-like foliage is dark green.
• Penstemon eatonii (Firecracker Penstemon, Zones 4-9, 1-3'H x 1'W) is another scarlet-flowered xeric, native to the Southwest desert mountains. Full sun, good drainage.
  
• Penstemon palmeri (Palmer's Penstemon) is one of the few perfumed species, very drought tolerant, growing 3-6'H x 1-2'W on very well-drained, gravelly soils in full sun. Its flowers are big, soft pink trumpets scented of pink bubblegum!
• Penstemon pinifolius (Pine-Leaved Beardtongue): Zones 5-10, 8"-1.5'H x 2'W. Native to southern New Mexico and Arizona. Bears very thin needlelike leaves in soft mounds, covered with tiny orange-red tubular flowers in early to midsummer. 'Mersea Yellow' is a lemon yellow variant. Both are knockouts planted with catmint. Full sun to very light shade on well-drained soils.
  
• Penstemon pseudospectabilis (Desert Beard Tongue): Zones 5-10; 2-4'H x 2'W. Native to mountains of Southern California and Arizona. Large turquoise leaves; rose to purplish trumpets.
• Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain Penstemon): Zones 4-8; 2-3'H x 1-2'W. Native from Wyoming and Arizona to New Mexico. Long early summer wands of bluish-violet spring from dark green basal clumps. Can take partial shade on well-drained soils; spreads to form large colonies.
  
• Penstemon x gloxinioides (Border Penstemon) is a class of long-blooming hybrids, none truly hardy in Santa Fe, where they are best grown as annuals. All prefer regular water on well-drained soils. But oh, my, the colors: dark pink, rose, maroon, purple, metallic blue, wine red, some strains with contrasting white throats.
  
• Penstemon Mexicali Hybrids: More or less compact clump formers, around 1.5'H x 2'W, prized for long bloom in Zones 5-10 (all summer!) and ease of care. 'Pike's Peak Purple' bears violet flowers; 'Red Rocks' blooms not, alas, in red, but in rose. For full to part sun and moderate watering.
  

Phlox paniculata (Tall Garden Phlox): Zones 4 or 5-9;  2-3'H x 3'+W. Hummingbirds adore the flared trumpets that make up the big flowerheads of these perfumed summer beauties. For full to part sun on well-drained loam with regular water. Form large colonies with armloads of bloom where happy. Many older varieties are terribly prone to powdery mildew; some of the most mildew resistant cultivars are noted below.

• 'David' (3'+H & W) is a highly disease resistant cultivar that makes masses of pure white bloom.
• 'Laura' bears clusers of striking purple flowers, each petal of which has a white blotch at base, forming a white "star" at the center of each blossom.
• 'Red Magic' (24-30"H & W) bears pinkish-red blossoms over mildew resistant foliage.
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Salvia x sylvestris (Woodland Sage): Zones 5-10. 2-3’H x 2-3'W. Narrow, green leaves. The tiny bilipped flowers range from violet to blue, rose, pink, or white, borne on erect spikes early to late summer, longer if deadheaded religiously. 'Mainacht' ("May Night"), which is often incorrectly listed as a cultivar of the Meadow Sage (Salvia nemorosa), is perhaps the best known cultivar. It stands 2-2.5' tall in bloom, begins flowering in spring, and if cut back after flowering can rebloom off and on all summer. Its flowers are intense indigo-blue with reddish bracts.

Santolina incana (Lavender Cotton or Cotton Lavender, formerly S. chamaecyparissus and still often listed as such): Zones 5-10; 2-3'H x W. Finely cut, fragrant, insect-repelling, silvery-gray foliage on rounded, multibranched shrublets. Masses of yellow button blooms around midsummer. Very drought tolerant once established; looks good with Russian sage, lavender, and Mexican evening primrose. 'Nana' is a dwarf form, to 1.5'H & W. Santolina rosmarinifolia (aka S. virens) is an attractive green-leaved species, hardy in Albuquerque and maybe the Española Valley (if planted out of the wind) but not reliably in Santa Fe.

SEDUMS (Sedum spp; Hylotelephium spp.): Huge class of hardy, moderately drought-tolerant, sunloving, succulent perennials prized for their architectural leaf shapes, interesting leaf markings and colors, white, pink, gold, ruby, or purple bloom clusters, and easy care. 

Dwarf Ground Cover Types:

• Sedum pachyclados (Zones 4-9; 3-4"H x 1'W): Whorls of toothed bluegreen leaves, like little hens-and-chicks, in spreading mats. Pale yellow flowers in late spring.
• Sedum rupestre 'Angelina' (Zones 4-9; 3-6"H x 18"W): Brilliant chartreuse needles on somewhat lax stems, orangish in fall; yellow summer flowers.
  
• Sedum spurium (Zones 4-9; 3-6"H x 18"W): Highly decorative ground cover group featuring leaves of many different color combinations; summer flowers, usually in shades of pink. 'Bronze Carpet' has bronze-green leaves and pink flowers. 'Dragon's Blood' has maroon-green leaves and maroon-red flowers. 'Fuldaglut' ('Blaze of Fulda') boasts maroon-green, roundish leaves and rose summer flowers. 'John Creech' has cupped green leaves and pink flowers. 'Tricolor', a very popular variety here in Santa Fe, has variegated green, cream, and pink flowers all season, with pink flowers in summer.

  Upright Tall Types:

• Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude' (aka Sedum 'Autumn Joy'): Zones 4-10; 1-2'H x 2'W: Widely planted variety with rounded green leaves and pink late summer blossom clusers that age to pinkish-tan. A true herbaceous perennial, dying down to the ground in winter and sprouting again in the spring. Moderate water once established.
  
• Hylotelephium spectabile (aka Sedum spectabile): Zones 4-10; 18"H x 18"+W. Thick blue green leaves on more or less upright stems, topped in late summer and fall with clusters of pink, rose, or maroon flowers that ripen to brownish seedheads. 'Brilliant' blooms rose-red; 'Indian Chief' in copper-rose; 'Neon' in deep pink. Does best with regular water.
  
• Hylotelephium telephium (aka Sedum telephium): Zones 3/4-10; 2'H x 1-2'W. Like H. spectabile, with greyer, narrower leaves. Can tolerate shade but tends to flop; best planted in full sun. 'Matrona' (18-24"H x 2'W, Zones 3-10) has grey-green leaves flushed burgundy, maroon stems, and pink flower clusters.
• Hylotelephium 'Vera Jameson' (aka Sedum 'Vera Jameson'): Zones 4-10; 8-12"H x 18"W. Pinkish-green leaves and pinkish flower clusters; reddish stems. Like 'Herbstfreude' above, dies to the ground in winter.
  
• Sedum 'Autumn Joy': See Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude' above.
  

Stachys lanata (Lamb's Ears, syn. S. byzantina): Zones 5-9; 12-18"H x 18-24"W depending on the cultivar. Native to the dry mountains of Iran, this ubiquitous Santa Fe groundcover deserves its popularity. Big felted silver leaves in spreading masses prefer full sun and dryish soils; some kinds put up silver spikes ringed with tiny two-lipped purplish flowers. Just cut them off at the base  if you don't like them, or get the cultivar 'Big Ears' (aka 'Countess Helen von Stein'); it seldom flowers. A related species, the salvia-like, red-flowered, green-leaved scarlet hedge-nettle (Stachys coccinea), is hardy in Albuquerque but not in Santa Fe.

Stokesia laevis (Stokes' Aster): Zones 5-10; 6-18"H x 14"W depending on the cultivar. Like an aster on steroids, these dwarf plants bear huge bracted lavender blossoms with lavishly cut petals on lolling stems all summer if deadheaded. Likes full sun to part shade and well-drained soil; moderate water once established. 'Klaus Jelitto' (6"H, to 18" in flower, x 14"W) is pale lavender blue; 'Purple Parasols' (1'H x 15"W) is a stunning dark rose-purple.

Veronica (Speedwell): A valuable class of plants, featuring both groundcover types and spiky border types, blooming in white, pink, rose, or lavender-blue depending on the species and cultivar. Here are some of the best.

Ground Cover Types:

• Veronica liwanensis (Turkish Speedwell, Zones 4-10, 3"H x 18"+W), is a spreading xeric perennial mat-former with very dark, glistening green oval leaves — reddish in cold weather — and thousands of tiny true cobalt blue blossoms for 2 to 3 months in spring. Low water requirements once established.
• Veronica peduncularis 'Georgia Blue' — named for the Republic of Georgia in the former Soviet Union — is hardy from Zones 5/6-9. It bears masses of round, white centered sky blue blossoms over dark green creeping foliage in spring. The foliage turns bronze in cold weather. Needs well drained soil and regular water.
• Veronica repens (Creeping Speedwell, Zones 3-9, 3"H x 18"W) bears tiny mosslike green leaves and white, blue-tinged spring blossoms. Moderate to low water once established.
• Veronica 'Waterperry Blue' (Zones 5-9, 4-6"H x 18"+W)  has dark green leaves and loose spring clusters of pale blue flowers veined deeper blue that appear off and on till fall. Needs regular water.

• Veronica austriaca ssp. teucrium 'Crater Lake Blue': Zones 4-9; 12-15"H & W. Intense cobalt blue blossom spikes over dark green, narrow-toothed leaves in midsummer. Regular water but worth it.
• Veronica 'Goodness Grows': Zones 4-8; 1'H & W. Dwarf violet-blue spikes all summer if deadheaded. Regular water.
• Veronica longifolia 'Eveline' (Zones 4-9; 18"H x 15"W): Disease resistant, upright rose spikes all summer if deadheaded.
  
• Veronica spicata (Spike Speedwell): Zones 4-9; 1.5-4'H x 2'W in the wild, but most of the named varieties are shorter. Pointed, oval green leaves and stiff spikes of white, pink, or lavender-blue flowers off and on all summer if deadheaded. Spray against powdery mildew. 'Icicle' (15-18"H x 1'W) blooms pure white. 'Rotfuchs' ("Red Fox"), 15"H & W, blooms sparkling rose-pink.
  

Vinca (Hardy Periwinkle): Highly prized ground cover for dryish shade and hanging baskets, featuring vining stems, dark green (sometimes variegated) oval leaves, and cup-based, flanged white, pink, plum, or (most commonly) lavender-blue blossoms in spring. Vinca minor, the small-leaved periwinkle, is hardy from Zones 4-10; Vinca major, the greater periwinkle, is not reliably hardy in Santa Fe unless planted on a warm south or west facing wall but will do just fine in Albuquerque.

More to come!