When trying to spruce up your outdoor landscape with a bed or border, it’s nice to include several elements that won’t need replanting and that weather winter well. Hardy, large bushes with soft, furry leaves and showy purple flowers in the summertime always make a nice addition. The most common are easily available and will liven up your garden without breaking the bank.
Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a densely growing, leafy herb that reaches a height of 2 to 2 1/2 feet and is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. It’s long, green leaves are covered with a slight down that lends them a silvery sheen when looked at from the right angles, and in June it breaks out in masses of purple-blue flowers. Plant it in a location that receives lots of sunlight and has good drainage because it doesn't do well with too much water or shade.
Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) is a large, showy shrub that imitates lilac’s long, conical blooms and sprouts a profusion of purple showstoppers in summertime. It thrives in USDA zones 5 through 10 and, depending on the cultivar, grows from 4 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 15 feet wide. As its name suggests, this soft-leaved plant attracts birds and butterflies.
Common or English Lavender
A well-known version of lavender is called common lavender and English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). This bushy evergreen plant grows to a height and width of 3 feet and sends up stalks of cylindrical, purple flower clusters. It is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 11 and is most commonly planted for its fragrance. The furry-leaved herb also makes an effective hedge in sunny locations, and its delicate blooms can be dried and harvested for sachets and aromatherapy purposes.
Most garden plants provide visual pleasure, but lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantine) gives tactile pleasure as well. The plant was named for its incredibly soft, densely furred leaves. It grows to a height and width that is up to 3 feet. In summertime, it sends up tall, gray spikes covered with purple-pink flowers. Lamb’s ears grows in USDA zones 4 through 8, needs full-sun exposure and prefers moist, well-draining soil.
Your Planting Articles
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Salvia Officinalis
- The Old Farmer's Almanac: Butterfly Bush -- How to Plant, Grow and Care for Butterfly Bush
- National Gardening Association: Edible Landscaping with Charlie Nardozzi -- Edible of the Month: Lavender
- Fine Gardening: Stachys Byzantina and Cvs. (Lamb's Ears, Woolly Betony)
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