Sun Tolerant Plants

Blue Hill is easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Blue Hill's smaller size makes it perfect for a border garden or container. Remove spent flower spikes to help extend the bloom period.

Blooming in late winter and throughout the spring season, the flowers have dark maroon petals accented by golden edging. Like any geranium, it can tolerate some dryness and prefers to be grown in full sun.

Each article in the series will feature one sun-loving and one shade-loving plant. These plants will probably be varieties that you'll need to order (or special order from your local nursery), but the ones covered in this series over the next several...

Apply an early spring fertilizer with a product such as at the recommended rate this will give the plant a boost of nitrogen potash that will be needed for healthy foliage and stem growth.

We do not recommend using straight topsoil or compost as a back-fill soil because more times than not these products will retain entirely to much moisture and will cause the root system to rot.

An easy care perennial that will thrive in just about any dry to average soil. Fall pruning, especially in warmer climates, can result in a quick flush of new growth that prevents dormancy and makes winter freezes potentially deadly.

18-24 inch tall and 20-30 inches wide. Deciduous, glaucous, waxy blue-green stems and leaves with alternate leaves on succulent stems. An easy-to-grow plant that not only tolerates drought, but seems to thrive in it.

Ideal in sunny beds and borders. Feeding your plants is probably the single most forgotten part of growing healthy long lasting plants. It creates a barrier between the roots of the plant and fungus and pathogens that can cause root rot.

Remove spent flower spikes to help extend the bloom period. Meaning to save or heal in reference to the purported medically curative properties attributed to some plants in the genus.

, commonly called English lavender, has been a mainstay of herb gardens for many years. Purple flowers appear in terminal spikes in late spring to early summer. Narrow, gray-green leaves (to 2 1/2” long) on square stems.

A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch is sufficient but remember to take care not to cover any part of the stem of the plant with mulch. Nepeta Walker's Low does prefer drier soils so if there was ever a plant that we would recommend not adding topsoil or compost...

Wrinkled, lance-shaped, light green leaves (to 4” long) are aromatic. Salvia East Friesland is an erect, clump-forming perennial salvia that is noted for its compact form, long bloom period, purple stems and violet-purple flowers.

Remove faded flowers to promote continued bloom. Grow in average, dry to medium, well-drained, alkaline soil in full sun. Gray-green leaves (to 2 1/2” long and 1/4” wide) on square stems.

Two year old plants in our trials measured an impressive 4-4 ½' across! Lavender has been grown for centuries for its intensely fragrant flowers and beautiful appearance. Often repeat blooms in late summer or fall.

* Dracaena draco, the Canary Islands dragon tree or drago, is a subtropical tree-like plant in the genus Dracaena, native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and locally in western Morocco, and introduced to the Azores.

* Dracaena draco, the Canary Islands dragon tree or drago, is a subtropical tree-like plant in the genus Dracaena, native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and locally in western Morocco, and introduced to the Azores.

Best massed or in groups. Excellent for use in containers. Border fronts or rock gardens. ‘Angelina' is a yellow leaved cultivar featuring spiky yellow leaves (to 3/4” long) that often sport ginger brown tips.

* It is one of the alleged "50 fundamental herbs" used in traditional Chinese medicine. * The fruit extract of Gleditsia sinensis also has inhibitory effects on isolated cancer cell cultures.

* It is one of the alleged "50 fundamental herbs" used in traditional Chinese medicine. * The fruit extract of Gleditsia sinensis also has inhibitory effects on isolated cancer cell cultures.

Where classic coneflower's petals point down, ‘Magnus' are held more horizontally. Bio-tone Starter Plus is an all-natural plant food that is combined with a stronger concentration of Espoma's beneficial bacteria along with both endo and ecto mycorrhizae.

A dwarf pink Vitex! Pink Pinnacletm Dwarf Chaste Tree produces dense spikes of rich pink flowers in waves throughout the summer months. In late spring once growth begins prune away any growth that doesn't show any signs of resprouting or has freeze damage.

We generally only do touch up pruning just before growth begins in spring just to remove the spent flower heads and remove any dead, weak, or freeze damaged wood. Timing may not be as critical with the repeat flowering Big Leaf Hydrangeas but is still...

A dwarf Vitex! Blue Diddley Chaste Tree produces spikes of deep blue flowers in waves throughout the summer months. In late spring once growth begins prune away any growth that doesn't show any signs of resprouting or has freeze damage.

* Japanese Black Pine can reach the height of 40 m, but rarely achieves this size outside its natural range. * Extremely salt tolerant, good for seaside planting and holding beach sand in place.

* Japanese Black Pine can reach the height of 40 m, but rarely achieves this size outside its natural range. * Extremely salt tolerant, good for seaside planting and holding beach sand in place.

Seed - ground into a flour. The raceme inflorescence is very tall, reaching a maximum of 4 m (12 ft). Sweet and delicious, but rather fibrous. * Seed - surface sow in a light position, April in a warm greenhouse.

Seed - ground into a flour. The raceme inflorescence is very tall, reaching a maximum of 4 m (12 ft). Sweet and delicious, but rather fibrous. * Seed - surface sow in a light position, April in a warm greenhouse.