Just as the frost fades from memory in late spring, these gems come on strong - offering you an early season rush of color! Picked for their true durability, they will thrive with occasional deep watering.
Kannah Creek Buckwheat
(Eriogonum umbellatum var. aurem ‘Psdowns')
Plant Select ’07 and a true Wyoming native! This mid-sized perennial puts on a glowing yellow show that turns orange as the flowers age during a May to July bloom season. These vigorous 12-15 inch tall by 12-24 inch wide plants adapt from xeric to moderately moist settings and tolerate conditions up to 10,000 feet! In Autumn, the dark green leaves turn mahogany color and persist that way through winter.
Bloom Time
Height
Width
Zone
Watering
Sun
May to July
12 to 15 inches
12 to 24 inches
3
Full Sun to Part Shade
Size
Cost
Premium
$8.00
1 Gal
$15.00
Marcus Salvia (Salvia nemorosa 'Haeumanarc')
New! A dwarf salvia with a height of only 12 inches makes this salvia a perfect addition to the front of perennial border or the rock garden. Absolutely to die for violet purple flowers that start in June and if dead headed will rebloom throughout the season!
New! This is a distinctive form of Jacob's Ladder that forms a lush mound of of ferny foliage in a stunning black-purple shade that later becomes green, very distinctive in the garden. Upright stems of soft blue phlox like flowers bloom from May through June. Great cut flower potential! Dead-heading is recommended as it tends to reseed. Attracts butterflies, not deer.
Bloom Time
Height
Width
Zone
Watering
Sun
May through June
12 to 20 inches
12 to 18 inches
4
Full Sun to Part Sun
Size
Cost
Premium
$8.00
The best gardens seem to have an element of serendipity and the happiest Wyoming gardeners allow themselves to be pleasantly surprised by chance pairings: a fuchsia blossom beside a plant with chartreuse foliage, volunteer groundcover helping a new bed to get established.
New! This is a wonderful compact poppy that is perfect for the sunny perennial bed. It has beautiful, ruffled red flowers with black to purple centers, that bloom in may and June.
Bloom Time
Height
Width
Zone
Watering
Sun
May and June
16 inches
18 inches
3
Full Sun
Size
Cost
1 Gal
$15.00
Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)
New! This is an elegant fern like herb with a mounding form with anise (licorice) flavored bright green leaves. In early June it bears star shaped white flowers. This is a real standout in the shade garden! Dead-heading is recommended as it will reseed.
Bloom Time
Height
Width
Zone
Watering
Sun
36 inches
22 inches
4
Full sun to part shade
Size
Cost
Standard
$4.00
Rain Gauge
Throughout this site, the following are used as guidelines for watering established plants:
These plants need regular watering somewhat like a bluegrass lawn so that they never dry to depth in the root system during the active growing season and need occasional winter watering to prevent root dessication and resultant plant death.
These plants are adapted to intermittent deep watering with soil drying to a depth of a few inches between waterings. Watering frequency may be every couple of weeks during the active growing season and maybe only one winter watering for optimal care.
These truly xeric plants can live with our 12 inches of natural precipitation and only need a winter watering during a multi-year drought but they will thrive with a monthly watering. Overwatering will kill some of these.