I had a Rocky Mountain penstemon die quickly like that last year, and I wondered if it got too much water. It's a native that is said to be drought tolerant, which is why I wonder about too much water. Could yours have gotten too much water? I have it growing in another spot in the garden now, and I'm watching closely to see what happens this year. I grew them from seed off the original that died, and last year these new ones didn't flower, but the flower spikes are up now, and I'm looking forward to seeing them bloom.

There's nothing quite as cool-looking(temperaturewise) as BLUE flowers. I grew Phacelia a few years ago, best blue i ever saw, next to cornflowers. The bell-shaped blue flowers with icy-white anthers were beautiful, and stirred up images of cooler weather. They do have a short bloom time, hot weather just about stops the show, cutting back helps somewhat. Give 'em a try, i believe there are 2 or 3 varieties. Good luck, and enjoy.

Hmmmmm... Getting rid of: Liriope muscari; they were controllable early on, but geez, did they spread! Too many unmanagable clumps lining the bed in the front of the house (maybe 10). I removed 3 last year and replaced with salvias. Much better ;) Rose of Sharon (lilac/red throat); really don't like it, never did, but I can't throw anything out. Will relocate to work ;) Already purchased a Hibiscus coccinea to replace it; yippee! Wants?: I'm getting into red. I never liked red flowers, but since I'm getting more hummers each year (well, this will be my third year), I want to keep them happy. I've already moved alot of my plants around, last year, and moved other hummer favorites in. I'm already trying to figure out what else I need to move and what else I can fit in! I think my veggie garden may soon be a thing of the past; it's right next to my hummer area, so it's taking up some valuable real estate! I want my Monarda "Jacob Cline" to become invasive! I also wish I had some better areas for vines. I purchased a Coral Honeysuckle, but I don't know where I can possibly put it, that it'll thrive and climb.

Hello Duane(?), Lucky you to be able to visit High Country Gardens. We've been buying their mail order plants for about fifteen years and love them even if we haven't had success with everything. Over the years we've tried a lot of High Country's agastaches. Every time they come out with a new one, which is every year, we give it a shot. Mostly they have been dissapointing. Because they are at a higher elevation winter hardiness has never been a problem for us but the summers here are more brutal than in New Mexico and I've always found the agastaches to look more faded and wispy here than their pics and if not killing them it has kept a lot of them from performing well. That said rupestrus does good here and Desert Sunrise has survived last summer and winter and is growing like crazy now. My new try for the year is Orange Flare since both it's parents do well here. We've never tried Black adder but it's good to know it does well, Maybe that will be something for next year. Most of their agastaches are hybrids and have to be grown from cuttings but rupestrus is easily grown from seed which is how I got what I have now. At our old house I bought them from high country for I believe about eight dollars a plant although they've come down a little. I tried Salvia May Night at our old house but it didn't seem to like the heat so I gave up on it. There are so many salvias that love it here why waste time on one that doesn't but maybe you are having more success. We are trying thier zauschneria etteri this year with Agastache cana "rosita" and a russian sage to try to duplicate a look they had. At our other house we had a A. cana that was ok so I'm hopeful. It's always good to here what does good and not so good in someone elses yard to have some ideas about what might be good to try. Maria