Garden Spaces: Plans for a Water-Wise Garden

<p>• <strong>Yarrow.</strong> A rock-hardy perennial that blooms all summer and grows to about 3 feet. Common yarrow (<em>A. millefolium</em>) has pinkish-white flowers; for deeper shades of pink and yellow, try ‘Moonshine’.</p>
<p>• <strong>Sweet Annie.</strong> This aromatic annual can reach 6 feet by fall. Deadhead flowers until late in the season, then leave a few to reseed.</p>
<p>• <strong>Silver King artemisia.</strong> The silvery mounds reach 2 feet, require no care and can be yanked out if they get too ambitious.</p>
<p>• <strong>Calendula.</strong> This 18-inch annual has cheery orange blooms from spring through fall.</p>
<p>• <strong>Purple coneflower.</strong> These vibrant native beauties are available in a range of colors and grow as high as 4 feet.</p>
<p>• <strong>English lavender.</strong> This is the hardiest lavender; start fast-growing ‘Lady’ from seed.</p>
<p>• <strong>Lemon balm.</strong> Perennial to about 2 feet, lemon balm is very aggressive, so don’t let it get out of bounds.</p>
<p>• <strong>Ozark sundrops.</strong> These evening primroses with large blooms are low-growing, unlike common evening primrose (<em>O. biennis</em>).</p>
<p>• <strong>Rose.</strong> Choose a hardy shrub rose suitable for Colorado. The Colorado State University Extension has ideas at <a href=”http://www.ext.colostate.edu/” target=”_blank”>
<em>www.ext.colostate.edu</em>
</a>, such as ‘Harrison’s Yellow’ and the pink ‘William Baffin’ for high elevations.</p>
<p>• <strong>Goldenrod.</strong> If this native wildflower fits into your garden scheme, don’t amend the soil, as it does best in poor soil. Some varieties can grow to 7 feet when in bloom.</p>
<p>• <strong>St. John’s wort.</strong> This short-lived hardy perennial grows to about 2 feet.</p>
<p>•<strong> Sunflower.</strong> Many varieties of this tall annual native are available and easy to grow from seed.</p>
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<em>Contributing Editor Kathleen Halloran lives and gardens in Austin, Texas.</em>
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<strong>Garden Spaces: Plant a Water-Wise Garden</strong>
</a>.</p>