Then, I m willing to work with it. A plant that spreads fairly steadily, but which really earns its keep because it s in bloom all summer long, up until frost, is Salvia uliginosa, the bog sage. Another thing I use to determine the value of a plant is whether it s giving back anything to other creatures or fruit for the birds, Ruhren continues. If a plant attracts hummingbirds or butterflies or other insects, that s an asset in the garden. They add great animation to the garden.
Butterflies are flowers with wings.
I use the example that you never realize how different two colors are until you put them together. Two plants thought to be the same bubble-gum pink suddenly look different in the garden, one so bold the other shrinks in value, yet they re not different enough to offer interesting contrast. So you experiment, you move things around, he says. You pick a handful of blooms and see what looks good together. Gosh, that s an awfully good combination.