We're experimenting with Westringia 'Wynabbe Gem' in a sunny, well-drained spot near the front of the border, where it opened the first of its small pale purple flowers in the late summer of '99. This plant has narrow gray-green leaves and somewhat resembles rosemary, though with a more open habit. W. fruticosa gets up to 3-6 feet in height and can take temperatures down into the 20s. Its ultimate hardiness remains to be seen. If the idea of greenish-yellow foliage strikes you as bilious, try one of these plants.
Flowers are light blue.
Ours does well in partial sun. Hosta plantaginea has pale green leaves with a hint of chartreuse, and fragrant white flowers. This heat-tolerant hosta has flowered over several seasons in a shrub border that gets early a.m. sun. We are also experimenting with H. 'August Moon' . Thuja orientalis 'Golden Ball' is a compact version of a conifer that thrives from zone 6 well into the deep and coastal South.