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 No doubt when looking through the High Country Gardens catalog, you'll see all kinds of new perennials. But how do you decide what's right? 
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For more information about soil, plants, garden history, botanical news, watering and much more.
David Salman, President/
Chief Horticulturist
Ava Salman, Marketing Director
Cindy Bellinger, Editor
Kerry Kirkpatrick, Designer
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New Garden Plants for 2006
By David Salman
For 2006 we offer 24 new plants in our 2006 Catalog. Our existing High Country Garden customers and E-zine subscribers got the first preview. Now we're opening up the offerings to everyone. It's an exciting line-up for the coming year. The following five are some of my favorites:
 The rare Pelargonium endlicherianum (Turkish Pelargonium) is an incredible wildflower from the Taurus Mts. of southwestern Turkey. It's a perennial gem with dazzling large bright pink flowers in early summer. While closely related to the common garden geranium, this is actually a very cold-hardy plant. Forming a tidy mound of round, crinkled, dark green leaves, it grows easily in infertile, well-drained soil. Although xeric, don't grow it too dry if you want a nice display of flowers; a deep watering once every week to 10 days when there is no rain keeps established plants happy. In hotter, non-mountain areas, plant it where it is shaded from the intense afternoon sun. Turkish Pelargonium also seems to appreciate an inch deep layer of gravel or pine needle mulch to keep its roots cool. Zones 4-8.
 New-to-the country, Silver Spike Grass (Achnatherum calmagrostis) is a spectacular European native. Seed of this grass comes to us by way of Lauren Springer Ogden, who has pioneered the use of the species in this country by successfully cultivating it in Colorado for over 8 years. Achnatherum is both a graceful and free-flowering summer blooming ornamental grass. Its showy, silver-green flowering spikes turn a rich tawny brown in the fall. For best garden performance Silver Spike Grass should be grown in the western US (or other cool or higher altitude areas of the country) where summer humidity is low and nights are cool. A distinctive species, Achnatherum is sure to be extremely popular in highly visible areas of your landscape. Zones 5-8.
 The fabulous Stachys inflata (Cotton Candy Lamb's Ear) has been an unflinching performer in the harsh conditions of our xeric display garden. A native of the high mountains of Iran, this small shrublet has bright white stems, pewter gray leaves and numerous spikes of cotton candy pink flowers in early summer. Plant in a well-drained, infertile soil. Stachys inflata makes a wonderful companion plant for English lavender creating a beautiful flowering duo of pink and blue. Zones 5-9.
 A unique new native shrub in our '06 line-up is Rhus trilobata 'Autumn Amber' (Groundcover Threeleaf Sumac). It is a superb prostrate growing form of three leaf sumac originally discovered years ago in the foothills of east-central New Mexico. Blooming in mid-spring with an amazing abundance of chartreuse colored flowers, the plants have attractive glossy green foliage that turns an amber-yellow in the fall. 'Autumn Amber' spreads to a width of 6 to 8 ft. but only grows to a height of 18 inches! It's a welcome groundcover alternative to the creeping juniper. Zones 4-8.
 For those looking for small cold hardy succulents, Agave toumeyana v. bella (Miniature Century Plant) is perfect. After many years of growing this miniature native gem in my Santa Fe cacti gardens, I'm convinced of its desirability. However, it was only recently that I was finally able to secure sufficient seed of this rare, very cold-hardy form of the species to grow a big crop of it. Bella's thin, stiff leaves are edged with white stripes and adorned with curling white threads giving the small rosettes an appealing tidy appearance. A wonderful companion plant for Echinocereus and Escobaria cacti species. Zones 5-10.
 Agropyron sp. 'Mora Blue' Blue Bladed Wheatgrass is a native Western grass species that I collected in the mountains above Mora, New Mexico. An extremely blue bladed form this aggressive stoloniferous cool season grass is recommended to hold the soil along ditch banks, along the sides of road cuts and on slopes and to reclaim disturbed grassy areas around home construction sites where it can be interplanted with colorful native wildflowers. It grows best in loam and clay. 'Mora Blue' can also be mowed to make a durable, coarse-textured "country style" lawn in side yards and other peripheral areas. Zones 3-8.
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These are just a few of our new plants for 2006. To view all new 2006 plants and products, go here. Also, order our New 2006 Catalog online at www.highcountrygardens.com or call Customer Service at 1-800-925-9387.
Choosing the Right Plant for Your Location
By Mary Ann Walz
Two ways to select new plants for your garden:
- Peruse our catalog or visit a nursery, look at plants blooming in a garden setting, and select those you like best.
- Examine your garden and find spots that could use new plants; then select plants that would be appropriate for the space.
I use both approaches, but must confess I've had fewer 'mistakes' with the second approach. Either way, you must be conscious of a plant's growth habit, season of bloom and cultural requirements including:
 cold hardiness zone - sunlight requirements
- preferred soil type
- water requirements
Remember to consider the mature size of a potential new plant to make sure it won't be too big or too small to blend in with its companions.
Selecting Sites
 When the garden is dormant, I brave the cold and take a walk among the planting areas and observe what I already have, noting a few things I will remove or relocate in spring. I also study the open spaces for new plants I might like to try.
No doubt when looking through the High Country Gardens catalog, you'll see all kinds of new perennials. But how do you decide what's right? Unfortunately, at my high altitude climate in zone 4 eliminates some choices, but even with fewer choices, I still pay attention to color and bloom time.
Consider Color and Texture
 What color would go well and which season could I use additional bloom? Early Spring is pretty well taken care of in most beds, but the transition times to summer and fall could always use more color. The Pelargonium endlicherianum (pictured above) will be one of my 'must have' plants for the border in the front of the house this year. Iris pallida 'Variegata' will not only add fragrance and color but will provide interesting leaf texture throughout the growing season. I'll add Gaillardia grandiflora 'Arizona Sun' to my mound garden to compliment some existing Gaillardia, Sedums, and Cerastium tomentosum.
Another Way of Choosing Plants
See what's growing wild around you. I am blessed to have abundant numbers of Oenothera caespitosa growing wild in the horse pasture. It's wonderful to see the blooms on a moonlit night or in the early morning. This plant was the inspiration for my mostly white moonlight garden.
David's Helpful Hints
 Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Filigran' (Cutleaf Russian Sage) This species has become one of the more common plants in Western xeriscapes because it is superbly adapted to harsh, erratic conditions. Unlike many domesticated plants this one actually thrives on poor soil and rough climates. Fertile soil and too much water make the plant lanky and dulls the flower color. 'Filigran' is a wonderful selection with finely textured foliage and a slightly smaller growth habit that make it a good choice for smaller spaces.
Good garden design demands that Perovskia be planted with other rugged flowering shrubs and perennials to complement its smoky-blue flower spikes. Mirablis, Hesperaloe and Oenothera speciosus 'Rosea' are three favorites that thrive in the same tough growing situations that bring out the best in Russian sage.Mid-spring is the best time for Russian Sage maintenance when it should be cut back hard leaving only 12-15" inches of stem standing. Control the spread of this shrub where needed by digging up "suckers" (shallow underground stems) and cutting them off. Go easy on the fertilizer and irrigation. A once a year fall application of Yum Yum Mix fertilizer is plenty. Established plants in clay soil only need a deep soaking twice monthly in summer when conditions are dry.
Plant Combination
Adding an ornamental grass to our Spike and Umbel Combo, which consists of Achillea x 'Moonshine' with Penstemon strictus adds height and movement to the grouping. Early summer blooming Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' is an excellent choice. (For definitions of spike and umbel, see our newly revived monthly Garden Glossary section below)
 Achillea x 'Moonshine' (Moonshine Yarrow) is one of the best garden perennials currently available. Highly adaptable, it can be used in both xeric and non-xeric perennial borders. The distinctive silver-gray foliage is a fine backdrop for the lemon-yellow flower clusters that keep coming all summer for many years. Zones 3-9. Shown with
- Penstemon strictus (Rocky Mountain Penstemon) is a native beardtongue of the foothills and mountains of the southern Rockies. It grows easily over a wide range of the western U.S. The tall showy spikes of intense blue-purple flowers last for over a month in late spring. Spreading steadily via stolons to form large clumps, P. strictus is one of the longest lived, most easily grown of the Penstemon. A real show stopper! Zones 4-9.
 Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' (Feather Reed Grass) is rather drought tolerant and tolerates a wide range of garden soils. Feather Reed Grass has a wonderful upright growth habit making it very useful to place behind perennials with a spreading or rounded shape. Blooming in early summer the flowering spikes hold on the plant right through the fall. Zones 4-9.
Garden Glossary — terms for the curious horticulturist
- Inflorescence: The flowering part of a plant, no matter how the flowers are arranged or shaped.
- Spike: An elongated main stem that supports many separate flowers on shorter stems, usually symmetrically arranged. (as with Penstemon)
- Umbel: The flowering part of a plant made up of a cluster of flowers. (as with Yarrow)
For more gardening articles, go here.
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