Experience the magic of Penstemons! Our sampler includes one plant each of Penstemon 'Red Riding Hood', Penstemon pinifolius 'Nearly Red', Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow', Penstemon rosriflorus, and Penstemon barbatus 'Elfin Pink' for a total of 5 plants. Zones 5-8 Because many Penstemon are adapted to grow in harsh Western habitats, it is important to keep a few cultural considerations in mind when bringing them into our gardens: * Plant only in well-drained soils; wet clay soils and Penstemon aren't compatible. Avoid overly enriched soils; too much compost can shorten their life span. (See our library for more about "Proper Soil Preparation for Penstemons":/library/view/article/157/.) * Plant high, leaving the top of the root ball just above the surrounding soil to avoid burying the crown of the plant. * Avoid bark, grass clippings or compost as mulch materials. These mulches are detrimental to healthy Beardtongues. They will cause disease in wet, cold weather. It is better to leave them non-mulched or use gravel. * Allow to re-seed. Penstemon will sometimes live for only 2 or 3 years (e.g., Penstemon palmeri). To keep them going, allow some of the plants to set seed (don't deadhead them). The volunteer seedlings will be more vigorous and longer lived than the original parent plant. * Fertilize sparingly. Beardtongues like "tough love" and need only to be fertilized once each year in the fall. Apply a light application of an organic or natural fertilizer. Yum Yum Mix is an excellent fertilizer for Penstemon and other native plants. It has a high trace mineral and phosphorus content while being low in nitrogen. *Penstemon barbatus 'Schooley's Red' substituted for Penstemon 'Red Riding Hood'.* We reserve the right to substitute a species or cultivar of equal or greater value if we are sold out of a variety listed above.