by David Salman
Our High Country Gardens collections are a great way to take advantage of our company's considerable plant expertise and large assortment of plants. With so many plant choices, it can be tough to learn about their many attributes and assemble an assortment that meets your specific needs.
These collections address some interesting gardening issues such as salt damage to roadside plantings, browsing animals above and below ground and useful groundcovers (of which we have many varieties).
Listed below are four of our newest collections:
Gopher & Rabbit Resistant Plant Collection
If your landscape is rabbit and gopher challenged, here is a collection of perennial plants that have distasteful roots. This grouping of three different gopher and rabbit resistant perennial species, Buena Vista Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Buena Vista), Scarlet Monardella (Monardella macrantha Marian Sampson), Blue Haze Spurge (Euphorbia Blue Haze), combine nicely providing colorful flowers in red, blue and chartreuse. Plant in full sun and add some daffodils to the bed in fall to add additional gopher and rabbit resistant flowers. Three of each plant for a total of nine plants; zones 6-10.
Tread On Me Evergreen Groundcover Collection
A combination of Veronica and Thyme, these four groundcover varieties are the best of their families, offering impressive floral displays in mid- to late spring. All of them have evergreen foliage that grows very flat to the ground, making them ideal for planting between paver bricks or flagstone in patios and along the edges of walkways. They are also excellent as spring-blooming bulb companions combining well with daffodils, wildflower tulips and Muscari. Three each of: Turkish Speedwell (Veronica liwanensis), Blue Woolly Speedwell (Veronica pectinate), Reiter Thyme (Thymus Reiter) and Pink Chintz Thyme (Thymus Pink Chintz); 12 plants total; Zones 4-8.
Salt-Tolerant Ornamental Grass Collection
If you're planting roadside beds or along driveways that are subject to salting in the winter to melt the ice, these ornamental grasses are excellent choices. These salt-tolerant plants will grow well in salty soils and will provide an outstanding display of late summer flowering seed heads to color your landscape. These ornamental grasses also do very well in seaside/coastal areas. Three of each: Maiden Hair Grass (Miscanthus sinensis Gracillimus), Heavy Metal Blue Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum), White Cloud Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris White Cloud). Three of each variety for a total of nine plants; Zones 7-9.
Drought Resistant Groundcover Collection
This collection of fascinating, small-scale groundcovers beautifies the garden with evergreen foliage and showy spring flowers in shades of yellow, orange-red and bright blue. All four species are well suited to waterwise landscapes and thrive with little extra water once established. Outstanding for planting in rock gardens planted between paving bricks and flagstone or into dry-stacked rock walls. A combination of three of each: Desert Moss (Arenaria Wallowa Mountains), Creeping Goldenaster (Heterotheca jonesii), Red Mountain® Flame Ice Plant (Delosperma Red Mountain® Flame), Woolly Turkish Speedwell (Veronica bombycina). Three of each plant for a total of 12 plants; Zones 7-8.
Text and Photos by Founder and Chief Horticulturist David Salman.
© All articles are copyrighted by High Country Gardens. Republishing an entire High Country Gardens blog post or article is prohibited without written permission. Please feel free to share a short excerpt with a link back to the article on social media websites, such as Facebook and Pinterest.