Agastache cana and Blonde Ambition Blue Grama Grass

Problem Solving Collections

By David Salman, High Country Gardens Chief Horticulturist

Each year, I participate in a number of speaking engagements, with time reserved for questions at the end. Without fail, gardeners usually ask me about which plants they should use to solve a gardening challenge.

We decided to make it easy for our customers to address these common gardening dilemmas with a number of perennial collections. Our Pre-Planned Gardens have been a big hit with customers over the years, and our perennial collections are a good complement when it comes to making garden design simple.

Our gardening experts at High Country Gardens curate perennial collections to solve some of the most common challenges for Western gardens. Perennial collections offer flexibility and versatility: they can be repeated and planted together to fill in a new garden bed, or, they can be used to enhance an already-established garden. Read on to learn more about some of our popular problem-solving perennial collections.

Greek yarrow, pink oriental poppy, nepeta, and ornamental grass

Elegant Elevations Collection

Planning a garden in higher elevations can be tough, but these plants are tougher. Suitable for gardens above (and below) 7,000 feet, this collection features long-blooming flowers and ornamental grass that grow gracefully even under harsh conditions. Pollinator-friendly flowers bloom from late spring to late summer, with grass providing year-round interest.

Agastache, gold on blue prairie zinnias, blue lips penstemon, and blonde ambition blue grama grass

High Country Gardens Signature Collection

This collection features four of our most highly recommended perennials that exemplify our goals for sustainable, habitat-friendly gardens, including Agastache, Penstemon, Prairie Zinnia, and Grama Grass introductions. High Country Gardens shows gardeners the possibilities of xeriscaping with native drought-resistant plants. Our plants are chosen for their hardiness, beauty, and support of habitat creation for wildlife and pollinators.

Lavender, moonbeam coreopsis, nasella grass, shasta daisy

Blowin' In The Wind Collection

The answer for a windswept garden, this collection features cheerful flowers and an elegant grass that will sway with the breeze. Moonbeam Coreopsis, Silky Thread Grass, Hidcote Superior English Lavender, and Becky Shasta Daisy are popular, easy-to-grow deer resistant perennials ideal for low-water landscapes. Pollinator-friendly flowers bloom from early to late summer.

My Soil Is Like A Brick Collection

Here in New Mexico, we make bricks to build our homes out of the clay found here. Great building material but lousy for growing plants. These long blooming perennials are the solution when looking for plants to grow in clay soils. And they are all good bee plants too. Enjoy fragrant blooms that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The collection features durable drought tolerant, and deer-resistant plant varieties for full sun locations.

David's Dependable Desert Plant Collection

David's Dependable Desert Collection

Having proven their durability over time in David Salman’s own garden, these plants are resilient in difficult growing conditions and have long lifespans – a wise investment for any garden! This collection features pollinator-friendly flowers and bird-friendly habitat for a beautiful and beneficial garden. These xeric plants can provide an excellent foundation to a new garden, or beautiful structure to an existing garden, offering year-round visual interest.

Privacy Shrub Collection For The West

With the Privacy Shrub Collection for the West, you'll easily create a private, backyard oasis with these carefully selected native shrubs. Gorgeous color and form provide year-round visual interest, and provide natural structure to the garden. This native hedge will also produce habitat for songbirds and wildlife and look beautiful in your landscape, with a profusion of blooms and berries.

Plant For Pollinators, Single Species Collections

Made For Shade Collection - Who doesn't have some shade in need of some color? These problem solving groundcovers will cover bare soil, replace too thin grass and spread flowers into shady areas of your yard.

My Soil Is Like A Beach Collection - Life is a beach unless you like sand. These perennials were chosen to thrive in the sandy soil that seems to kill most plants. All three perennials are long blooming and good at re-seeding themselves to cover even more sandy areas.

My Soil Is Like A Brick Collection - Here in New Mexico, we make bricks to build our homes out of the clay found here. Great building material but lousy for growing plants. These long blooming perennials are the solution when looking for plants to grow in clay soils. And they are all good bee plants too!

Delosperma (Ice Plant) Collection - Cold hardy Ice Plants are a great choice to carpet your landscape with sheets of shimmering flowers. They are especially useful for planting into beds mulched with gravel; this cools the glare and heat and creates a perfect growing environment for Delosperma. They love growing up ontop of gravel which protects their stems and foliage from wet winter weather.

Aquilegia (Columbine) Collection - Columbine are the ideal choice for adding color to part and full shade parts of your yard. They thrive in the cool soil on the north side of your house, too. And wherever you plant them they will attract hummingbirds to their nectar-rich flowers.

Long Blooming Lavender Collection - Enjoy lovely Lavender all season long! Our Lavender Collection includes carefully selected fragrant, hardy and long-blooming varieties.

Text by David Salman.

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