Hummingbird Attracting Collection for the West

Tips for growing Agastache

Agastache are sun loving plants with aromatic foliage and flowers. They bloom from mid-summer into early fall and are resistant to rabbits and deer.

Agastache need lean, well-drained soils, prefer gravel mulches, and appreciate deep but infrequent watering after their second growing season

1. Provide a fast draining soil that's naturally low in fertility, Don't plant into clay soils.
2. Plant in full hot sun.
3. Just a few handfuls of compost in the planting hole is enough. Don't plant into a rich, highly amended soil..
4. Fertilize the Agastache just once in fall with Yum Yum Mix and Planters II.
5. New transplants need regular irrigation their first growing season to establish themselves. Watering can be reduced greatly during the second growing season when the plants have matured.

To improve winter-hardiness, and encourage re-seeding, leave the stems intact over the winter. In mid-spring, remove old stems just above the new foliage, about 4 or 5 inches above ground level.

If your conditions don't lend themselves to growing Agastache in your garden, they do well planted in containers.

More in-depth guidance for growing Agastache: Agastache Growing Tips, Agastache: Super-Stars of the Perennial World Part 1, and Agastache: Super-Stars of the Perennial World Part II.

Tips for growing Penstemon (Beardtongue)

Penstemon are generally evergreen and have beautiful flowers that are very attractive to hummingbirds. Most varieties are rabbit resistant.

1. They need “elbow room,” maximum sun, heat and don’t like to be crowded by other plants.
2. Plant only in well-drained soils; clay soils and Penstemon are incompatible.
3. Avoid overly enriched soils; too much compost and fertilizer will shorten their lifespan.
4. They establish quickly and the amount and frequency of watering needs to be reduced after about 8 to 10 weeks to create dry conditions.
5. When using drip irrigation, be sure to put the emitter off to the side of the plant, not right on top of the root ball to avoid overwatering the plant.
6. Plant high, leaving the top of the rootball just above the surrounding soil to avoid burying the crown of the plant.
7. Mulch with gravel or pine needles in arid climates. No mulch is needed where conditions are moister. Always avoid bark, grass clippings, or compost as mulch materials.
8. Allow some of the plants to set seed (don't deadhead all of the flower spikes)*.
9. Fertilize sparingly. One time each year in the fall is enough. Apply a light application of an organic or natural fertilizer such as Yum Yum Mix as a top dressing around the plants. Don't use high nitrogen water soluble fertilizer like Miracle Gro

*To keep penstemon that have finely textured or matted evergreen foliage looking their best, you'll want to 'deadhead" them. Shear off the fading flowering spikes just as the plant is going out of flower. Gently bunch the flower spikes together with one hand and cut them off at the point where they go down into the mat of foliage with your clipper in your other hand. Recommended for the following varieties: P. pinifolius types (‘Compactum', ‘Mersea Yellow', ‘Nearly Red', ‘Magdalena Sunshine' and ‘Tall Orange Mix'), as well as Penstemon linarioides v. coloradensis and Penstemon virens ('Blue Lips').

More in-depth guidance for growing Penstemon: Watch our video: How To Plant Penstemon or read articles: Growing Penstemon, Penstemon for the Waterwise Garden, David’s Favorite Plants: Pineleaf Beardtongue, The Beardtongue Family: Penstemania for Penstemon and The Genus Penstemon: The Royalty of American Wildflowers The Genus Penstemon: The Royalty of American Wildflowers (Part 2).

Planting and Caring for Pre-Planned Gardens & Collections

Soil Preparation: Remember that proper soil preparation is the key to healthy, vigorous blooming perennials. Use Yum Yum Mix and a high quality compost at recommended rates to prepare the soil. Inoculate the plant roots with Plant Success mycorrhizal inoculant. Planting: Plant according to the mature size of the plant. Don’t be tempted to put the plants too close based on their size in the pots. They’ll grow quickly and cover the space shown in the planting map. (Maps included only with Pre-Planned Gardens, not Collections.)

Fertilizing: Once annually in mid-fall, after plants begin to go dormant. Use Yum Yum Mix or Yum Yum Mix Winterizer at recommended rates to improve the soil and provide essential plant nutrients.Use it with high quality compost, mix half and half by volume and spread on top of the soil. Scratch it in lightly and water thoroughly. It is also beneficial to treat the plant roots with Plant Success® mycorrhizal root inoculant if you didn’t do so at planting time. (Inoculation only needs to be done once.)

Mulching: In arid climates mulching is very beneficial. Coarse textured composts, shredded leaves, pine needles and composted bark are all excellent mulch materials. Apply to a depth of 1-2 inches. Replenish annually (or as needed).