Sunny

Herbaceous perennial, native to Mexico and parts of the USA, flowering profusely during summer and autumn. Erect, four-angled stems. Ovate to lance-shaped, mid to grey green leaves with entire or lobed margins. Two-lipped, five-lobed, blue flowers tightly packed in spikes. The common name refers to the powdery white felt on the stems and the calyx of the flowers. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Several cultivars available in shades of blue, purple, and white.

Prefers a position in full sun or part shade and any well-drained soil. Tolerates poor soils. Indoors it likes good light, but some protection from full sun during the hottest part of the day. Reasonably drought tolerant. May become leggy in wet soils. Cut back after flowering. Tolerates light frosts, and is often grown as an annual in cooler climates. Generally trouble-free, but is susceptible to downy and powdery mildew.

Salvia farinacea looks spectacular when planted in groups against a contrasting background. You can create striking colour combinations with yellow or orange flowering plants, or a more traditional look with pinks and whites. Taller cultivars are suitable for cutting and can also be dried.

Shrub white, woolly stems and narrow, dull green, wrinkled leaves. Very free-flowering with spikes of violet purple flowers during summer and autumn. Cut back to near ground level in winter to keep the plant bushy. Native to Mexico and tropical America.

A form of the common sage with purple young foliage that mature to grey green. The oblong to ovate, paired leaves are 5-8 cm long and have a puckered surface. Mauve flowers arranged in spikes, appear in spring or early summer.

Synonym: Salvia officinalis 'Purpurea'

Prefers a sunny position in light, well-draining soil. Disikes wet feet. Drought tolerant once established. Trim after flowering to keep compact. Becomes woody eventually, but can easily be propagated from cuttings or by layering. Tolerates moderate frosts to about -10 degrees Celsius. Suitable for coastal gardens.

Purple sage looks stunning in combination with the silvery-grey curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) as in the photograph. It also combines beautifully with golden oregano or thyme. The leaves can be used fresh or dried in herb butters, herb teas, soups, stews, or stuffings. Purple sage also has many medicinal uses.

Fast growing, herbaceous, evergreen perennial, native to Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. Four-ribbed stems with somewhat sticky, lanceolate, toothed leaves. Azure blue with white, two-lipped flowers, 2 cm long, in whorls arranged in spikes, during summer and autumn.

Prefers a sunny or partially shaded position in any type of soil. Really likes moist soils, but tolerates, and usually spreads less vigorously in, dry conditions. Generally disease-free. Cut back to near ground level after flowering. Spreads by means of underground runners. Keep an eye on these and remove them where they are not wanted. Tolerates moderate frosts. Frost-hardy throughout New Zealand.

Reaches a height of about 1.8 m in one growing season, so plant in the back of borders for a gorgeous, long-lasting display of blue. Attracts butterflies.

Bulbous plant with basal, linear leaves (20-60cm long and 2-4cm wide) flowering during spring with starry blue, 1.5 cm wide flowers arranged in dense racemes. Foliage dies down after flowering and a brief dormant period follows in summer. Is naturalised and regarded as a weed in some parts of Australia.

Although 'peruviana' means 'from Peru', Scilla peruviana originates from South-West Europe to North-West Africa. Bulbs collected in 17th century Spain were shipped to England on a ship named 'Peru'. Carolus Clusius named the plant Hyacynthus stellatus peruanus, thinking that it came from Peru. Linnaeus continued the confusion by renaming the plant Scilla peruviana.

Scilla peruviana is still the most widely used name, but this species has been renamed Oncostema peruviana.

Prefers a sunny or lightly shaded spot in well-draining soil. Drought tolerant once established. Best planted during the dormant period in summer with the neck of the bulb just above soil level. Can be lifted, divided, and replanted, but may not produce flowers until after a year or two. Suitable for coastal gardens. Tolerates moderate frosts (zones 8-10).

Stunning spring colour. In areas where heavy frosts occur, Scilla peruviana can be grown in containers and placed outside once the spring frosts are over.

Forms a ground-hugging, moss-like mound of very tightly packed small leaves with tiny greenish flowers. Occurs naturally in coastal regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Unlike moss, it prefers full sun, and looses its tight habit if light levels are too low. Although reasonably drought tolerant, die back may occur when conditions are too dry.

Scleranthus uniflorus is very similar to S. biflorus and has the same growing requirements, but is slightly lower growing and lighter green. S. uniflorus is found in exposed, Eastern areas of the South Island of New Zealand.

Herbaceous perennial in the family of the Crassulaceae, native to China and Korea. Thick, fleshy, toothed leaves, 5-10 cm long, arranged in pairs or whorls. Large, 10-15 wide,   branched heads of tiny pink to rose flowers in late summer and autumn on erect, thickened, succulent stems. Several hybrids are available, such as 'Herbstfreude'='Autumn Joy' with blue-green leaves and pink flowers, darkening to bronze with age. 'Vera Jameson' has pale pink flowers and dark brown-purple foliage.

Synonym: Hylotelephium spectabile.

Requires a sunny position in well-drained soil. Intolerant of wet soils, but copes well with dry conditions. Suitable for poor soils and coastal gardens. Flowering stems may need staking later in the season. Cut stems back to ground level after flowering. By that time you can usually see the tiny rosettes of new leaves at the base of the stems. If the plant becomes too large for where it is and you would like some more elsewhere in your garden, divide it in early spring and replant the separated portions.

Sedum spectabile looks lovely when it comes back into growth during spring with a tidy clump of grey green leaves, and later on with a magnificent display of colourful flowers, opening from green buds. Combine for example with white or pale pink, late summer flowering perennials.

Clump-forming evergreen perennial with stiff,  linear to sword-shaped, grey-green leaves and creamy yellow leaf margins. Star-shaped, pale yellow flowers during early summer, clustered along erect, 0.7-0.9 m long stems. Sisyrinchium striatum is native to Chile and Argentina.

Synonym: Sisyrinchium striatum 'Variegatum'. This plant has been has been reclassified as Phaiophleps nigricans 'Aunt May', but is still much more widely known under the original name, and hence is listed here as Sisyrinchium striatum 'Aunt May'.

Plant in a sunny or partially shaded position in any well-draining soil. Hardy to about -15⁰C (a bit less hardy than the species itself). Tolerates poor soils. Copes with dry spells once established, but really prefers a regular moisture supply. Does not tolerate boggy or waterlogged soils. Suitable for coastal gardens as longs as it is not constantly exposed to strong winds. Remove spent flower stems and discoloured leaves. Divide the plant every couple of years and replant the separate fans.

Striking plant for a structural accent or focal point, in particular when planted in groups. Combine with contrasting foliage plants, such as fine-leafed grasses like Carex species and shrubs with relatively large, rounded leaves such as Bergenia.

Evergreen, low-growing, spreading shrub to 1.5-2 m with golden yellow flowers during winter. Attracts nectra-feeding birds.Tubular flowers, 3-5 cm long, appear well before flowers of other commmonly grown kowhais. Pinnately compound leaves with small leaflets.

The common name for New Zealand Sophora species is kowhai. Sophora molloyi occurs naturally in dry, exposed headlands around the southern part of the North Island of New Zealand. 'Dragons Gold' is a selection developed by Terry Hatch of Joy Plants, Pukekohe, New Zealand, and originated from seedlings grown from seed obtained from Sophora molloyi on Stephens Island. The selection was named 'Dragons Gold' in reference to the tuatara population on Stephens Island.

Prefers a sunny or partially shaded position in any free-draining soil. Grows somewhat slower in poor soils. Tolerates exposed sites, coastal conditions and medium frosts (hardy throughout New Zealand). Drought tolerant once established. Trim after flowering to maintain a tidy habit. Can be trained as a standard. Suitable for hedging purposes, but fewer flowers will be produced with regular trimming. Keep an eye out for caterpillars. Insecticide applications may be necessary to prevent the Kowhai moth caterpillar from defoliating the plant.

Ground-covering plant with soft grey-green leaves. Stems and foliage are covered with silvery white down. Upright stems with tiny pale mauve flowers arranged in otherwise grey spikes.

Evergreen plant in the daisy family with finely divided, pinnately compound foliage and orange-yellow flowers during most of the year, but in particular during autumn and winter. The leaves have a strong fragrance, somewhat like the scent of passionfruit (according to some the foliage smells like a combination of marigold, lemon, and mint). Oils in the plant may cause skin irritation in some people. Attracts bees and butterflies.

Discovered in Arizona by plant collectors John and Sara Lemmon in the late 1800s. Its natural habitat stretches south from Arizona down to norther Mexico. 

Tagetes lemmonii does best in a sunny position in well-draining soil. Becomes leggy when it doesn't receive enough sunlight. In very hot climates, a partially shaded position is best. Drought-tolerant, but prefers some regular irrigation. Avoid over-watering. Easy to propagate from cuttings, and can also be divided or propagated from seed. Tolerates moderate frosts (zones 8-11). Although some frost damage may occur in zone 8, the plant will bounce back in spring. Trim once a year to keep the plant compact.

Tagetes lemmonii is supposed to flower in response to short days, but in my garden it has been in flower since it was large enough in spring and now, mid-summer, it is still covered with flowers. Each time I photograph this plant I am disappointed to find that the flower colour in the photo appears more yellow than orange, whereas in reality the flowers look more orange than yellow to me. The plant has a lovely, somewhat whimsical appearance.

Evergreen shrub with grey-green foliage, pale lilac-blue flowers, and a somwhat angular branching pattern. Native to Spain, Portugal, Italy and north Africa. Stems and undersides of leaves are covered with tiny white hairs giving the plant a silvery-grey overall appearance. Leaves are ovate to lance-shaped, 2-3 cm long. The pale lilac-blue flowers are two-lipped, and 2.5 cm long.

Prefers a sunny position in well-drained soil. Tolerates poor soils, dry conditions, and moderate frosts. Suitable for coastal plantings. Prune to keep compact or to create a specific shape.

Mainly grown for its attractive silvery colour. If you are particularly interested in a good display of flowers then the cultivar 'Azureum' with a much stronger colour contrast between flowers and foliage is a better choice. This cultivar combines well with other blue-flowering shrubs. The flowers of Teucrium fruticans itself fit in better with purple colour schemes.

Evergreen shrub with grey-green foliage and blue flowers. Stems and undersides of leaves are covered with dense white hairs, giving the plant a silvery grey overall appearance. Leaves are ovate to lance-shaped, 2-3 cm long. Azure blue, two-lipped flowers, 2.5 cm long, mainly during summer. Teucrium fruticans (shrubby germander, bush germander) itself is native to Spain, Portugal, Italy and North Africa, and has pale lilac flowers.

Prefers a sunny position in well-drained soil. Tolerates poor soils, dry conditions and medium frosts. Suitable for coastal plantings. 

Mainly grown for its attractive silvery colour, which forms a beautiful contrast with the deep blue flowers. Can be pruned to any shape. A regular prune is a good idea since otherwise growth is somewhat lax, and its young foliage looks better than the older leaves.

Cultivar of the Iranian wood sage or Caucasian germander, a clump-forming sub-shrub with soft, downy stems and leaves, native to western Asia and the Caucasus region.Teucrium hircanicum 'Purple Tails' has oblong to ovate leaves in opposite pairs, 5-10 cm long, with rounded teeth along the margins, and a somewhat wrinkly upper surface. Reddish purple flowers appear during early summer, tightly packed in long spikes, 15-30 cm long, gradually opening and colouring up from the base of the inflorescence. 

Prefers a sunny or partially shaded position in any well-draining soil. Does not like wet feet. Cut back after flowering to keep compact. The stems can become relatively floppy and get blown about in the wind, so unless planted in a sheltered position, some support may be required. Self-seeds.

Dramatic display of vertical spikes in stunning colours set off beautifully by the mid green foliage. Looks great in groups in the middle or the back of borders. Makes a lovely combination with the dark reddish purple young foliage of Hebe 'Pretty in Pink'. Alternatively, combine with other purple-flowering plants and an occasional yellow highlight. Select plants with contrasting flower shapes.