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The native known as “false indigo” has deep roots – in the garden, and in American history. Now an ornamental favorite, it was once prized and even subsidized by the British government for the blue dye made from its sap.Baptisia sends up erect racemes of purple/blue lupine-like flowers in late spring. The blooms give way to decorative green seed pods that ripen to charcoal black. Flowers, foliage and seed pods in all color stages are all valuable as cut flowers, with exceptional vase life. Nativ

The weather outside is frightful, and spring seems far off. It's not. The days are getting longer, and the time is getting shorter. Now is your chance to steal a march on Mother Nature and hit the ground running when winter finally fades away. It's the perfect time to plant....Ground Hugging Veronica.Say Veronica and most of us picture flower spikes rising a foot or two above the border, but another category of "speedwell" keeps a lower profile. These varieties charm as groundcovers and edg

Amsonia x Butterscotch™ brings a fresher, richer, healthier glow to a famous native perennial genus. Like Amsonia hubrichtii, Butterscotch™ is in constant graceful motion in the slightest breeze. It, too, has starry blue flowers in spring. And like its more famous sibling, its billowy masses of fine, rich green foliage segue to a beautiful golden autumn color. So how is it different? Let us recount the ways:■ Leaf Color: Butterscotch’s slim leaves take on a deeper, richer golden hue in fal

In perennials, true blue and true red can be hard to find. Some of the best examples of each are found in the same genus: Salvia. Salvia nemorosa Blue Hill (‘Blauhugel’) boasts one of the truest blue flowers you can grow. At maturity, it lives up to its name, forming neat, uniform mounds of sturdy blue spikes. Blue Hill’s size makes it a natural for the middle of the border. At retail, it makes good-looking gallons with minimal fuss. It’s not as well known as some other hardy Salvia varieti

Say Veronica, and many of us picture flower spikes rising a foot or two in mid-border. But another category of “speedwell” keeps a lower profile. These varieties charm as groundcovers and edging, or planted as a “spiller” in containers or beside stone walls. Here’s the lowdown.Veronica peduncularis ‘Georgia Blue’Mats of small round leaves disappear under a slathering of tiny blue flowers with white eye zones. The foliage turns dark green in summer, then bronze in fall. The name is from Eura