Common name:Border or Garden Penstemon
Botanical name:Penstemon hybrids (assorted)
This perennial plant will reach 3' high and has medium-sized, glossy dark green leaves with red, pink, lavender or purple flowers that bloom in summer and fall. It needs a bit extra water in the summer and no water in the winter. Hummingbirds love the flowers. This plant is great for cut flowers and color borders.
Common name:Olive, Edible Olive
Botanical name:Olea europaea
This broad tree will slowly grow to 20'-30' tall and wide. It has small, grey-green, evergreen leaves. Small white fragrant flowers bloom in spring, followed by fleshy black fruit that appears in fall. Fruit is messy and can stain sidewalks. There are cultivars that do not produce fruit. Some folks are allergic to the blooms. This tree is very long lived, with a beautiful gnarled trunk. It prefers full sun and low watering in summer months (twice a month) and none during the winter, when established.
Common name:Santa Barbara or Mexican Daisy
Botanical name:Erigeron karvinskianus
This low mounding perennial, with fine leaves and white to pinkish daisy-like flowers, is an excellent asset to rock gardens.
Common name:Shrub Rose
Botanical name:Rosa Shrub varieties
The dark green, heavily veined leaves of this bushy shrub are strong support for the pure white or pink, nearly double flowers it produces. This is a very tolerant, heavily scented plant with an impressive fall color. Also, large hips appear intermittently with this plant.
Common name:Crape Myrtle
Botanical name:Lagerstroemia indica
The new leaves of this species are 2" long, bright green, and tinged with bronze. Some cultivars have spectacular fall color. When it has a bare outline, its rounded seed capsules add interest. Its delicate flowers bloom in 6"-12" long clusters. The flower colors could be shades of red, rose, pink, purple, and white, blooming in summer. It thrives on heat, and new cultivars have been created that resist mildew. This tree prefers full sun and has low watering needs once it's established.
