Common name: Jerusalem Sage
Botanical name: Phlomis fruticosa

This hardy shrub can reach 4' tall and wide. It is a useful, old-time garden plant with soft, woolly gray green, wrinkled leaves. During spring and summer, yellow, 1" flowers in ball-shaped whorls with a clove like fragrance cover the shrub. It does best in full sun or light shade. It is both cold tolerant and drought tolerant once it's established.

Common name: White Gaura
Botanical name: Gaura lindheimeri

White Gaura is a profusely flowering perennial for all zones; it grows 2'-4' high and 2' wide. It has pink buds that open to showy white flowers in spring through fall. It needs full sun and does best in sandy or loamy soil that is well draining. Established plants are drought tolerant. Leaves are narrow, tiny and lance-shaped. Breezes cause flowers to move on stems, resembling butterflies flickering. Prune in spring to control height, if desired. Does best in hot and dry areas.

Common name: Sea Pink
Botanical name: Armeria maritima

This clumping, grass-like perennial is native to many areas, including coastal California. Its flowers range from deep rose pink to white.

Common name: Compact Yellow Phlomis
Botanical name: Phlomis lanata

Phlomis lanata is a dense, compact, shrubby perennial to 2.5' tall, with 1" wide, woolly, wrinkled leaves and whorls of 1/2", tubular, yellow flowers. It is nearly everblooming if old, faded stems are cut out.

Common name: Purple Coneflower
Botanical name: Echinacea purpurea

The Purple Coneflower is a long-lived, reliable standby for the perennial garden. Rosy purple petals fall below the prominent orange-tinged central dome and blooms in late June to September. It should be placed toward the front or middle of the border, or interplanted with Ox-Eye Daisy in the cut flower garden. It should be grown in fertile, well-drained soil. The plant blooms well in shade, but does even better in sun. Reaches 3' tall on straight vertical stalks.

Common name: Desert Marigold
Botanical name: Baileya multiradiata

Desert Marigold is a fast growing annual or biennial, forming clumps of soft woolly gray leaves. It has bright, yellow daisy-like flowers that appear spring through fall. Flowers will rot with too much water, as this plant is heat and drought tolerant. Flowers top at 12". Deadheading will prolong bloom; this plant makes great cut flowers. This plant will reseed itself but needs good drainage. It needs full sun but is very cold hardy.

Common name: Blue Fescue, Blue Fescue Grass
Botanical name: Festuca glauca

This ground cover/grass will grow less than 1' tall and has small, blue-green, evergreen leaves that are very thin and hair-like. Flowers appear in the summer but are insignificant. This dependable but short-lived ground cover prefers full sun in coastal areas and afternoon shade in warm inland areas. It needs well draining soil and is drought tolerant once it's established. Leaves may burn during the summer but trim in winter to keep it looking refreshed. Does not tolerate wet soil.