Winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, Verbena bonariensis is a tall and slender-stemmed perennial that displays rich lilac flowers in tight clusters atop long stems that sway gracefully in the summer breeze. They rise well above rosettes of lance-shaped, dark green leaves that hug the ground. A superior nectar plant, hummingbirds and butterflies love it, and so will you!

Native to the Himalayas, Miscanthus nepalensis is a very beautiful ornamental grass grown for its delicate silky, creamy flower plumes on display in late summer. Arching gracefully above the lush foliage of green leaves, they persist into the fall and remain architectural throughout winter. A very unusual grass that brings elegance and a long season of interest to the garden. A fabulous focal point in the garden!

A very popular Dahlia species, Dahlia coccinea provides a brilliant floral display with profuse vivid red, single velvety flowers in late summer. They contrast beautifully against the finely dissected, dark green foliage. The single flowers, up to 4 in. wide (10 cm) blend nicely with other plants and add welcomed color and form to the late summer and fall borders. Very attractive to butterflies and bees, this dahlia is a very pretty and versatile plant. While it is quite tall, it has a terrific delicate habit of growing through other plants, and it does not need staking.

Adding striking color and form to the garden, Astelia 'Silver Shadow' (Silver Spear) is a very ornamental evergreen perennial with long, silver sword-like leaves elegantly arched and terminating in a sharp definite point. Usually buried down in the architectural foliage, pale yellowish green flowers are produced on female plants in spring. Not particularly showy, they give way to orange berries in the summer. Easy to cultivate, Astelia is primarily grown for its decorative foliage and the stunning focal point it creates in the garden. It is an ideal specimen plant for brightening up shady areas and represents an unusual alternative to Phormiums (New Zealand Flax).

Particularly floriferous, Phygelius x rectus 'African Queen' (Cape Fuchsia) is a lovely perennial plant for the summer garden thanks to its with profuse clusters of fuchsia-like, salmon-orange flowers adorned with a yellow throat. Blooming for months from midsummer to fall, the blossoms hang like decorative earrings atop the upright mound of green, bushy foliage. Native to South Africa, it is highly attractive to hummingbirds!

Ideal for small gardens, Malus 'Evereste' (Crabapple) is a charming deciduous tree with several seasons of interest. Opening from rich red buds, masses of sweetly fragrant, large, cup-shaped, white blossoms, 2 in. across (5 cm), appear in late spring, just as the foliage is unfolding. The blooms are followed by abundant clusters of cherry-like, red-blushed, orange-yellow fruit, 1 in. wide (2.5 cm), which persist well into winter. The foliage of more or less lobed leaves emerges dark green in spring and remains so until fall when it turns orange and yellow shades.

Noted for its exfoliating bark and showy fall color, award-winning Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple) is a small spreading deciduous tree that is highly desirable. The chestnut-brown bark of both its trunk and branches constantly peels into thin, tight curls, revealing brighter cinnamon-red wood beneath. Even the youngest stems contribute to this pleasing peeling bark effect. Equally attractive is the foliage of three-lobed leaves, typical of most Acers. Dark green above, but frosty blue-green underneath in spring and summer, the delicately textured leaves turn brilliant red and orange in the fall before shedding for the winter.