A favorite of many gardeners, multiple award-winner Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' is a striking ornamental onion with perfectly round flowerheads, 3 in. wide (8 cm), packed with dozens of small, star-shaped, rich violet-lilac flowers. They are borne atop sturdy stalks, which arise from a group of 6 to 8 handsome, blue-green leaves. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this spectacular Allium enjoys long-lasting blooms and makes outstanding cut flowers that will last for 2 weeks.

One of the most popular foliage plants, award-winner Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana' is a compact, semi-evergreen perennial forming a low, spreading mound with soft, silvery leaves divided into hair-like segments of extremely fine foliage texture. Tiny, yellow nodding flower-heads appear in mid or late summer, but they are ornamentally insignificant and are best cut off to keep the foliage at its best. A great choice as a neutral spacer or framing plant, Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana' is a graceful addition to the landscape. One of the few Artemisia that is not invasive by underground rhizomes.

Both useful and ornamental, Thymus 'Silver Posie' (Common Thyme) is a bushy dwarf evergreen shrub with a wonderful foliage of white-margined, aromatic, gray-green leaves with a hint of pink on the tips. In late spring to early summer, the plant is smothered in clusters of small, tubular, bright purple to white flowers that are attractive to bees and butterflies. Excellent culinary herb used to flavor chicken, fish, pork, vegetable dishes or stuffing. Can also be used as a ground cover in rock gardens or border fronts or for edging paths and borders.

Multiple award-winner, Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' is a favorite of many gardeners for its unique, glowing dark purple stems and stunning, vertical spikes of rich, violet-blue flowers appearing in late spring or early summer. Very striking when in bloom, they last for weeks and bring strong color and form to the landscape. Drought tolerant and deer resistant, this Salvia is a real magnet for butterflies, hummingbirds and bees! Reliable and compact, it grows in round clumps of gray-green, aromatic foliage up to 18-24 in. high (45-60 cm) and nearly as wide.

A great pick! Compact, and extremely fragrant with rosy purple flowers, Lavender 'Munstead' is very attractive throughout the year. Introduced in 1916 by the garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, this small cultivar grows well in containers and is a great choice for hedges or knot gardens. Excellent for potpourris or dried arrangements as it retains its color. Blooms twice starting in late spring or early summer. Lavenders blooming twice are known to have a full second flush of blooms after the flowers of the first bloom have been harvested.

Luminescent in the shade, Geranium clarkei 'Kashmir White' (Cranesbill) is a rhizomatous, spreading herbaceous perennial with a profusion of large, upward-facing, white flowers, 2 in. wide (5 cm), adorned with contrasting lilac-pink veins. Blooming profusely from late spring to midsummer, the blossoms arise from an attractive foliage mat of deeply-lobed leaves (7 lobes). Cutting back to the ground after the first flush of blooms and fertilizing will often promote a second bloom. Easy to grow, this cranesbill does not do well in areas with high summer heat or high humidity. One of the loveliest of all the clarkei selections.

Award-winning Cornus kousa 'Miss Satomi' (Kousa Dogwood) is an upright, spreading medium-sized deciduous shrub with 4 seasons of interest. In spring, a heavenly array of star-like blooms appear. They consist of four narrowly pointed deep pink bracts which surround the center cluster of tiny yellowish-green flowers. The blossoms give way to strawberry-like, rosy-pink fruits in summer, which persist into fall unless devoured by hungry birds. In summer, its canopy of layered branches, clad with oval, pointed, dark green leaves, provides shade and beauty. In the fall, it offers spectacular bright red color when its foliage turns attractive shades of scarlet. In winter, its exfoliating, mottled, tan, and gray bark adds interest to the landscape.

One of the most striking foliage plants, Euphorbia x martinii (Martin's Spurge) is a dwarf evergreen sub-shrub which produces rosettes of narrow, dark gray-green leaves on stiff stems. In late spring, it sports dense sprays of chartreuse flowers, sometimes studded with a purple eye. This combination of lime green and purple is a real treat in the garden. This breathtaking beauty is a natural hybrid of Euphorbia characias and Euphorbia amygdaloides and was discovered growing wild in southern France. It does not reseed as much as other Euphorbias.

Compact, Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa' (Boxwood) is a small, slow-growing, broadleaf evergreen shrub with a soft and lush foliage of ovate, fairly glossy leaves, up to 1 in. long (2 cm). Tough, hardy and easy to grow, this dwarf Boxwood provides color year-round, as well as form, texture and contrast to its companion plants.