This Echinacea species gets the attention of many gardeners. Why? The lovely combination of the prominent central cone and thin, pale pink to purple flower petals gracefully hanging like tassels, makes them one of the most attractive prairie perennials. Aside from the subtle form and color of its elegant flowers, Echinacea pallida, commonly known as Pale Purple Coneflower also features a dark green foliage of long, slender, toothless leaves. Blooming from late spring to midsummer, this attractive upright perennial is worthy of a place in pollinator gardens, perennial borders, prairies, or wildflower gardens.

One of the earliest hardy Salvia to bloom, multiple award-winner Sage 'Mainacht' or 'May Night' (Salvia x sylvestris) has been in cultivation for 30 years and has become quite a standard. Extremely showy, it displays stunning spikes of rich, violet-blue flowers which pleasantly contrast darker bracts. They appear in late spring and bloom for weeks, often throughout the summer.

Creating captivating border displays, Monarda 'Scorpion' (Bee Balm) is a clump-forming perennial boasting masses of glowing reddish-purple flowers, borne in dense, globular terminal heads. Blooming for weeks from mid-summer to early fall, they rest upon a whorl of decorative purple bracts and attract scores of butterflies and hummingbirds. Their vibrant color is set off to perfection by the bright, fresh green of the leaves, which are delightfully fragrant and can be enjoyed in salads or simply by passing by. This Monarda is significantly more resistant to powdery mildew than older varieties.

Wood Betony 'Hummelo' (Stachys officinalis) is a wonderful perennial featuring hot pink flower spikes that emerge on stiff, square stems from a neat mound of glossy, dark green, heart-shaped, semi-evergreen leaves with scalloped edges. Blooming for weeks from early to mid-summer, the blooms hold their shape through the fall, providing structural interest even after they are spent. This plant is a beauty from the moment it begins to develop in spring and provides a spectacular display when massed.

Phlomis russeliana, commonly known as Jerusalem Sage or Turkish Sage, brings interest to the garden almost all year round! First, with its originating flower buds and the resultant flowers themselves in summer, then with its distinctive dome-shaped seed heads in fall and winter. This evergreen perennial features pale yellow hooded flowers in architectural whorled clusters that rise well above the basal foliage, which consists of a low ground-covering mound, up to 15 in. tall (37 cm), of aromatic, heart-shaped, gray-green leaves. A great sight in all seasons.