Easy care, drought tolerant, and deer resistant, Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) is a bushy perennial prized for its brilliant clusters of bright orange to yellow-orange flowers which bloom continuously throughout summer. Sitting atop upright flowering stems, clad with stiff, lance-shaped leaves, the colorful umbels, 2-5 inches across (5-12 cm), are followed by attractive seed pods in fall. The abundant foliage provides a dark-green backdrop that nicely compliments the cheerful flat umbel flowers. Native to most of the United States and southern Canada, this perennial wildflower has no milky sap, unlike many other milkweeds.

Primarily grown for the look of its beautiful foliage and flowers, Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain' is a popular hardy Salvia that is welcomed in many gardens. This attractive perennial features upright reddish stems, often gracefully arching, lined with interesting whorls of rosy-purple bracts highlighted with small violet-blue flowers. Appearing in early summer, the flowers bloom abundantly for weeks if deadheaded. They rise above a bushy mound of large, lyre-shaped, fuzzy, green leaves. Striking in the garden when in bloom, this Salvia brings color and form to the early summer border.