My standout new plant this year was by far Gallardia "Oranges and Lemons". It was the last plant blooming in late Nov after frosts and made tireless stands of beautiful, bright flowers all summer long. I just deadheaded whenever I walked by, and this plant took care of itself. I sure hope it comes back this spring. If not, I will buy another one as an annual, it was THAT GOOD. Agastache "Tutti Frutti" did very well, making a 3 ft small bush that was always beloved by hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. I would like to find a closer place to put one next year so I can better enjoy the creatures that love it so much. Perhaps as part of a container planting on the patio... Disappointments are Monarda "Jacob Cline" because it won't stand upright. It sprawls sideways, etc and is not the look I had hoped for. Nor did it bloom very well this year. Same story for my Gallardia Goblins in same bed, now they did bloom profusely, but not standing up. Instead they flopped all over the place and were a distraction to me. We'll see if they come back too. Not sure what to use in their places if they don't comeback or perform well enough. I need hot colors for a full sun, dry bed in front of house. Sections needing a 3 ft tall upright grower and sections for about a 2 ft tall upright grower. Suggestions ? Thanks in advance !

Husker Red divides fine in the spring, even though it flowers fairly early and should probably be done in the fall. I am constantly digging out parts of mine to plant in other people's gardens. It doesn't have much problem here dying out in the center, just constantly getting bigger & bigger, and seeds itself about. It transplants well, never misses a beat, great plant.

My penstemons grow in sandy soil, full sun, gravel mulch. As Cheryl said, they need good drainage, and I killed a bunch I planted in average soil; it held too much moisture. I don't know if yours can be saved, but if they were mine, I'd move the mulch out of the way, dig them up, and plant them in a mound of sandy soil so they are above the surrounding soil, and mulch with gravel.

Hello Duane(?), Lucky you to be able to visit High Country Gardens. We've been buying their mail order plants for about fifteen years and love them even if we haven't had success with everything. Over the years we've tried a lot of High Country's agastaches. Every time they come out with a new one, which is every year, we give it a shot. Mostly they have been dissapointing. Because they are at a higher elevation winter hardiness has never been a problem for us but the summers here are more brutal than in New Mexico and I've always found the agastaches to look more faded and wispy here than their pics and if not killing them it has kept a lot of them from performing well. That said rupestrus does good here and Desert Sunrise has survived last summer and winter and is growing like crazy now. My new try for the year is Orange Flare since both it's parents do well here. We've never tried Black adder but it's good to know it does well, Maybe that will be something for next year. Most of their agastaches are hybrids and have to be grown from cuttings but rupestrus is easily grown from seed which is how I got what I have now. At our old house I bought them from high country for I believe about eight dollars a plant although they've come down a little. I tried Salvia May Night at our old house but it didn't seem to like the heat so I gave up on it. There are so many salvias that love it here why waste time on one that doesn't but maybe you are having more success. We are trying thier zauschneria etteri this year with Agastache cana "rosita" and a russian sage to try to duplicate a look they had. At our other house we had a A. cana that was ok so I'm hopeful. It's always good to here what does good and not so good in someone elses yard to have some ideas about what might be good to try. Maria