Gaillardia - Goblin would work really well.

21" a year. What a luxury. We haven't had even 3" yet this year. I live at at 6500 ft so I have a few suggestions for you.

Everything on your list looks good. I would also add coneflowers, california fuchsia (zauschneria,) wall germander (teucrium,) heliopsis, nepeta, lavender hidcote - although 7000' might be pushing it, russian sage, achillea, salvia May Night or any other the others, coreopsis (the threadneedle varieties,) poppy mallow (callirhoe,) asters (lots of choices) and lamb's ear (stachys - take a look at the hummelo variety at Bluestone Periannials - my current favorite plant of the year.)

I would also suggest good mulching.

Happy planning, Nancy

Thanks for the infomation..... Also I was wondering if anyone has tried to grow Perry Penstemon (Penstemon parryi) and how cold tolerant it is... It's more a desert penstemon that grows below 6,000 ft...I read that someone Perry penstemon took -5 and recovered..... Have anyone tried growing this penstemon in Colorado or Utah??

Hi,

I tried Penstemon parryi one year at 6500'. It made it through the summer but not the winter. Hard to say if it was the cold or the wet. I was trying it in clay soil so I am guessing the wet got it first. We don't have much wet but when it snows, it snows.

Nancy

Chris, I'm only at ~ 5,500 ft, but I have penstemon barbatus 'Coccineus', penstemon pinifolius, and penstemon pinifolius 'Compactum'. One of the regular pinifolius didn't come back after the snowy winter we had, but all of the others did fine. The gaillardia, echinaceas, and yarrows (achillea) are great suggestions. What about some sedums, or iceplants (delosperma) for groundcovers?

For more high altitude, low water ideas, check out High Country Gardens website.

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: High Country Gardens