Common name:New Zealand Flax
Botanical name:Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum'
Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum' is an evergreen perennial. Big, dramatic plant composed of many swordlike, stiffly vertical leaves (9 ft. long, to 5 in. wide) in a fan pattern. Leaves are purple red. Flowers stems reach high above leaves, bearing clusters of 1-2 in. blossoms in dark red to yellow.
Common name:Otto Quast Spanish Lavender
Botanical name:Lavandula stoechas 'Otto Quast'
This round shrub will grow to about 3' high and has small, gray/green leaves with purple, lavender, and blue flowers that bloom in summer. More prostrate than its parent Lavandula stoechas.
Common name:Purple Hopseed Bush or Hop Bush
Botanical name:Dodonaea viscosa 'Purpurea'
This fast-growing shrub has an upright, branching habit that reaches a height of 12-15', with willow-like leaves that are 4" in length. Its foliage is bronzy-green in color, which turns a reddish-purple shade in the fall and winter. It has compact growth and requires full sun for the best results.
Common name:Pride Of Madeira
Botanical name:Echium candicans
Mature specimens of this evergren shrub can grow to a size of 6'-8' tall and 8'-10' wide. In the spring, spikes of rosy-violet to blue-purple flowers appear. It should receive sun to part shade, with little or no summer watering when established. This plant can be severely damaged by frost below 25 degrees F. -Monterey Bay Nursery
Designer: Ann Breemer Designs
Photographer: GardenSoft
Incorporate compost 6" into your soil to retain water, reduce compaction, feed earthworms, and provide valuable nutrients to your plants.
Adjust sprinklers to avoid watering sidewalks and driveways.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.