Penstemon 'Sour Grapes'
beard tongue
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: July to October
- Hardiness: frost hardy (will need winter protection in cold areas)
Elegant spikes of small, tubular, foxglove-like flowers appear from July to October among lance-shaped, bright green leaves. This easy-to-grow perennial will quickly form large, leafy clumps and is perfect for adding a splash of colour to the middle of a sunny, well-drained border. If you deadhead regularly, the flowers will persist until the first frosts. The magenta-blue flowers of this penstemon have a metallic sheen, reminiscent of black grapes, which contrasts particularly well with deep purples and blues. - Garden care: Remove the faded blooms regularly to prolong flowering. Apply a dry mulch around the base of the plant to protect the roots from frost damage and cut back in spring when new shoots appear low down on the stem. Lift and divide congested clumps in spring.
Allium cristophii
star of Persia
Huge globes of star-like, lilac flowers
Liriope muscari
big blue lily-turf
Purple, wand-like flowers and evergreen foliage
Verbena bonariensis
verbena
Lilac-purple flowers
Phormium 'Platt's Black'
New Zealand flax
Dramatic, almost black, strappy foliage
Verbascum phoeniceum 'Violetta'
purple mullein
Spires of papery purple blooms
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A smoky mixture of pink and blue with an almost metallic silver sheen on the back of the purple-streaked slender trumpets make this long-flowering plant shine in any light
Val Bourne - Garden Writer