Common name:Azure or Russian Sage
Botanical name:Perovskia X atriplicifolia
This broad perennial will grow 3'-6' tall and has small, gray green leaves with blue violet flowers that bloom in the summer.
Common name:Fruitland Silverberry
Botanical name:Elaeagnus pungens
Evergreen shrub to 10-15' equally tall as wide. Through pruning you can keep it smaller. Large silvery leaves with rusty dots. Armed with spines. Good for hedge or dense barriers. Can be sheered; tolerates heat and wind. Tolerates bad soil.
Designer: Sallie Homan
Photographer: GardenSoft
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Apply a layer of mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss.
Choose organic mulches, such as shredded bark, compost or aged sawdust.
Develop healthy soil for plants that are vigorous and naturally pest-resistant.