Native Butterfly Weed attracts flocks of Monarchs and other beneficial pollinators like a magnet. It's very dark green, linear leaves and a low, mounded form make this plant ideal in front of taller plants. July brings masses of fragrant, bright orange bloom clusters that last for weeks. Not fussy as long you give it plenty of sun and soil that doesn't stay wet after a soaking rain. Deer resistant, and drought tolerant once established.

Grown at our Chalet Farm in WI, Francee Hosta features dainty spikes of lilac purple bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its attractive textured heart-shaped leaves remain forest green in color with distinctive white edges throughout the season. A dense herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage, the medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

Beauty, functionality and ease of growth combine to make this ornamental grass a best-seller! Tall stems of wheat-like flowers rise in June above the clump of leaves and remain attractive well into the winter. Upright form makes it ideal for narrow spaces, but it also looks terrific when planted in mass. Mingles well with just about anything including Butterfly Bush (Buddleia), Blue Mist Spirea (Caryopteris), Coneflower (Echinacea), Cranesbill (Geranium), Daylily (Hemerocallis), and Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum). Cut back old foliage to a few inches in early spring.

Cheerful, long-blooming daisies brighten sunny beds and borders and also make excellent fresh cut flowers. Becky is a sturdy variety with strong stems that support masses of bright white, 3-4" flowers with yellow centers in June and July. Removing the faded flowers really helps to extend the bloom. Looks great with Tickseed (Coreopsis), Dianthus, Salvia and ornamental grasses. Avoid heavy, wet clay soil.

Cold-hardy, versatile geranium variety makes an excellent flowering groundcover, rock garden plant and container plant. Magenta pink flowers bloom heavily in May, then sporadically for the rest of the summer on dense mounds of foliage. The small, dark green, deeply lobed leaves turn amazing shades of red in the fall.

Pixie Meadowbrite Coneflower has masses of beautiful lightly-scented hot pink daisy flowers with burgundy eyes at the ends of the stems from mid summer to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Trouble-free, long-blooming Russian Sage is a great plant for beginners. From July to October, spires of light blue flowers decorate the top of stiff, upright stems. The aromatic, lacy gray-green foliage is a perfect foil for coarser leaved plants and looks especially good with pink and yellow flowers like Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Coneflower (Echinacea), Phlox and Roses. Russian Sage is a woody shrub in warmer climates, but in the North the stems need to be cut back in early spring.

This easy to grow, adaptable Nativar (variety of a Native Plant) is a magnet for the Monarch butterfly, bees and beneficial insects! Clouds of fragrant white flower clusters in August cover an upright mound of dark green foliage. Mingles well with moist soil-lovers such as Aster, Joe Pye Weed and Cardinal Flower. Keep in mind that Monarch caterpillars will munch on the leaves! For best results keep soil moist during dry spells.

Blooming for a good part of the summer the prolific, the deep yellow flowers of Zagreb are a cheerful addition to sunny gardens or walkways. Fine-textured, thread-like leaves form a compact, bushy mound that complements other coarser leaved plants. Plant 2 or 3 together for best effect and shear after flowering to get an autumn flush of bloom.

Striking hot pink and rose bells rise from compact mounds of interesting sea green foliage with ruffled edges; creates a stunning border front; great versatility; keep soil moist in heat of summer. Paris Coral Bells features dainty spikes of hot pink bell-shaped flowers with rose overtones rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer. Its attractive crinkled lobed leaves remain bluish-green in color with distinctive dark green veins throughout the year. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

This tough yet pretty plant is great for beginners—just give it a sunny location and soil that drains well. Ferny, grayish foliage is topped by clusters of 2” diameter, flat-topped flowers in a sulfur-yellow color in June and July—the color combining well with pinks and blues such as Coneflower (Echinacea) and Salvia. The flowers are super for cutting and drying. Another big plus is that butterflies will flock to this plant, but the deer won't!

Northwind Switch Grass features airy plumes of rose flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its attractive grassy leaves are olive green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous gold in the fall. The brick red seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from late summer to mid fall. The tan stems can be quite attractive.