Mid-Atlantic Gardening: PLANT ADDICTS CHAT #7, 3 by coleup

coleup wrote:
Today I stood in the middle of Ace Outback Garden Center to see which plants would draw the most butterfly action (skippers, cabbage whites?, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Monarchs, etc.

Agastache, Phlox 'Volcano', and these two that came home with me

Gallardia 'Grape Sensations' (Pic 1 &2) Beautiful deep purple!

Liatris microcephala Dwarf Gayfeather (pic 3)
"Defying summer extremes of heat, humidity and drought, Liatris microcephala is an easy care herbaceous perennial that thrives in full sun and poor soil. Growing from a woody corm, it produces a tuft of fine textured, grass-like foliage in spring. Then in late summer multiple 2-2½’ erect leafy stems, encircled by numerous ¾” rose-purple flowers, grace its tufted mound. Plants require lean, well drained soil, especially in winter. Small-headed gayfeather makes a vibrant vertical accent in a sunny border combined with Coreopsis delphiniifolia or Rudbeckia fulgida. Its diminutive size makes it ideal in the rock garden nestled with Silene regia, Krigia montana, Bigelowia nuttallii and Ruellia humilis." - Mt. Cuba Center
http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Perennials/L_files/La-Li.ht...

Pic 4 Tecoma 'Sparky' interesting trumpet flower sold as an annual..very pretty