Front of the border
By: Garden Gate staff
| 1 of 4
Fantastic in front
When a plant in the middle or back of your flower border decides to go down, you can disguise it so visitors won’t notice. But your choices up front have nowhere to hide.
Click ahead for three plants that perform perfectly at the front of the border. Some bloom for weeks, or even months, at a time and all have great-looking foliage.
| 2 of 4
Easy African marigold
As these bright yellow blooms fade, snip them off just below the flower head to keep the plant worthy of its front-of-the-border position. Spent blooms on these larger flowered forms can be distracting as they turn brown. And the size, as well as the number of flowers, decreases if the plant directs more energy into producing seeds.
Tagetes erecta Inca II™ ‘Primrose’
Type Annual
Blooms Yellow from late spring until frost
Light Full sun
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 12 to 14 in. tall and wide
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
| 3 of 4
Striking silver sage
This low mound of silver-gray foliage is definitely bold. Touch it and you’ll discover it’s covered with soft fuzz — that’s an indication this plant likes it dry. In fact, if water sits on a leaf too long it will rot. It’s better to plant silver sage with companions that like similar conditions or water using soaker hoses instead of sprinklers. If you do have some leaves damaged by excessive rain, cut them off and new ones will sprout.
Salvia argentea
Type Biennial
Blooms Tall sprays of white in summer
Light Full sun
Soil Well-drained
Size 3 to 4 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 5 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
| 4 of 4
Long-lasting floss flower
Floss flower looks best planted in masses or drifts. Here, at least five plants have been set about 8 inches apart so they grow into a solid mass of color. If the plant gets ragged or stretches in summer, lightly shear off a couple inches. It’ll be blooming again in a few weeks.
Ageratum houstonianum ‘Blue Danube’
Type Tender perennial
Blooms Lavender-blue from summer until frost
Light Full sun
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 6 to 8 in. tall, 10 to 12 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 9 to 10
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
