Gardening in the parkway strip

PLANTS FOR EARLIEST BLOOM 
Find your Sunset Climate Zone

Bulbs 

• Crocus species. Yellow, gold, white, purple, pale blue flowers.
• Iris reticulata (snow iris). Blue, purple. Hardy to Sunset zone 3.
• Tulipa species (tulips).

Evergreen perennials 

• Alyssum montanum (mountain basket of gold). Yellow.
• Veronica pectinata, V. x ‘Blue Reflection’. Blue.

LATE SPRING–SUMMER BLOOM 

Bulbs 

• Babiana species (baboon flower). Blue, lavender, purple, crimson, white. Hardy to Sunset zone 4. Find your Sunset Climate Zone
• Brodiaea species. Blue. Zones vary.
• Iris species. All colors. Zones vary.

Perennials 

• Achillea species (yarrow). Some evergreen. All colors but blue and purple.
• Dianthus gratianopolitanus, D. ‘Allwoodii’ (pinks). Pink, crimson, white flowers.
• Nepeta x faassenii (catmint). Lavender blue; ‘Snowflake’ has white flowers.
• Papaver atlanticum. Orange.
• Penstemon species.

Low evergreen shrubs 

• Cistus species (rockrose). White, pink, magenta. Choose compact species or hybrids. Hardy to Sunset zone 6.
• Eriogonum species (wild buckwheat). White, cream, yellow, pink, rose, or red. Zones vary.
• Helianthemum species (sunrose). All colors but blue or purple.
• Lavandula angustifolia, L. x intermedia (hardy to zone 4). Purple, pink, white.
• Salvia dorrii (desert sage). Blue.
• Santolina species. Yellow, cream. Zones vary.

LONG AND/OR LATE BLOOM 

Perennials 

• Agastache species. All colors but white and yellow. Zones vary.
• Callirhoe involucrata (wine cups). Magenta or white.
• Gaura lindheimeri. White or pink.
• Limonium gmelinii. Purple.

Low shrubs 

• Caryopteris x clandonensis (blue mist). Blue.
• Perovskia (Russian sage). Lavender blue. Ornamental grasses
• Carex tumulicola (Berkeley sedge).
• Festuca californica (hardy to Sunset zone 4) and F. glauca, F. idahoensis (to zone 1).
• Nassella species (needle grass). N. tenuissima is one of the hardiest, into Sunset zone 2B.

SOURCES

• Bulbs: Brent and Becky’s Bulbs (877/661-2852)
• Perennials: High Country Gardens (800/925-9387).