Blue blazes
One of our favorite hardy Hummingbird Mint varieties, ‘Blue Blazes’, is ready now in 1-gallon pots, perfect for summer planting. For many years, the gorgeous specimen in Eve’s water-wise front yard elicited admiration, comments and questions from passing pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Many asked ”What is that shrub with the glowing purple-magenta flower spikes?”
This vigorous, showy, large (40-50” tall x 24-30”w) native hybrid blooms non-stop from mid-June to fall, providing a tremendous pollen and nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. The fragrant foliage resists deer and rabbits. Plant in well-drained, low-fertility soil, in full sun. Hardy in Zones 5 to 9. ’Blue Blazes’ was bred by our friend and Colorado horticultural star, Kelly Grummons. Eve’s trees eventually shaded out her ‘Blue Blazes’.
Also available now in #1 pots: Agastache ‘Poquito Butter Yellow’, a newer dwarf, bushy hummingbird mint (10 – 13”h x 15”w) for smaller gardens, ‘hell-strip’ plantings, containers or mass plantings. Its fresh, buttery color is new to Agastache, and the large flowers keep coming
from mid-June to hard frost. Dead-head spent blooms in summer, but leave some spikes standing for the Goldfinches and other songbirds that love the seeds. Plant in full sun in low-fertility, well-drained soil (not heavy clay). ‘Poquito Butter Yellow’attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and native bees, and is resistant to deer and rabbits. Hardy in zones 5 to 10.