Common name:Conejo Buckwheat
Botanical name:Eriogonum crocatum

Saffron Buckwheat is a compact, low growing perennial 1-2 ft. high and wide, having white wooly stems and leaves and contrasting yellow flower clusters summer to fall. It tolerates heavy soils if given good drainage and no summer water.-Cornflower Farms

Common name:Ruby King Penstemon
Botanical name:Penstemon hybrids 'Ruby King'

Penstemon 'Ruby King' is an attractive perennial, reaching 3' tall. Red tubular flowers appear in summer and fall. Hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers. Evergreen leaves are pointed and bright green. Penstemons need well draining soil and full sun in coastal areas. It prefers afternoon shade in warm inland areas. It is not cold hardy. It is usually short lived (3-4 years) but well worth the effort for the spectacular blooms.

Common name:Catmint
Botanical name:Nepeta X faassenii

Nepeta faassenii makes soft, gray-green, undulating mounds o 1.5 ft. high in bloom. The small leaves are attractive to cats. This perennial has lavender blue flowers in late spring, and early summer.

Common name:Cedros Island Verbena
Botanical name:Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina'

Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina' is a selection introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden. It follows the same wonderful characteristics described under the general species V. lilacina.

Common name:Apple Blossom Penstemon
Botanical name:Penstemon hybrids 'Apple Blossom'

This Penstemon is a showy perennial that remains 2'-4' high It has light pink tubular blossoms on long flower spikes with white throats. It blooms from spring through the fall and is hardy to 15 degrees F. It is also drought tolerant, and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. -Cornflower Farms

Common name:Checkerbloom
Botanical name:Sidalcea malviflora

This native perennial will grow about 2' tall and 2' wide. It has lobed, dark green leaves with pinkish purple flowers that bloom in early spring. Prefers limited water in summer; will come back with winter rains.

Common name:Sticky Monkey Flower
Botanical name:Mimulus aurantiacus

Sticky Monkey Flower is a drought tolerant evergreen shrub 4 ft. ft tall with numerous orangish/yellow flowers in spring and summer. It is a California native that attracts hummingbirds. This shrub can be found on the dry hills and canyon slopes in the Sierra Nevada foothills and the central Coast Ranges. -Cornflower Farms

The Magic of Mulch

In the natural world the endless cycle of birth, growth, decay, death and rebirth flows throughout the seasons. Plants die, leaves fall and new growth springs up in its place. Nothing is lost and the fallen leaves and dead plants decay into the soil, enriching it for the next generation of growth.

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