Penstemon Collection

This collection of perennial penstemons brings together the 'Evelyn' with flowers in a delicate pink, 'Apple Blossom' in a fresher pink, and 'Blackbird', which is very different with its deep red colour. These are reliable varieties, renowned for their extraordinary floribundity. These bushy plants will bring grace, lightness, and lots of colour to your borders and containers. They will thrive in the sun in light, rich, well-drained, but not too dry soil in summer.

This collection consists of:

- 1 x Penstemon hybrid 'Evelyn': an old, not very tall (50 cm (20in)), and very bushy variety. Abundant and particularly long-lasting flowering with pastel pink flowers and a white throat, from June to October. Flowers are 2 cm (1in) long. Fine light green foliage, more or less evergreen in winter depending on the climate. Hardiness: down to -12 °C (10.4°F) in dry soil.

- 1 x Penstemon hybrid 'Apple Blossom': a variety that reaches a height of 70 cm (28in) when in bloom. Flowering from June to September-October. Small flowers, 2.5 cm (1in) long, with a pastel pink color washed with a slightly deeper pink at the tips of the lobes, and a pearly white throat marked with light crimson streaks. Fine medium-green foliage, more or less evergreen in winter. Hardiness: down to -9 °C (15.8°F) in dry soil.

- 1 x Penstemon hybrid 'Blackbird': a variety that reaches a height of 65 cm (26in), flowering from June to October. Tubular, widely open, 4 cm (2in) long flowers in a deep red colour with a white throat. Fine light green foliage, more or less evergreen in winter. Hardiness: down to -15 °C (5°F) in dry soil.

Plant this penstemon collection in a sunny border or large flower bed, or in large pots on your balcony. They prefer to be planted in spring and thrive in rich, light, well-drained soil that is not too dry in summer but fairly dry in winter. Leave a spacing of 50 cm (20in) between plants. It is recommended to prune the faded flower stems so that the plants continue to flower generously from June to September-October. This long and abundant flowering can sometimes cause the stems to bend under the weight of the flowers. We recommend pinching the branches during the growing season. This will result in shorter and straighter flower stems, with a slightly delayed flowering.

There are plenty of combination ideas to create a large flower bed with these perennials according to each gardener's taste. You can mix them with tall blue bellflowers, in front of white Bristol Fairy gypsophiles, and sow some love-in-a-mist among the different plants. Penstemons also make excellent companions for roses. You can plant them in a ribbon in front of rose bushes in an English-style garden, which will be very colourful for months. In a wilder setting, you can combine them with medium-sized grasses such as Muhlenbergia capillaris or Eragrostis spectabilis. Once well established, these Penstemons will only require regular pruning to remove faded flowers and a pruning of the stems to 10 cm (4in) above ground level in March-April.