Penstemon Countess of Dalkeith - Beardtongue

<strong>Penstemons offer abundant and long-lasting flowering, available in beautiful, often vibrant shades.</strong> Most of them bloom from May until the first frosts. They are appreciated for their relatively light and airy flowering, which adds verticality and a rustic, natural feel to borders. These are plants that deserve to be better known and more widely used in gardens. <strong>Most varieties produce flowers in shades of purple, pink, or red, although they can also be blue or white.</strong> The throat of penstemons is usually a lighter shade, creating stunning contrast and nuances. Discover <em>Penstemons barbatus</em> (notably the variety ‘Coccineus’, with its bright red hue), ‘Garnet’, or <em>hartwegii</em>, featuring large red and white flowers. You can pick penstemon flowers to make bouquets! They hold up quite well in a vase. <strong>Penstemons need to be planted in full sun and well-draining soil</strong>, but they will produce more abundant flowering if the soil remains cool in summer. They are fairly drought-resistant plants that tolerate poor soils quite well. Their biggest concern is excess moisture in winter. Penstemons find their place in borders, at the edge of beds, or in rockeries. As for maintenance, they mainly need to be pruned at the beginning of spring. It is also advisable to cut back spent stems during summer... their flowering will be even more generous!