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These penstemons aren’t growing in my own garden, but they do remind me of plants that I grew here until last winter. Sadly, the colder-than-usual winter killed off several penstemons that I’d had for a few years.
Penstemon ‘Raven’ is very similar to the plant above, with flowers of a fabulously deep purple that has a magenta tinge. I miss it! There will certainly be more of it in the garden again, but in future I’ll more careful to take cuttings that can be kept somewhere away from the frost.
Another of the penstemons that I lost was ‘Hidcote Pink’ – a very pretty salmon-pink that was a bit different to the other shades of pink here. (My other pinks have a bit more blue in them.) It would be welcome in the garden again. But perhaps the most missed of the lost penstemons is deep red ‘Garnet’, which I’d had for years. This one might perhaps have made it through the winter if it hadn’t already been struggling a little. (The ground level where it was growing had been disturbed a bit when building the pond. This meant that the ground around it drained much more and became a bit too dry for the plant…oops!)
I love the rich colours and the attractive markings inside the throat of penstemon flowers, so I’ll be keen to grow more of them in future. (Bees love them too, and it’s amusing to see their little furry bottoms sticking out of the bell-shaped flowers – a bonus!) At this stage of the summer, I may leave it to next spring to buy more plants though. And I will have to be more careful about protecting them from harsh winter weather. The effort will be worth it to see these beauties in my garden again.
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
I’m always surprised to see what the plant breeders have done with our natives. When I think ‘Penstemon,’ I always think ‘pink,’ but these vibrant colors are striking. Like you, I love seeing the nether regions of bumblebees sticking out of flowers; I’ll have to pay more attention next year and see if I can catch some in our Penstemons.
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The colours are very deep and rich in many of the penstemons I see for sale – making them a huge temptation that I have no intention of resisting. Lots of bees in the garden today – one or two hanging out of the agapanthus flowers. 🙂
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Your statement that “I love the rich colours and the attractive markings inside the throat of penstemon flowers” got me wondering how it would be if people’s throats were as richly colored as these penstemons. “Open your mouth and say aah” would have an added meaning.
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LOL, but we’re not trying to attract bees into our mouths, eek! 🙂
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I like the vibrancy in these pictures, Ann! Lovely flowers!
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Thank you Indira – the colours really attracted me. I’m hoping to go shopping for some next spring…
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I also love the vibrant colours, Ann. Penstemons occur as wildflowers in many iterations in Colorado and we usually see them in various habitats, from prairie to alpine. Seeing furry bee bottoms sticking out of the flowers is definitely a bonus. 😊🐝
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Furry bee bottoms are always a bonus! Seeing a lot more bees in the garden now, which is a relief after not seeing many earlier in the year.
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Yes, the more bees and the more butterflies, the better. 🐝🦋🐝🦋
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My pens haven’t done too well this year. I have had them both a long time though: Maurice Gibb and Flamingo. June was hot and dry, July and Aug have been wet, wet, wet.
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Not an easy year! I think they really suffer when it gets very dry here, but they don’t want to be drowned either!
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