Make some room in your garden for aromatic and easy-to-grow savorya versatile herb and pollinator powerhouse. Thats a shame because the herb packs a delightful peppery flavor punch. Its also drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and easy to grow. Scott Little. Winter savory is a perennial plant with stiff foliage and a more pungent flavor. In the kitchen,savory is an easy substitutefor marjoram, rosemary, sage, or thyme. Both summer and winter savory require full sun and well-drained soil....

The golden foliage of this compact juniper stays attractive even in the winter. The Saybrook Gold juniper is a low-growing, spreading evergreen shrub valued for its striking foliage color year-round. As the plant matures, the arching branches and gracefully drooping stem tips hug the ground. Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke This hybrid is one of the Chinese junipers with the brightest foliageand thankfully one that deer dont browse. Other bonus points are the shrubs fast growth rate, compact size, and tolerance of air pollution....

Use this annual as a colorful groundcover or a trailing plant in containers. This Australian native is heat- and drought-tolerant, so it’s a good plant for enduring summer months. Scaevola makes an excellent addition as an annual shrub or groundcover for xeriscape andlow-water gardens. Credit: Cynthia Haynes It also fares well in sunny coastal climates and isnt deterred by moist, salty air. Scaevola can be planted directly in the ground....

Scarlet runner bean is a vining plant that puts on a spectacular show in a sunny spot. Most bean plants are relegated to rows or patches in the vegetable garden. However, the scarlet runner bean is an exception. Credit: Jay Graham They are vigorous climbers that need something sturdy to support their upward growth. A fence works well, but it’s possible for you to alsogrow them on a teepee or trellis....

Beloved for their strong aroma, these plants come in a variety of fragrances. Scented geraniums have long been burdened with a case of mistaken identity. The annual plants we call scented geraniums or scented-leaf geraniums are not geraniums at all but actually pelargoniums. Credit: Dean Schoeppner Scented geraniums are typically grown for their aromatic leaves. The foliage delights the senses with fragrances of fruits, flowers, spices, or even chocolate. As such, scented geraniums have been a favorite in herb and indoor gardens since Victorian times....

Add texture to the garden with these stunning thistlelike perennials. Most gardeners don’t have good things to say about thistles. These extremely tough plants thrive even when neglected. Sea holly can grow in some genuinely tricky situations, such as difficult-to-deal-with gravel. With their spiny foliage and flowers, sea holly plants make a dramatic companion to many garden plants. Where to Plant Sea Holly Choose a full sun location withwell-draining soilfor sea holly....

Use the flowers of this pretty perennial to create stunning dried bouquets. Sea lavender can grow in almost any garden, given the right conditions. Once cut, thecalyces dry well and can last for months. Credit: Denny Schrock This perennial’s leaves are held close to the ground in a basal rosette. From this grouping of foliage, the long flower stems develop. For plants, dig a hole slightly bigger than the root ball....

These grass-like plants have beautiful foliage and are easy to grow. Sedge is a grass-like plant that sways in the wind and pairs nicely with coarse-texture plants such as hostas. Some native sedges can even be used as lawn replacement. Credit: Michal Venera Along with the attractive foliage, many sedges have small, spiny seed heads lending even more textural interest. Sedge provides shelter and food for small animals and pollinators....

Serviceberry can be grown as a small tree or a large shrub for four-season interest. Peter Krumhardt Serviceberries are a relative of roses with a somewhat morbid history. The name serviceberry refers to the funeral services the plant’s flowers often coincided with. Credit:Peter Krumhardt These small trees and large shrubs thrive through all four seasons. The five-petaled flowers closely resemble apple blossoms but with skinnier petals. They may appear from March to May and don’t usually last longonly about a week....

The longtime garden favorite comes in many sizes and theres one for every space. Easy, always fresh, and always eye-catching, the Shasta daisy is a longtime garden favorite. Theflowers vary greatly, too, coming in various degrees of doubleness and size. The sturdy stems and long vase life also make Shasta daisies unbeatable for cutting. Where to Plant Shasta Daisy Plant Shasta daisy in a location withfull sunandwell-draining soil. They do best in neutral soil....

Shell ginger is an easy-to-grow tropical foliage plant suited for both the garden and home. When grown as a houseplant, shell ginger adds a tropical flair to any room. Consider this plant for its foliar charms rather than its flowering potential. Credit:Denny Schrock Whengrown in a greenhouse, shell ginger can grow 1013 feet tall and form a clump 34 feet wide. drop in the plant at the same height as it was in the pot....

It has showy white flowers from July to October. The herb or vegetable garden is not the only place where you could plant shiso. How and When to Plant Shiso Shiso is usually started from seed directly in the garden. Both methods improve germination. Barely cover the seeds as they need light to germinate. Germination takes 7 to 21 days depending on the temperature. After the seeds have germinated, thin seedlings to 6 to 12 inches apart....

These lower-maintenance roses are known for lots of flowers, a graceful form, and clean foliage. In reality, many roses are landscape-worthy shrubs that dont require constant devotion. Some of the best fall into the aptly-named shrub rose class. Credit: Doug Hetherington They usually mix well with other types of shrubs, perennials, annuals, and small trees. You could even place one in a corner of your vegetable garden as an afterthought and get good results....