Blanket flower is a colorful native wildflower. The hybrid Fanfare adds unusual form as well.

THE WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON — Every gardener wants plants that perform well, that are hardy, pest-resistant and long-lived, as well as aesthetically pleasing. But how do you find such stars?

Closely observing ornamental plants that thrive in your area is one way to evaluate whether you want them in your garden. Look each week through the year to follow progress. Keep a photographic record of what you like, recording when you saw a plant and why you liked it. This record will become your palette for designing a pleasing landscape that fits your personality.

I have been following the progress of many plants this way over the years, including some recent introductions. Factors that can affect a plant’s performance include soil, wildlife browsing, drought, torrential rain and high winds. This spring, plants had more than adequate rainfall, and last year they survived a hot summer without rain. Most have returned this summer with limited damage.

Here are some of the plants that have performed well over time. Many are available from local garden centers or by mail order.

• American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana): If you want a tough, deciduous tree that will grow well in sun or shade, this small to medium-size native fits the bill. It matures at a height of 30 to 40 feet and width of 20 to 25 feet, making this graceful, horizontal-branched plant appropriate for use along roads and under power lines, where its size will keep it from affecting overhead wires. This was named one of the year’s best trees by the annual Great Plants program at Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, a top evaluation program.

• Goshiki osmanthus (O. heterophyllus “Goshiki”): A shade-tolerant or full-sun plant, often mistaken for a holly because of its thick, evergreen and spiny leaves, this is a deer-proof shrub. The goshiki’s most ornamental characteristic is its golden marbling on the foliage, an outstanding contrast to a background of plants with green leaves. The shrub is hardy to Zone 6, so it should be planted in a sheltered place in Rhode Island gardens.

• Blanket flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora “Fanfare”): I have grown and enjoyed the perennial blanket flower for years, but “Fanfare” is special. It gives the appearance of having double sets of petals, or clusters of colorful flowers. The brilliant orange-red centers and reddish-gold petals advance toward the viewer, leaving the observer to wonder what kind of flower it is. They seed themselves and will return from roots and seeds, but they can easily be pulled as weeds if you don’t know what you are looking at. Give this plant time to show its blooms. With proper deadheading, it can be kept in flower from late spring to late fall. It is a fitting perennial for wildflower meadows or cottage gardens, and it’s drought-tolerant and very colorful in full sun.

• Blue Hill salvia (S. nemorosa “Blauhugel”): This salvia was a gift to us from a grower who had just started shipping through the mail and was trying out his new packaging. He sent just one, and my wife planted it without much thought. That was seven years ago, and it has become one of the toughest, longest-lasting, repeat-blooming salvias we have seen. Its flowers are a soft blue, almost the same hue as blue eyes, and it appears to have very few insect or disease problems. At one time, we had aphids on adjacent Black-Eyed Susans and flea beetles decimating our May Night salvia, but Blue Hill had no damage from either pest. It has been through all sorts of weather. Whether we deadhead it or not, it flowers dependably from June to October. Plants are exceptionally cold-hardy and the flowers will attract butterflies. The soil must be well drained.

• Forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla): The name forget-me-not is assigned to at least three genera of perennials, Myosotis, Cynoglossum and this one. Brunnera has proven to be the most satisfying. This 18-inch-tall, coarse-textured plant had extremely long-lasting, dainty drifts of blue flowers this spring with large, heart-shaped and leathery leaves that will persist into winter. It loves moisture, so you have some idea of how much it liked this growing season. Brunnera is the perfect wildflower for a stream bank and will spread rapidly in the presence of moisture. It can be easily divided and moved.

Joel M. Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md.