I am lucky to have a large garden space and so I have the luxury of being able to dedicate some of my beds to a single perennial species.

In her book "The Once and Future Gardener," Virginia Clayton provides examples of articles that were published in popular American gardens magazines between 1900 and 1940. One article by Helen Wilson focused on spire-like flowers.

Purple and chartreuse always look good together in a garden.

Euphorbias are becoming more popular with gardeners recently, as they are versatile, easy- to-grow and deer resistant.

There are about 300 species of Corydalis, both perennial and biennial, belonging to the poppy family. Give these plants full sun to partial shade where summers are not too hot and well-drained soil with regular moisture.

Ajuga is hardy zones 3-9 and prefers light shade and evenly moist well-drained soil.

Campanulas, or bellflowers to use their common name, are plants with bell-shaped blue or white blooms, and they range in height from ground-hugging dwarfs to plants that grow to 6 feet. A gardener who plants a number of different types can have bloom for most of the summer.

“How shall a man die that has sage in his garden?”

Adversity has taught this gardener to cherish every flower that blooms, no matter what its color or its smell.

Tropaeolum minor was first found growing in Mexico and Peru and introduced to England in 1574. The English called the plant Indian Cress because the leaves tasted sharp. The peppery taste and characteristic scent led to the name “nasturtium,” which is from the Latin word meaning “nose twister.”