桂竹香 '冬之悅'

Pruned these right after their first summer blooms and they came back even thicker this year. The woody growth removal made a noticeable difference in how bushy and productive each plant stayed. My border has been full of color for months now.

Planted these in a sunny border last spring and they're already sprawling with deep purple blooms. The second-year show is even better than the first.

The summer prune is the trick that keeps these going—I trimmed mine back in July and they bounced back with even more blooms by September. Even through a frosty week, the plants stayed sturdy and colorful without any fuss.