Fall is the perfect time for adding shrubs, spring blooming bulbs, and trees to your landscape. Cooler weather and generally more rainfall help new plantings acclimate before the heat of summer rolls around again.

Two drought tolerant shrubs with amazing blooming color are:

• Texas Sage (leucophyllum frutescens) and

• ‘October Skies’ Aster (aster oblongifolius).

Texas Sage grows 6 ft tall and 4-6 ft wide with small gray green leaves. Purple blooms coat the shrub after rainfall, leading to one of its colloquial names, ‘Barometer Bush.’ The blooms attract all kinds of pollinators. The gray green leaves provide a contrast to other evergreen shrubs in the garden. It prefers alkaline soil, perfect for our area. (first photo)

‘October Skies’ Aster is an herbaceous perennial growing 18-24” tall and 20-24” wide with medium green leaves and a somewhat spiked appearance. In the fall the shrub explodes with blue-violet blooms. After I saw a neighbor’s butterfly-coated shrub while out walking I planted seven in my own landscape. The shrub dies back to the ground every winter with new growth appearing in spring. It is song bird friendly, deer resistant, and pollinator perfect. It can tolerate poor soil and dry conditions. (2nd photo)