A.I. Garden Help

I've been having fun creating and modifying pictures on Gemini A.I. to see what tweaks I could make to my garden design. It's usually a bit off when creating whole garden scenes (not everything blooms at once or so prolifically). It comes up with some odd distortions. 

But for a simple request to compare two plants, it was really helpful. 

Rocky Mountain penstemon versus agastache Black Adder

I wanted to compare Rocky Mountain penstemon (in my High Country Gardens order) and Black Adder agastache (I'll divide the pot of it that I have) both of which I'm going to plant in the new strip I'm adding between the birdbath and the left edge of the potting bench curve. 

Both are purple spiky flowering plants, quite similar looking, but I needed to compare bloom times, sizes, preferred conditions, etc.

So I asked Google Gemini to compare the two and within seconds I had this really helpful and concise information, even a chart. I think it's accurate.

Response from Gemini --

Both 

Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus) and 'Black Adder' Agastache (Agastache hybrid) are popular purple-flowering perennials known for their drought tolerance and ability to attract pollinators. Their primary differences lie in their bloom timing, foliage scent, and growth habit. 

Key Comparison

Feature	Rocky Mountain Penstemon	'Black Adder' Agastache
Bloom Time	Late Spring to Early Summer (brief, intense)	Mid-Summer to Fall (extended blooming)
Flower Color	Deep lavender to royal purple	Red-violet flowers from dark, smoky buds
Foliage	Smooth, dark green; non-aromatic	Blue-green; strong anise/mint scent
Hardiness	USDA Zones 3–9 (very cold hardy)	USDA Zones 5–9 (prefers well-drained soil)
Height	24–36 inches	24–36 inches
Pollinators	Bees and hummingbirds	"Pollinator magnet" for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds

Detailed Differences

• Flowering Window: Penstemon provides a spectacular but relatively short display in late spring, often acting as a bridge between spring bulbs and summer perennials. 'Black Adder' is a "season extender," blooming continuously for several months until the first frost.
• Aromatic Qualities: 'Black Adder' belongs to the mint family; its leaves release a spicy liquorice scent when crushed, which also makes it highly deer and rabbit resistant. Rocky Mountain Penstemon does not have fragrant foliage.
• Soil Requirements: While both are drought-tolerant, 'Black Adder' Agastache is particularly sensitive to "wet feet" in winter. It requires exceptional drainage to survive cold seasons, whereas Rocky Mountain Penstemon is more adaptable to various garden soils as long as they are not boggy.
• Growth Habit: Penstemon tends to form a basal rosette of leaves with tall, vertical flower spikes. 'Black Adder' forms a bushier, more branched upright clump with multiple "bottlebrush" flower heads. 

Hot Lips Salvia v. Windwalker Red

Then I asked for a comparison of Hot Lips salvia and Windwalker Red salvia. 

Not only did it compare them side by side but it also added creative commentary -- like calling Hot lips and gumdrop covered in confetti and labeling it the "Compact Mounder" (misspelled, tho) versus Windwalker Red as the "Elegant Archer".

That really helped me visualize forms. (It's hard to find any photos online that show the mature form of a plant, photos all focus only on close ups of the flowers.)

With this info I am rethinking where to put each plant. 

Clearly Windwalker Red salvia needs room and should have other things around it -- so where to put a tall arching plant to give it enough room to spread?

Response from Gemini

Quick Comparison: Form & Habit

Feature	Hot Lips Salvia (S. microphylla)	Windwalker Royal Red (S. darcyi x microphylla)
Growth Habit	Dense, mounding, and twiggy; shrub-like.	Upright and arching; more "open" and airy.
Mature Size	2–3 ft. tall and 3 ft. wide (can spread to 5 ft.).	3–4 ft. tall and 3–4 ft. wide; a "rambunctious" grower.
Flower Form	Bicolor (red/white) "lips" scattered all over the plant.	Tall terminal spikes of solid blood-red flowers.
Foliage	Tiny, dark green, aromatic leaves; very fine texture.	Light green, slightly larger leaves; medium texture.
Hardiness	USDA Zones 7–10 (Tender in cold winters).	USDA Zones 5–9 (Significantly more cold-hardy).

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Visualizing the Form & Habit

Hot Lips Salvia: The "Compact Mounter"

• The Look: Imagine a tidy, rounded green gumdrop covered in confetti. Because it is a cultivar of Salvia microphylla (Baby Sage), it has a very twiggy, woody structure that stays relatively close to the ground.

• Habit in the Garden: It functions more like a small flowering shrub. The flowers are distributed throughout the outer "shell" of the plant rather than on tall spikes.

• Landscape Use: Best for the front or middle of a border, or as a "filler" in large containers. It creates a solid mass of color and texture.

Windwalker Royal Red: The "Elegant Archer"

• The Look: Imagine a taller, more dramatic plant with long, graceful wands that arch outward from the center. It has a "see-through" quality because the flowering stems are much longer and more vertical than those of 'Hot Lips'.

• Habit in the Garden: It is a vigorous grower that can look a bit "floppy" or "relaxed" if given too much water or shade. It has a much bolder presence and acts more like a focal point or "thriller."

• Landscape Use: Best for the back of a border or mixed with ornamental grasses (like Muhly grass). Its height makes it a superior "magnet" for hummingbirds, as the flowers are held high on spikes.

Key Decision Factors

• Color Stability: Hot Lips is famous for changing color based on temperature (it can turn all red in high heat or all white in cool weather). Windwalker Red stays a consistent, deep blood-red all season.

• Climate: If you live in a cold climate (Zone 5 or 6), Windwalker Red is the clear winner for winter survival. Hot Lips often requires protection or is treated as an annual in those zones.

• Space: Windwalker Red needs significantly more room to "breathe" and show off its arching form, whereas Hot Lips can be tucked into tighter spots or kept pruned as a low hedge.