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Agastache aurantiaca 'Shades of Orange' (2003)

Agastache hyb. 'Ava' (2004)

Agastache hyb. 'Ava' (2004)

Agastache rupestris Glowing Embers® (2002)

Aloinopsis hyb. 'Psychidelic' (2007)

Aquilegia aff. longissima Swallowtail® (2002)

Delosperma dyeri Red Mountain® Flame

Delosperma dyeri Red Mountain® Flame

Hesperaloe parviflora 'Coral Glow' PPAF (2016)

Lavandula angustifolia 'Wee One' (2014)

Lavender angustifolia ‘WWG02’ FlowerKisser™ After Midnight English Lavender(2019)

Salvia x 'WWG01' FlowerKisserâ„¢ Dark Shadows Sage (2019)

Salvia greggii ‘WWG05' FlowerKisser™ Royal Rose Sage (2020)

Salvia hyb. Raspberry Delight® (2000)

Salvia phachyphylla (2004)

Salvia pachyphylla 'Blue-Flame' (2006)

Salvia sylvestris 'Little Night' PPAF

Scutellaria hyb. 'Dark Violet' (2010)

Veronica hyb. Blue Reflection® (1998)

Zauschneria garrettii Orange Carpet® (1998)

Zinnia grandiflora 'Gold on Blue' (2012)

About Our Founders: David and Ava Salman
David-Salman-sm.jpg

For 29 years, David and Ava Salman supplied waterwise plants to gardeners across the country. They welcomed gardeners at their Santa Fe Greenhouses retail nursery and greenhouse starting in 1984, and reached an even wider audience through their award-winning High Country Gardens mail order catalog starting in 1993.  Combining David's plant and Ava's marketing expertise, the Salmans grew their business nationally. 

In 2014, the Salmans opened their wholesale WATERWISE GARDENING at their growing facility in Santa Fe, where David continued to work as a plant supplier, breeder, and lecturer. 

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In 2022, David Salman passed away. In 2023 and beyond, the High Country Gardens team will continue to share the legacy of the Salmans and their innovations in waterwise gardening. 

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David Salman's horticulture legacy includes the introduction of more than 60 improved hybrid, Old World, and native plants offered by WATERWISE GARDENING and High Country Gardens.  Learn More About David

 

Agastache and Salvia
Particularly popular among David's plant introductions are a variety of cold-hardy agastache or "hummingbird mint" and salvia.  Two favorites, the tall spikes of deep rose-pink clusters of Agastache Ava and the raspberry-colored Raspberry Delight, supply pollinators throughout Santa Fe and the Southwest.

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View David's Plant Introductions with Photos

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Helpful Growing Tips
Enjoy David's colorful plant descriptions and inspirational articles on waterwise garden design. These "Tips and Tricks" are a valuable resource for successful planting.  A pioneer in sustainable gardening, David wrote and lectured on the importance of seasonal soil preparation using quality soil amendments.

 

Get Inspired with David's Growing Tips


Hardy Perennials
From Santa Fe to South Africa, David sought hardy perennials that could survive the cold winters in western environments around Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. These perennials have been available in limited quantities through High Country Gardens for over 20 years.

Click Here to Learn About:

  • Hummingbird Gardening

  • Xeriscaping

  • Gardening for pollinators

  • Cold-hardy Cacti and Succulents

  • Ornamental Grasses

  • Landscaping with native plants

  • Season long color with flowering perennials

Top Plant Introductions

Photo credits: @ Waterwise Gardening, LLC

David's most important plant introductions are included in the list below:

(Click to View List with Pictures)

  • Agastache aurantiaca 'Shades of Orange' (2003)

  • Agastache hyb. 'Ava' (2004)

  • Agastache cana 'Rosita' (2008)

  • Agastache hyb. Desert Sunrise® (2000) 

  • Agastache hyb. 'Desert Solstice' (2010)

  • Agastache rupestris (1996)

  • Agastache rupestris Glowing Embers® (2002) 

  • Aloinopsis hyb. 'Psychedelic' (2007)

  • Aquilegia aff. longissima Swallowtail® (2000)

  • Berberis fendleri (Taos Co., NM collection) (2005)

  • Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition PP#22,048 (2011)

  • Delosperma dyeri Red Mountain® Flame 

  • Hesperaloe parviflora 'Coral Glow' PP#29,626 (2018) 

  • Hesperaloe parviflora 'Straight Up Red' (2016)

  • Lavender angustifolia ‘WWG02’ FlowerKisser™

  • After Midnight English Lavender(2019)

  • Lavandula angustifolia 'Wee One' (2014) 

  • Monardella odoratissima ‘WWG04’ FlowerKisser™ Arizona Beauty (2019)

  • Salvia greggii ‘WWG03' FlowerKisser™ Coral Pink Sage (2019)

  • Salvia x 'WWG01' FlowerKisser™ Dark Shadows Sage (2019)

  • Salvia greggii ‘WWG05' FlowerKisser™ Royal Rose Sage (2020)

  • Salvia hyb. Raspberry Delight® (2000)

  • Salvia pachyphylla (2004)

  • Salvia pachyphylla Blue Flame' (2006)

  • Salvia sylvestris 'Little Night' PP#28,925 (2016)

  • Scutellaria hyb. 'Dark Violet' (2010)

  • Sorghastrum nutans 'Thin Man' PP#28,923 (2014)

  • Sporobolus wrightii "Windbreaker' (2006)

  • Veronica hyb. Blue Reflection® (1998)

  • Zauschneria garrettii Orange Carpet® (1998)

  • Zinnia grandiflora 'Gold on Blue' (2012)

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