July is full of sun, heat and humidity — but the gardens can still thrive, and blue flowered plants can “cool off” the garden.
Agastache “Blue fortune” blooms from July to September, filling the garden with tall stems that are filled with tiny soft blue tube-shaped flowers that are tightly packed in a circular fashion around the stems.
The plants themselves grow 2-3 feet tall with soft gray green licorice scented leaves with silver green on the underside. 
The flower spikes can be 3-4 inches tall and are held above the foliage, creating a wonderful buffet of nectar for butterflies, humming birds and other pollinators.
Agastache “Blue fortune’ thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, fitting into most of the Eastern Shore sunny gardens.
They decorate sunny borders and cottage gardens, along walkways and butterfly gardens, and can thrive in containers.
Both rabbits and deer tend to avoid Agastache “Blue fortune” because of the scented foliage.
The minty licorice-scented leaves can be used in cool summer drinks.
(Editor’s Note: Ginny Rosenkranz is a commercial horticulture specialist with the University of Maryland Extension.)
