Skyward Blue veronica, a speedwell, throws upright spikes of small blue flowers over neat, tidy foliage from late spring into summer. Shear the spent spikes back and it will often repeat, giving you a second flush of color.

Give it full sun and soil that drains well; wet, heavy clay that stays soggy through a Birmingham winter is what rots it out. Plant it in the front or middle of a border, along a sunny walkway, or in a gravel bed where its upright habit stands out. Bees visit the spikes readily.