This plant, Caryopteris x clandonensis, has soft to deep blue flowers that grow in groups on straight stems from late summer to fall. It is also known as blue beard or blue mist.
People like to put bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) in flower arrangements inside, especially the mop-head types.
Physocarpus spp. ninebark has beautiful flowers in late spring, but that's not all it can do. It's also a great plant for filling up vases.
Another bush that can be used in designs is the smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria). Its leaves are just as useful as its flowers.
There are many reasons for this, including their beautiful shape, wide range of colors, long blooming season, and, for many types, their powerful scent.
The white flowers of gardenias (Gardenia spp.) bring their lovely scent inside to fill your home with scent.
It is also known as sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia). Summersweet is a bushy plant with shiny green leaves.
In the yard, butterfly bush (Buddleia spp.) is a great place to see butterflies. It has arching stems with groups of flowers that are close together.