Favorite and Not Favorite

In one of his e-mails, my friend David mentioned that his favorite Penstemon just might be Penstemon pseudospectabilis (or possibly P. baccharifolius). I have to agree that both of these are pretty fantastic. But after thinking about it for a few days (and it wasn't an easy decision), I would have to say that my favorite penstemon is probably Penstemon heterophyllus. I'm a sucker for blue penstemons and this one is a whammy. I know, you are probably surprised that I didn't say "Penstemon linarioides" and I have to admit that I was sorely tempted. I was also tempted by P. strictus, but the flowers are a bit darker than what really catches my eye, and the basal rosettes are not as inspiring as the subshrub that is P. heterophyllus (but of course I want to grow all of them). The blues of P. heterophyllus are just such a glowing color, and the plant has a bit more oomph than P. linaroides, having a taller stature, and flowers that you don't have to get on hands and knees to really appreciate. Like P. linarioides, it too, has quite a bit of variability in the flowers. Currently I'm growing a variety called 'Margarita BOP' (apparently someone's margarita took a tumble and landed in this penstemon that was sitting at the Bottom Of Porch? - just kidding about the first part, but that's what they say about the BOP). I'm not as fond of this version as the kind I grew in California, which was unappealingly called 'Blue Bedder'. 'Margarita BOP' has, in addition to the vibrant blue, a portion of the flower colored reddish purple, and to me this detracts from the beauty of the flower. I haven't been able to find out what the "heterophyllus" refers to: the leaves on my plants only have one form, as far as I can tell. The major faults of this plant are that it isn't long lived (the best bloom I had on these plants were when they were 2-3 years old. Now about 5 years old, the plants are too twiggy to produce big blazing stems) and it isn't native (this plant is from California, so I'm sure I'll get some ribbing from David about this).
Penstemon 'Margarita BOP'

Also blooming crazily right now is the Mexican Evening Primrose. Bloom, baby, while you can. This tenacious and invasive plant is not what I have planted, but has come through the fence via multitudes of underground runners, from my neighbor's yard. Interestingly, most years I have no flowers, just leaves that are chewed up by the flea beetles that love this and any other plant in the evening primrose family. My Gaura lindheimeri always had a very promising spring, but was quickly chewed to bits as the first flowers opened. This primrose is about the same. In another couple of weeks the plants will be chewed to the ground by the beetles, leaving only half-brown stems and a couple of macerated leaves. Last year they were like that all season. But this year, my neighbor's plants have barely produced any leaves or flowers. Mine are doing this (you can see the insect damage in the lower right). Although pretty in its own way, I'd happily give them all back to my neighbor instead of the sickly stems invading my plantings.