Heart-leafed Globe Daisy. Pleasing little alpine from the mountains of southern Europe and Turkey. Low and slowly spreading domes like a small overturned pie with evergreen leaves and lavender-blue pom-pom flowers on short stems. Easy and tough enough for a beginner, sweet enough for the rock gardener who has grown it all.

One of the classic alpines for rock gardens and one that should be on the "Easy Alpines for Beginners" list if it isn't already.  Low tight mats of small evergreen leaves topped by fuzzy spherical  violet-blue flowers in early summer, this looks good all the time.  This particular one is from a Hinkley collection in Turkey.