2008 Perennial Plant of the Year - Geranium "Rozanne"The best, most garden-worthy hardy Geranium you can grow. Large 2½" saucer-shaped flowers just never quit. Violet-blue blooms with white centers flower profusely from late spring through November, or until frost. Unlike many Geraniums, 'Rozanne' has great heat tolerance, too! Vigorous, but never invasive.
Mounded, slightly marbled, deep green foliage becomes reddish brown in fall for added interest. Place in front of beds or borders. A good groundcover with nice habit for patio planters, window boxes and hanging baskets. Prefers average well-drained soils. Moist organic soils will promote spread. Tolerates summer heat better when given ample moisture and partial shade. Plants can be sheared to 3" to rejuvenate. Rarely needs division.
Zone 5 - 8, part shade to sun
2007: Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’
Walker’s Low catmint has become increasingly popular due to its lovely blue-violet flowers, it's long bloom time, attractive grey-green foliage, ease of cultivation, lack of pest or disease problems and low maintenance needs. A good companion plant for early and late blooming plants. Great for perennial borders, herb gardens, rock gardens, or as a container plant. 30 to 36 in. tall/wide. Blooms continuously throughout the season if given a haircut. Leaves have a wonderful aroma when crushed. Deer & rabbit resistant.
Zones 3 to 8, medium shade to full sun
2006: Dianthus gratianopolitanus
‘Firewitch’ Garden Pinks
Cheddar pink is the common name of this sun exposure perennial. It is an evergreen selection with bluish-gray, slivery foliage and purplish-pink, fragrant flowers in mid-spring. Rebloom can occur in the summer and into the fall. Firewitch is hardy from Zones 3-9. Mature mats of this cheddar pink have foliage 3-4 inches tall and 6-12 inches wide. The flowers reach 6-8 inches high. This evergreen perennial performs best in full sun in well-drained soils.
Plant 18 inches apart, Zone 3–8, full sun
2005: Helleborus orientalis Lenten Rose
Known
as one of the earliest flowering perennials in our area, the Lenten
Rose’s blooms appear on 18" stems in very early spring (March) and
persist for up to 8 weeks. The large flowers range from cream to plum
with a hint of green. Given rich, well-drained soil and shade, it will
self-sow, creating a colony of plants with handsome evergreen leaves.
This shade garden classic also continues to gain popularity for its
evident success in dry shade conditions.
Plant 18 in. apart, Zone 5–9, shade to full shade
2004: Japanese Painted Fern Athrium niponicum 'Pictum'Often considered the most decorative of ferns, this deciduous 18" Oriental beauty blends gray-green fronds with wine-red stems. It is slow-spreading and thrives in shade or partial shade where soil is moist but well-drained. Its tri-color fronds emerge in the spring making it a perfect companion for early bulbs. Try it with Astilbe c. ‘Pumila’ and Hosta s. ‘Elegans’ for a long season of texture contrasts. A very hardy fern which complements a host of perennials. See color photo on the back cover of catalog.
Plant 18 inches apart Zone 3–8 part shade to full shade
2003: Leucanthemum superbum ‘Becky’.
2002: Phlox paniculata ‘David’.
A pure white, mildew-resistant, tall garden phlox that reaches upward of 40 inches with a width of 24 inches. Another perennial that enjoys an organically rich soil with excellent drainage and full sun. Blooms late July through August, sporting large, very fragrant, 6- to 8-inch wide panicles (round flower heads composed of clusters of smaller individual flowers). Excellent as a cut flower, especially if picked when the head is only about half in bloom. Divide every two to three years in early spring, once shoots emerge.
2001: Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’
Locate in full to partial sun (four to six hours of direct sun) with a well-drained, organically rich soil. This grass is non-invasive, growing 48 inches tall and only 15 inches wide. The flower is a feathery, light-pink inflorescence in June. Leave standing to provide winter interest; cut back in spring. Divide every five to six years, in early fall. Often described as the “perpetual motion grass”, due to its elegant movement in a slight breeze.
2000: Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’.
Hardy in zones 5 to 10. It prefers a well-drained, organically rich soil in full sun with a pH around 7.0 to 7.2. Deadhead (pinch off spent flowers) and it will bloom continually June through August. Roughly 8 inches in height with flower stalks extending to 12 inches; the wiry, bluish foliage offers its own interesting feature. Divide in early spring, but don’t cut back in autumn; simply prune out dead stalks come spring. Tolerates Drought very well.
1999: Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldstrum’
Prefers full to partial sun and a well-drained, organically rich soil. One
of the best known and longest-blooming perennials (July through
October), not to mention an outstanding cut flower, it’s often called
black-eyed susan. Under prime conditions will Re-seed , making it excellent for naturalized plantings. Reaches 20 to 30 inches in height and 18 to 24 inches in width; divide early spring, every four to five years.
1998: Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’, purple coneflower
Blooms July through September. Drought-tolerant with a preference for full sun coupled with a well-drained soil. Excellent cut flower with its dark purple-pink, daisy-like blossoms and protruding center cone. Height of 36 inches with a spread of 24 inches; provides winter interest and will re-seed if not cut down in fall.