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This improved Beard-tongue, part of the Pristine series, forms low mounds of glossy green leaves, bearing medium-tall stalks of tubular Deep Pink flowers arranged around the strong stems. Vigorous and easy to grow. Remove faded flowers to encourage continued blooming. Attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. Stems are nice for cutting. Clumps may be easily divided in early spring. Unlike many of the taller selections, this one is ruggedly hardy in colder regions. Drought tolerant once established.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 15 - 20"

• Width: 10 - 15"

Zone: 3

Images courtesy of vanstone Nurseries

 A first-class foliage plant for using towards the front of the border, where its deep green  leaves look for all the world like some exotic fern. Dark green foliage is typical of jacobs ladder with, heads of white flowers rise above on short stems in early summer. This seems to prefer a partly shaded situation with protection from hot afternoon sun, particularly where summers are warm and humid. Also excellent in mixed containers.

Light Requirement: Partial Shade to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 12 - 24"

• Width: 8 - 12"

Zone: 3

Despite their unfortunate common name, Lungworts are among the most dependable and showy spring-blooming perennials, and many types have attractive foliage throughout the season. This selection features light pink buds that open to clusters of bright blue bells, the green leaves are heavily spotted in silver. Plants should be cut back hard immediately after blooming, to rejuvenate the leaves, which will then remain attractive all season. Clumps may be easily divided in early fall.

Light Requirement: Full Shade to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 10 - 12"

• Width: 12 - 24"

Zone: 3

Arriving early May

One of the most common native ferns, growing all over northern regions. Plants form a large, upright clump of big green fronds. In spring the unfurling fiddleheads are often harvested in the wild as a gourmet treat. Roots are spreading, and plants can form quite a large patch in time. Requires plenty of water through the summer, otherwise the foliage may become dormant. Cinnamon-brown fertile fronds push up from the centre of each clump in summer, and these remain attractive all winter long. Prune off dead foliage and fertile fronds in late winter. Deciduous.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 16"

• Width: 18"

Zone: 2

Textured and bright foliage, the plants form a mound of rounded, velvety soft olive-green leaves, which catch and hold water drops and sparkle in the sun. Makes for good edging shrub and sprays of chartreuse flowers are a nice filler for cut arrangements. An easy-care perennial.

Plants should be sheared back after blooming to rejuvenate the leaves and generally tidy the clumps up for the remainder of the growing season. May be divided in spring or early fall. Often self seeds around the garden. 

Light Requirement: Full to Part Sun

Flowering Season: Early Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 15"
  
• Spread: 30"
  

Zone: 3 

Photos and Data Courtesy of Vanstone Nurseries

This is a hybrid strain of Columbine that flowers freely. Plants have a compact habit, with the large blooms usually bi coloured in shades of blue, white, pink, red, rose or yellow. Flowers are attractive to hummingbirds.

Removing spent flowers will increase the blooming time. Columbines are relatively short lived, so allow some of the plants to go to seed and self sow. Leaf miners or sawfly may disfigure the leaves around flowering time, but simply trim off the unwanted foliage and the plants will grow fresh leaves.

Light Requirement: Part Sun

Flowering Season: Early Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 16"
  
• Spread: 14"
  

Zone: 3

 Elegant lacy leaves form a very dense and bushy clump. This dwarf plant does not demand the same space as the standard Goats beard, and is somewhat inclined to sulk in hot summer areas, so plant in a moist, peaty soil, or even at the waterside. Cut plants back in summer if they look untidy.

An excellent companion to summer-blooming shrub roses. Good for cutting, the flowers may also be dried by hanging upside down in a warm, dark room.

Also known as Blue Cornflower, or Mountain Bluet.

This species of Bachelor Button is low to medium in height and well suited to growing in the sunny border. Plants form a bushy clump of grey-green leaves, setting off a display of clear-blue shaggy flowers in early summer.

Removing faded flower heads will encourage repeat blooming. Ruggedly hardy, this plant will grow in most types of soils and climate regions. Plants may be pruned back  in mid-summer to maintain a compact habit.

Makes for beautiful cut flower.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 18"
  
• Spread: 24"
  

Zone: 2

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

Flashing Lights are easy-care perennials, ideal for the beginning gardener. Plants form a low, spreading mound of green and bronze leaves, studded with bright ruby-red flowers in late spring, and bloom on and off throughout the summer. Suitable in poor soils, and hot, sunny sites.

Excellent in tubs and mixed containers.

Trim back lightly after first flowering. Plants are easily divided in early spring or fall.

This is a unique selection of Foxglove, bearing tall spikes of glowing rose-pink bells, each with darker freckles on the inside over a rosette of downy green leaves. Unlike other varieties, the individual flowers face upward so the effect is very colourful and showy. 

Excellent in large containers, and acts as a biennial, flowering in the second year then setting seed and dying. These perform best in a rich, moist soil.

Allow plants to form seed in the second year and they may self-sow to produce future generations. Plants may need to be staked. 

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 36"

• Width: 24"

Zone: 4

Photos courtesy of Ball Seed

This perennial has a compact habit and long season of bloom. Dragon's Head forms a vigorous clump of dark green leaves topped with snapdragon like blue flowers. 

Grows best in Full Sunlight 

This is a less hardy perennial and should be well covered/protected during Manitoban winters. 

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 12"

• Width: 12"

Zone: 3b

A popular ground-cover for shady areas. Plants form a spreading clump of small green leaves, whorled like spokes of a bicycle around the stem. Clusters of tiny white flowers make a pretty display in spring. In a moist site this spreads steadily to form a thick carpet.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 6"

• Width: 12"

Zone: 4

Photos courtesy of Jeffries Nursery

Widely grown as a commercial cut flower, this plant form a low clump of grassy leaves, bearing tall spikes of purple flowers beginning in midsummer.

 Can be planted in sunny border or meadow garden, or in containers.

May need to be staked as growth continues.

Height: 18 - 24"

Spread: 18 -24"

Image courtesy of Jeffries Nursery

This cousin to the Hollyhock has similar satiny flowers in a soft lavender-purple shade, exotically striped with deep maroon veins. It forms an upright, bushy mound that may need to be staked if grown in rich soil.

Excellent in containers, or the sunny border. Attracts butterflies and is rabbit resistant.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 48"

• Width: 18"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

Creeping Jenny is a vigorous, spreading groundcover plant that can be very useful in moist, shady situations. Plants form a low mat of bright green rounded leaves, bearing bright golden-yellow flowers from late spring into the summer.

Excellent in pots and tubs, or cascading over walls. Too vigorous for the rock garden as the stems root into the ground wherever they touch, this plant is easily increased by simply moving new plantlets in spring or fall.

Will easily invade lawn and is difficult to get rid of, so plant cautiously.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade

Height: 3 - 6" 

Width: 10 - 12" 

Walkers Low is a British variety was selected as the 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year. Plants are mounded and bushy in habit, with small grey-green fragrant leaves. Masses of bright-blue flowers appear on short spikes in early summer, continuing on and off through the fall if the old flowers are regularly removed. Despite the name, this is best in the middle of a border because of its mid-sized stature. Drought tolerant, once established. Flowers are attractive to butterflies.

photo courtesy of  Ball Seed

This is one of several Hybrid Goldenrods that have been developed as commercial cut flowers in Europe. Plants form a bushy upright mound of deep-green leaves, bearing large heads of golden-yellow flowers in late summer. Stems are strong and should not need staking. This is a well-behaved garden plant, worthy of growing in any sunny border. Flowers do not cause allergies. Moist soil will help to prevent powdery mildew. Clumps may be easily divided in early spring. Attractive to butterflies.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 18 - 24"

• Width: 12 - 18"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Jeffries Nursery

Lamb’s-Ears are one of the most popular silver-leaved perennials, used widely for edging along pathways and borders. Plants form a dense clump of soft, felty silver grey leaves. Upright spikes of minor magenta-pink flowers form in early summer, but these should be clipped off to maintain a tight, compact habit. Clumps are easily divided in spring or early fall. Drought tolerant once established.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 12 - 18"

• Width: 12 - 24"

Zone: 3

Photos and Data Courtesy of Ball Seed

Certainly one of the most popular of foliage perennials, silver mound forms a low cushion of ferny, silvery-grey leaves. In areas with humid summers it benefits from a hard clipping just as the tiny silver ball-like flowers appear, usually in mid to late June.

Plants will regrow quickly and remain attractive all season long. Good for hot, dry sites. Nice edging plant, also combines well with other perennials in tubs or mixed containers.

Light Requirement: Full to Part Sun

Flowering Season: Mid Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 10"
  
• Spread: 18"
  

Zone: 3a

Photos courtesy of Jeffries Nurseries

Compact habit and shorter flower stems for a tidier, more attractive perennial garden.

Lamium is one of the best choices for a tough and showy perennial ground cover.  This selection forms a spreading patch of small silver leaves with a narrow green edge. Clusters of purplish-red flowers appear in spring, then continue off and on until fall.

Fairly tolerant of dry shade, once established. Trim back in late winter.

Stems will root into the ground where they touch, and any new plants that form can be easily moved in spring or fall.

photo courtesy of  Ball Seed

Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Best in medium moisture soils in part shade or to be planted in containers. Once established, it tolerates drought.

Spreads by stem fragments, rooting at the nodes, creeping stems, and seed. It can be somewhat invasive in optimum growing conditions.

If plants become leggy, shear back to 4-6 inches or to new fresh basal leaves in order to shape plants and to promote new foliage growth.

 Light Requirement: Part Sun

Flowering Season: Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 12"
  
• Spread: 24"
  

Zone: 4

'Golden Tiara' is a small to medium sized hosta that forms a spreading mound of foliage. This hosta shows wide oval-shaped leave which are medium green in colour, has golden-yellow edges and dainty light purple flowers.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 12 - 24"

• Width: 20 - 36"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

'Guacamole' Hosta is medium sized with rich coloured foliage, growing in a mound with broad leaves that are striated in texture. The 'Guacamole' Hosta is a relative of the 'Fragrant Bouquet' Hosta, and blooms in midsummer.

Light Requirement: Full hade to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 12 - 24"

• Width: 40 - 50"
  

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa. 

'Komodo Dragon' Hosta forms a large mound, with dark blue-green leaves and shows a ruffled edge. In midsummer, 4 foot tall flowering stalks emerge bearing light lavender coloured, funnel shaped bloom.

Light Requirement: Full Shade to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 36"

• Width: 24 - 84" 

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa. 

'Lakeside Paisley' Hosta produces heart-shaped leaves with wide and wavy margins. The narrow, creamy white markings in the centre of the leaves shoot out from the leafstalk in a feathered pattern. The thick leaves make a perfect background for the light lavender flowers that bloom in midsummer. 

Light Requirement: Full Shade to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 20 - 30"

• Width: 24 - 36"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa

'Paul's Glory' Hosta is a fast growing hosta with leaves showing a chartreuse centre and a blue-green edge. The centre of the leaf brightens to gold as the season progresses. The leaves are slightly cupped and corrugated in texture, and light lavender flowers bloom in midsummer.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Full Shade

Height: 26"

Width: 56"

Zone: 2

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa. 

'Little Grapette' Daylily is a compact miniature daylily. Tidy clumps of grass-like leaves are highlighted by lavender-purple flowers on tall scapes. This smaller growing selection re-blooms throughout the summer months.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 6-12"

• Width: 12"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

'Ruby Stella' Daylily shows a rich ruby coloured petal and a golden centre. Once established, this daylily is especially strong against drought and heat, and prefers drier conditions.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 18-20"

• Width: 12-18"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.