Perennials

Low ground cover with tight flower like foliage that is neat, attractive foliage with a web like cover. Wonderful  in the rock garden, along walkways or cascading over stone walls. Easy to maintain. Thrives in hot, dry locations. .

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Flowering Season: Late Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 6"
  
• Spread: 10"
  

Zone: 3A

Photos courtesy Bellwyck Horticolor

Delphiniums are the stars of the early summer border. Plants form a low mound of deeply-cut green leaves, bearing tall spikes of satiny flowers. Removing faded spikes at the base will encourage repeat blooming in fall. 

Cut back hard to encourage fresh foliage. Use a high phosphorous fertilizer each year, in early spring. 

Hot, humid summers can bring on potential mildew. 

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Flowering Season: Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 12"
  
• Spread: 12"
  

Zone: 3

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

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

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

'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. 

Photo courtesy of  Ball Seed

Ratibida Yellow upright Prairie Cone Flower has several long-stalked flower heads at the top of the stem. Flowers have 4 to 12 droopy, wide, bright yellow petals (ray flowers), The cone is up to 1½ inches long and covered with hundreds of tiny brown or purplish disk flowers that bloom from the bottom of the cone up.

 A great choice for rock gardens and natural-looking landscapes. The grass grows to nearly 3 feet tall and is low maintenance. The variegated foliage will turn from creamy white in summer to pink as the weather cools in fall and return to its creamy-white color again in spring as new blades grow.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 12 - 36"

• Width: 12 - 18"

Zone: 4

Photos and Data Courtesy of Ball Seed Company

This selection, of 'Autumn Joy', boasts vibrant rosy flowers from late summer into fall. Developed in Quebec, it's a striking option. Tall sedums form substantial foliage clumps, serving as shrub alternatives. Their sturdy stems bear massive flower heads that bloom in fall, offering winter interest and bird food if left standing.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 24 - 30"

• Width: 18 - 24"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Jeffries Nursery

A virtually hassle-free perennial, offering three months of vanilla scented, rose pink flowers in large, compact clusters from midsummer to early fall.

Deadheading the flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one.

The flowers are heavily laden with nectar and pollen and will attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.

For best growth plant in well-drained sandy soil. 

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 36 - 60"

• Width: 18 - 24"

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

Zone 5

A unique addition as an annual planting. This grass grows thick if kept moist in well drained soil, it adds color and texture to your flower beds or containers.

'Caramel' is a popular and robust selection with fuzzy leaves ranging from apricot to amber, complemented by purple-red undersides and cream flowers. It boasts brighter coloration than 'Amber Waves' and has a compact habit.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 6 - 10"

• Width: 12 - 15"

Zone: 4

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa & Ball Horticultural

Karl Rosenfeld is bright crimson, 16-18 cm flowers appear in mid to late spring. Garden visitors, as well as butterflies and hummingbirds, will love the fragrant, fully double blooms. The glossy, green foliage is very ornamental and provides a colour show in the spring when new growth is copper-burgundy and when the leaves turn soft yellow in the fall. 

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

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

Salvia Caradonna is an outstanding perennial with excellent cold hardiness, vigor, and tolerance of heavy clay soils. Blooming in late spring with a profusion of flower spikes, it re-blooms later in the summer when deadheaded. These plants attract butterflies and are deer/rabbit resistant.

Photo courtesy of  Ball Seed

These are the old-fashioned style of Heuchera /Coral Bells, grown for their bright display of flowers in early summer. Plants form a low mound of rounded deep-green leaves, bearing upright spikes with loads of small vermilion-red bells. Excellent for cutting. Flowers also are attractive to hummingbirds. Terrific for edging, in the rock garden, or in tubs. Remove spent flower spikes to encourage more buds to form. Plants may be divided as needed in spring or early fall.

 Light Requirement: Full Sun

Flowering Season: Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 16"
  
• Spread: 16"
  

Zone: 4A

Photos courtesy of Aubin & Bell Wyck Horticolor

'Blue Fescue' ornamental grass has slender, wiry blades of blue. It is a tidy evergreen that is very tolerant of a wide range of sites and conditions. This grass is perfect for a brightly coloured, mounding accent plant for borders, rockeries or even containers. 

Low maintenance, plant in a sunny location with well drained soil. 

Light Requirement: Full to Part Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 24"
  
• Spread: 24"
  

Zone: 4

Ruby-red flowers with dark green, fragrant foliage. Excellent for mass plantings and attracts hummingbirds and butterflied. Mildew resistant.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Height: 12 - 18"

Width: 12 - 18"

Zone: 3

Photo and data courtesy of Aubin Nursery and Bellwyck Horticolor.

Coreopsis also known as Tickseed, form a mound of leathery green leaves, bearing many upright stems of daisy type flowers for weeks starting in early summer. Removing faded flowers regularly will encourage blooming to continue into the fall.

Tolerant of hot, humid summer climates and attractive to butterflies.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Flowering Season: Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 24"
  
• Spread: 16"
  

Zone: 3b

photo courtesy of Ball Seed

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Height: 18 - 24" 

Spread: 18 - 24"

 Photos and data courtesy of Ball Seed, Aubin Nursery & Bellwyck Horticolor.

Chrysanthemums are a great choice for the garden, or in tubs and mixed containers. Garden Mums are extremely popular plants for a splash of colour in late summer right through the fall.

Morden strain produces naturally cushion-shaped, compact plants with double and semi-double flowers in a whole range of rich jewel tones. Best in a sunny area, with regular watering through the season. 

Pinching plants in June will result in a much greater number of flowers. 

Light Requirement: Full to Part Sun

Flowering Season: Early Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 16"
  
• Spread: 18"
  

Zone: 3

It is an outstanding perennial with excellent cold hardiness, vigor, and tolerance of heavy clay soils. Blooming in late spring with a profusion of flower spikes, it re-blooms later in the summer when deadheaded. These plants attract butterflies and are deer/rabbit resistant.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 12 - 36"

• Width: 12 - 36"

Zone: 3

Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) adds interest to a garden bed from early spring through to fall. This perennial is native to North American prairies. It gets its name from the long, wispy, feather-like achenes (seed heads) that develop during the summer. With their pinkish shades, they create an impression of puffs of smoke remaining on the plant for several weeks. The small, pink, bud-like flowers may not be as impressive as the achenes, but they still add a splash of color to the garden in the spring. And during the fall, the foliage takes on purplish, reddish, and orange hues and then turns to a burgundy shade during winter. 

No sunny border would seem complete without the familiar presence of Shasta Daisies. This is a very tall selection that exhibits excellent tolerance to summer heat and humidity.

Shasta Daisy flowers are large single white daisies with a yellow eye, valued in the garden and excellent for cutting. Removing faded flowers regularly will greatly increase the blooming time. May require staking if grown in rich soil. 

Light Requirement: Full Sun 

Mature Size:

• Height: 18 - 24"

• Width: 24 - 40"

Zone: 3

Red Flame lupin is a deep red crimson colour One of the best lupines for small gardens, containers or the front of beds and borders.

CAUTION: Harmful if eaten.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 20"

• Width: 12"

Zone: 4

'Matrona' Sedum, also called stonecrop, is a beautiful plant with pale pink flowers, gray-green leaves, and purple veins and stems. It loves full sun, blooms in late summer, and attracts many pollinators in the fall. It's also very showy and tolerates low rainfall well.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 12 - 24"

• Width: 18 - 24"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

Cerastium is a very useful ground cover perennial, often grown in dry, sunny areas with poor soil. Plants form a low, fast-spreading mat of silvery-grey leaves, studded with tiny white star flowers in late spring and early summer. An indestructible choice for difficult sites, but be sure to plant this where its spreading habit will not become a problem. Beautiful spilling over rock walls or on steep sunny slopes, used as a lawn substitute. Also grows well in tubs or mixed containers. Easily divided in spring or fall. Plants should be clipped hard or mowed (to 2 inches) after blooming to maintain a tidy habit.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Flowering Season: Early Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 6"
  
• Spread: 18"
  

Zone: 3a

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