Perennials

Photo courtesy of Ball Seed

Lorelei showcases a color unique to peonies with spicy fragrant petals blooming in a pinky-orange hue, complemented by a mass of billowy apricot flowers towards the center. Its sturdy stems do not require staking and can withstand various weather conditions, making it an excellent cultivar to enhance your garden.

Ants are attracted to a sweet nectar on the buds of the peony plant but do not harm them in any way.

Light Requirement: Full Sun 

Mature Size:

• Height: 24 - 36"

• Width: 16 - 18"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

A virtually hassle-free perennial, offering three months of vanilla-scented, white flowers in clean clusters from midsummer to early fall. Deadheading the flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one. The flowers, which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen, are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 18 - 24"

• Width: 18 - 24"

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

A beautifully variegated mini hosta. Large, ovate leaves have green centers with brightly contrasting yellow margins. The margins are heavily rippled and give the leaves a lightly wavy overall effect. White flowers appear above the foliage in midsummer. A showy specimen for the shade!

Good for ground covers and underplanting for shrubs.

Light Requirement: Full Shade to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 4-6"

• Width: 10 - 12"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa

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 to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 24 - 36"

• Width: 10 -12"

Zone: 3

Veitch’s Blue Echinops, also known as small globe thistle, is a standout in full-sun gardens. Its showy, true blue, golf ball-shaped flowers add a unique touch. This hardy, low-maintenance plant thrives in dry soils and low rainfall areas, becoming drought-tolerant once mature.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 24 - 36"

• Width: 18 - 24"

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

Full, burgundy plumes sweep the sky and remain standing through winter. 

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 60 - 72"

• Width: 24 -36"

Zone: 4

Burgundy Red

Zone 3b

Full sun

Image Courtesy of Clearview Hort.

Oriental Poppies provide a cheerful display of huge, satiny flowers in late spring and early summer. Plants form a low clump of coarse, hairy leaves, and usually go dormant, disappearing completely by late summer. Because they disappear in summer, plant something beside Oriental Poppies that will get bushy later in the season, such as Rudbeckia, Russian Sage, or fall-flowering grasses. Flowers are good for cutting, picked just as the buds begin to open.

Light Requirement: Full sun

Height: 18 - 23" 

Width: 18 - 23"

Photos and information courtesy of Proven Winners.

Duchesse de Nemours is a clear white peony. It’s one of the oldest varieties. It was  bred more than 150 years ago and enjoys enduring popularity.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 24 - 36"

• Width: 24 - 36"

Zone: 2

Image courtesy of: van Noort Bulb co.

‘Bowl of Beauty’ peony features 8-inch anemone-shaped blooms with rose-pink petals and a creamy yellow center. Strong, self-supporting stems, lush dark green foliage, delightful fragrance, and deer resistance make it perfect for borders, mixed beds, or cut flowers. Reaching 24–36 inches tall, this long-lived perennial provides striking, low-maintenance spring color for years.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Height: 24 - 36"

Width: 24 - 30"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

Very rich, dark purple flowers are produced above dark green foliage in early fall to midfall. A perfect finale to the growing season!

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Flowering Season:  Late Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 26 - 30"
  
• Spread: 40 - 44"
  

Zone: 3a

Brilliant flowers complement neat, attractive foliage. Wonderful as ground cover, in the rock garden, along walkways or cascading over stone walls. Easy to maintain. Thrives in hot, dry locations. Also called orange stonecrop.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Flowering Season: Late Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 6"
  
• Spread: 12"

Zone: 3A

Photos courtesy of Bellwyck Horticolor

A vigorous grower, this plant features smooth, narrowly oval pointed leaves that are mid-green above and pale green beneath. It produces tiny saucer-shaped white blossoms in dense, tapered terminal spikes, 4 to 8 inches long, curving gracefully over and down from July to September. In autumn, the leaves transform into a rich gold color.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Full Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 18 - 36"

• Width: 18 - 36"

Zone: 4

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

Thin green and white foliage with feathery summer plumes that turn striking gold in fall. Low maintenance.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 24 - 36"

• Width: 18- 24"

Zone: 4A

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa

Sunburst Double Coreopsis form a mound of leathery green leaves, bearing many upright stems of dbl. 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. Attractive to butterflies.

Light Requirement: Full to Part Sun

Flowering Season: Early Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 24"
  
• Spread: 24"
  

Zone: 3b

The 'White Temptation' Daylily is a beautifully bright re-blooming daylily, showing a near white petal and yellow-green centre.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 24 - 36"

• Width: 12 - 24"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

‘Heavy Metal’ is a favorite switchgrass, well-loved for its dramatic, metallic blue foliage and for its strong upright habit that remains standing straight and tall. Pink-tinted, airy blooms appear in July, highlighting the color of its blue leaves. This blue switchgrass serves as a colorful backdrop to other grasses and perennials, looks stunning in masses, and provides a focal point when used as a specimen.

Light Requirement: Full to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 48"
  
• Spread: 36"
  

Zone: 4

With stunningly large 12 in. (30cm) foliage the Frances Williams hosta is a popular pick!

Leaves are variegated with dark green centres and greenish-yellow lining, maturing into a cream-beige. Stems produce lavender blooms throughout spring and summer. The clump-forming perennial grows well in shady boarders, along walkways or in large containers. 

For best growth results plant in moist, well-drained soil.

Light Requirement: Partial Shade to Full Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 24 - 36"

• Width: 36 -48"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa

Garden Astilbe are a popular choice for shady gardens, where they perform well if given a rich, moist soil and regular watering. This selection has long, feathery plumes of deep coral pink flowers, over a mound of elegant, lacy green leaves. Also thrives in tubs, or mixed containers. Excellent for cutting.

Fertilize in April and June.  Seed heads may be removed, or left on the plant for winter interest.

Photos and data courtesy of Van Noort Bulb - http://www.vannoortbulb.com

Achillea Yarrow blooms for weeks starting from early to late summer and is known for attracting butterflies.

A deer, drought and rabbit resistant perennial that features clusters of petit flowers with a long stem. 

Deadheading will encourage new blooms and will prevent from spreading it's seeds, yarrow seeds can fall from previous blooms and will spread if not monitored. 

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 24"

• Width: 18 -24"

Zone:  2

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

The Firecracker series of Chrysanthemums were bred at Jeffries Nurseries and selected for early blooming and large flowers. 

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height:  12 - 18"

• Width: 18 - 24"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Jeffries Nursery

Mid-pink, spicy scented flowers bloom almost constantly on neat mounds of grass-green foliage. Excellent for edging, rock gardens and attracts butterflies. Propagation is prohibited. 

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Height: 10 - 12

Width: 20"

Zone: 3

Photo courtesy of Ball Horticultural Company

Unique colouring Glad Rags will brighten up any shady spot with lemon yellow and covering 75% of each leaf with bright green centre.

Light Requirement: Full Shade to Partial Shade

Mature Size:

• Height: 18"

• Width: 24"

Zone: 3

Tuck this sweet and petite perennial into the front of your flower border where it will create a colorful edge of dark cherry pink flowers in high summer. Butterflies adore it!

Light Requirement: Part Sun to Full Sun

Height: 14 - 16" 

Width: 10 - 12"

Photos and information courtesy of Proven Winners. 

Lavender-mauve flowers. This beautiful Armeria provides flowering in containers or in the garden. Very heat tolerant and easy to grow. Remove

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Height: 10 - 12"

Width: 10 - 12"

Zone: 4

Photos and information courtesy of Aubin Nursery & Bellwyck Horticolor

Developed in 1906, this pink peony is still a favorite. Double flowers of soft seashell pink with petals edged a trifle lighter with a few crimson flecks.

Caring for Peonies:

May/June: Keep your peony watered if there is little rainfall. Use compost or aged manure to your soil. If your peony is newly planted it can take up to two seasons for it to get its first bloom. Be patient, it's worth it.
Late June: Blooming season, like many garden plants you will need to deadhead peony flowers often. 
Summer: Herbaceous Peonies do best with an inch of water per week if they are newly planted. If they are established they can handle a drought season more than newly planted roots. Enjoy green peony bush once blooms are gone.
Fall: Cut stems of Herbaceous Peonies back to soil level and remove from the area.  If you have new plantings mulch.

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

Plant your tiger lilies in a spot with good drainage, as a waterlogged area can rot the bulbs. Then, over the first few years, water your lilies regularly until their root system has matured. After that, they can better tolerate some drought and are fairly low-maintenance plants.

Light Requirement: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Mature Size:

• Height: 18 - 24"

• Width: 12 - 24"

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.

Light Requirement: Full Sun

Flowering Season: Late Summer

Mature Size:

• Height: 24"
  
• Spread: 24"
  

Zone: 3a

Photos courtesy of Bellwyck Horticolor

Single Red Fern Leaf Peony

Paeonia tenuifolia 'Itoba' is an exceptionally rare single form of the fernleaf peony, featuring radiant pinkish-red single flowers adorned with yellow stamens.

Ants are attracted to a sweet nectar on the buds of the peony plant but do not harm them in any way.

Light Requirement: Full Sun 

Mature Size:

• Height: 12 -24 "

• Width: 12 - 24"

Zone: 3

Photos courtesy of Van Noort Bulb Co. & Florissa.