Perennials

Perennials

Our enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable perennials team is here to answer your questions and help you choose the best perennials for your situation. There’s always something in bloom for sun, shade, butterflies, birds or deer resistance  as well as a variety of bulbs for your space.

Stroll through our time-tested favorites and introduce yourself to the newest varieties. We garden with perennials too; we love them and it shows!

Paeonia lactiflora 'Shirley Temple'

Height: 3 feet

Spacing: 30 inches

Sunlight: full sun

Hardiness Zone: 2a

Ornamental Features:
Shirley Temple Peony features bold lightly-scented white cup-shaped flowers with shell pink overtones and pink centers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its compound leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:
Shirley Temple Peony is an herbaceous perennial with a more or less rounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration:

- Disease

Shirley Temple Peony is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use

Planting & Growing:
Shirley Temple Peony will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 30 inches apart. The flower stalks can be weak and so it may require staking in exposed sites or excessively rich soils. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies'

White blooms on red stems. Tolerates poor soils. USDA 5-9

Physostegia virginiana 'Miss Manners'

Height: 3 feet

Spacing: 30 inches

Sunlight: full sun partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 2a

Other Names: False Dragonhead

Ornamental Features:
Miss Manners Obedient Plant has masses of beautiful spikes of white hooded flowers rising above the foliage from mid summer to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its pointy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the
season.

Landscape Attributes:

Miss Manners Obedient Plant is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Miss Manners Obedient Plant is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing:

Miss Manners Obedient Plant will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 30 inches apart. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen! This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.