New to the gardening game? Start with these
Do you long for flower beds filled with lush, blooming perennials but don't know where to start? Are you a beginning gardener who is intimidated by all the choices at your local garden center?
There are many perennials perfect for beginning gardeners or for forming the foundation of a flower garden. The Planter's Palette has introduced plants, called "Reliable Performers," that have been carefully chosen for their hardiness in Northern Illinois gardens, their resistance to disease, their beautiful flowers or foliage and the minimal amount of maintenance they require. You won't find new introductions in this list. Only the best of the tried and true have earned spots on the Reliable Performers team.
Here are a few of the 75 perennials designated as Reliable Performers.
Perennials for sun
An achillea named Coronation Gold is a wonderful yarrow. The golden flowers are held on strong stems that grow 2 or 3 feet tall over dense clumps of gray-green, fern-like foliage. If deadheaded, this yarrow will bloom from June through September. It is also drought and deer resistant.
Blue false indigo or baptisia australis blooms in May and June with striking indigo blue, pea-like flowers. Even when this plant is not flowering, it plays a valuable role in the garden. The blue-green foliage on this shrublike plant that grows 3 or 4 feet tall remains attractive all season long. Blue false indigo puts down deep roots and is drought resistant.
Gateway Joe Pye weed or eupatorium is another perennial deserving a place in every garden. It is a robust plant reaching 4 or 5 feet tall. Dark mauve flowers appear in August and September at a time when the garden is longing for color. Joe Pye weed prefers moist soil, but is adaptable to many growing conditions.
The geranium called Rozanne is the 2008 Perennial Plant Association's Perennial of the Year for good reason. Growing under 2 feet tall and spreading 2 or 3 feet wide, it blooms with violet-blue flowers from June until we get a hard frost in fall. Its foliage extends its impact even longer with its burgundy fall color.
Red pasque flower, pulsatilla vulgaris rubra in Latin, prefers a well-drained site. Fuzzy fern-like leaves emerge in late winter; reddish-violet flowers bloom in mid-April to early May; and soon after flowering, a feathering seed head appears.
Autumn Joy Sedum has been a popular choice for fall color for many years. It blooms from August to October with flower heads that begin pink and then turn russet.
Perennials for shade
Alchemilla mollis, commonly called Lady's Mantle, has sprays of small, chartreuse flowers in early to mid summer. The flowers are held above velvety gray-green foliage that holds glistening raindrops after a soft rain. Lady's Mantle is an excellent choice for edging a shady border.
Hot Lips Turtlehead or chelone glabra boasts dark pink, snapdragon-like flowers in August and September on sturdy, upright stems. It grows 2 or 3 feet tall and is a favorite of butterflies.
Queen of the Prairie - ask for filipendula rubra venusta magnifica if your garden center speaks Latin - sports fluffy heads of tiny pink flowers atop tall, sturdy stems. Perfectly suited for the back of the border, Queen of the Prairie grows about 6 feet tall.
If you want color year round in the garden, choose the heuchera named Obsidian coral bells. Its sultry, deep purple, scalloped leaves create drama with foliage instead of flowers. The foliage even keeps its color in winter!
Most hostas are carefree. Their foliage may be green, blue, gray or variegated. They are available in a wide range of sizes - from a few inches to about 3 feet tall. June is a gorgeous choice with striking variegation. This hosta has thick, slug-resistant gold leaves with blue margins. It grows about 12 inches tall and 36 inches wide.
Start with these or any other perennials on the Reliable Performers team, and you'll have a garden full of dependable, easy-care plants that perform like stars without making the demands of a prima donna. All they ask is that you amend your soil with organic matter when you plant them and provide at least 1 inch of water each week their first season to help them establish.
For a complete list of Reliable Performers, stop by The Planter's Palette.
Diana Stoll is a horticulturist and Garden Center Manager at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield, IL 60190. Call (630) 293-1040.