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Anise Hyssop – One of the most aromatic plants in the garden, the crushed leaves smell like a mixture of mint and licorice. Bright purple flowers are displayed from late summer well into autumn. It likes well-drained loam soils, and gets 1-3 feet tall. |
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Aster novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’ – This first true dwarf New England Aster has a profusion of bright purple flowers from mid-August through September; it’s about 18” tall. |
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Astilbe chinensis pumila – This is a great groundcover with dense tufts of finely cut foliage to 6 inches tall, and vivid raspberry-pink flower spikes that are 10-15 inches tall. It likes moist, humusy soil, but will tolerate some summer dryness. Slowly spreads by underground stems. |
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Birch Hybrid Bellflower – This small bellflower has a tidy, low, mounded shape that’s great at the edge of the border. In late May or early June it’s covered with starry violet-blue flowers. After the big show, flowering tapers off, but Birch Hybrid continues to flower through summer with a final flush of blossoms in September. It gets 6 inches tall, likes average well-drained soil, and looks great in rock gardens, too. |
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Blue Wild Indigo – Lush blue-green foliage with clusters of deep blue flowers covering the plant in June and July. Deep rooted, slow growing, and long live, it reaches 3-5 feet at maturity. Blue Wild Indigo likes rich, well-drained soil, in full sun or light shade. Good cut flower in a vase. |
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Calamagrostis arundinacea ‘Karl Forester’ – We think this is one of the best ornamental grasses for our climate. The vertical 5-6 ft. clumps have an ‘architectural’ look, and the flowery heads appear in June and have a bronze cast to them, lasting all the way into winter. Full sun and just about any soil. |
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Coreopsis x. 'Moonbeam'– This is one of the finest perennials available: zillions of pale yellow flowers above delicate, narrow foliage that bloom from June to frost on a 15” plant. |
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Dianthus ‘Mountain Mist’ – This recent release blooms in late May and June with single pink, fragrant flowers on 12” stems. Attractive silver-blue foliage and easy culture make this Dianthus one of the best |
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Echinacea ‘Kim’s Knee High’ – Purple Coneflower has become one of the most popular perennials in America today. It’s easy to see why, with its fabulous puple flowers, long season of bloom, and attraction for butterflies. Kim Hawks version gets about 2 feet tall, likes average, moist, well-drained soil, and blooms from July through September. Sun or light shade. |
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‘Gateway’ Joe Pye Weed – Gateway is a very tall, dramatic vertical accent plant. What sets it apart from the species is its smaller 5-6 foot stature, and its wine red stems, topped in later summer and early fall by big, soft-looking flowerheads made up of zillions of tiny dusky-rose florets. Gateway makes a bold statement in the garden. Grow in a constantly moist, humusy soil in full sun to light shade. |
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Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’ – Happy Returns is an offspring of the famous ‘Stella de Oro’ daylily. Like that parent, it blooms in June, and re-blooms right to frost with ruffled, soft lemon flowers. It’s 18” tall, and can be used just about anywhere it’s sunny – good for containers too. |
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Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’ – This dwarf Blazing Star (24”) has a lot going for it: it’s excellent for cutting, superb for drying, and its large spires of reddish-lilac flowers are a magnet to butterflies. Looks best in groups, and is quite drought tolerant. Sun to partial shade. |
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Monarda ‘Marshall’s Delight’ – The Bee Balm has bright pink flowers that flower from July into September, and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. This Canadian selection is 2½ - 3 feet tall and bred for resistance to powdery mildew. |
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Nepeta ‘Blue Wonder’ – A catmint cultivar that grows about 12” tall and has numerous clusters of lavender-blue flowers over a l0ng period in summer. Deliciously fragrant, gray-green foliage is an added plus. Sun and well-drained soil. |
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Penstemon ‘Prairie Dusk’ – This cultivar has tubular rose-purple blooms that are irresistible to hummingbirds. Grow this beauty in well-drained soils and it will be happy for a long time. |
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Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) – This semi-woody perennial carries a cloud of lavender-blue flowers above finely divided silvery gray foliage. This 3-4 ft., aromatic beauty looks fantastic combined with ornamental grasses. Cut back within several inches of the ground each spring. |
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Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Sweet Blackeyed Susan’ – This prairie native is our current favorite Rudbeckia – not only does it flower like crazy from August trough October, but it has a rugged constitution. While other plants languish in the heat of summer, Sweet Blackeyed Susan maintains its luxuriant deep green foliage. Growing four to six feet tall, it adapts to any reasonably rich soil. This outstanding plant looks great in both the perennial garden and prairie meadow. |
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Salvia ‘May Night’ – Spikes of deep violet-blue flowers from May into August make this 18-24” Karl Forester introduction a great addition to any garden. Excellent for fresh cut use. Full sun and well-drained soil. |
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Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ – Caradonna Salvia. This new salvia comes from Germany where it was selected for its glowing dark purple stems that are a perfect color match with the dark violet-blue flowers. Caradonna grows 24-30 inches tall, is drought tolerant, and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Plant in full sun in any well-drained soil. |
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Sedum ‘Autumn Fire’ – This easily grown upright sedum is an improved version of ‘Autumn Joy’. It has a tighter growth habit, and the flower panicles are a deeper, richer pink color during late summer and fall. Autumn Fire grows 18-24 inches, is drought tolerant, and will do well in any average well-drained soil. Don’t cut this sedum back in the fall, as it will provide outstanding winter interest in the garden. |
