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Plant
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Comment
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Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Longwood Blue'
bluebeard
Deciduous shrub |
Reminds me of my working days at Longwood Gardens. It is a perfect way to add gorgeious blue to the late season garden. Attracts butterflies. |
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Athyrium niponicum var. pictum
Japanese painted fern
Fern |
Color, color, color. Silver and purple are great additions to shade. Tidy and orderly plant. |
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Achillea 'Coronation Gold'
yarrow
Herbaceous perennial |
I love the "sidewalk" appeal. Bright blooms catch your eye from a distance. It is also deer-resistant and a trooper in the heat. Can be used as a dried flower. |
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Alchemilla mollis
lady's mantle
Herbaceous perennial |
Perfect mounded bush. Needs moisture to look its best. Flowers are unusual. I love it with purple foliage plants. |
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Asclepias tuberosa
butterfly weed
Herbaceous perennial |
A beautiful orange in summer. Butterfly magnet well worth a sunny spot in the flower garden. Puny the first year. Drought-tolerant and a prairie native. |
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Astilbe chinensis var. pumila
Chinese astilbe
Herbaceous perennial |
Nice ground cover for shady spots. The first astilbe I fell in love with. |
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Astilbe chinensis 'Visions'
Chinese astilbe
Herbaceous perennial |
I think the chinensis varieties are the easist to grow. They tend to be forgiving of varying moisture conditions. |
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Astilbe 'Rheinland'
astilbe
Herbaceous perennial |
I have found this astilbe to be one of the easiest to grow. |
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Baptisia australis
blue false indigo
Herbaceous perennial |
I love the fullness of this plant. It looks like a shrub. The dried seedpods that turn black are worth waiting for. Plant takes a few years to fill out. |
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Brunnera macrophylla
Siberian bugloss
Herbaceous perennial |
I like the coarse foliage and the tidy habit. Wish it bloomed longer though. Needs well-drained soil. |
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Centranthus ruber
red valerian
Herbaceous perennial |
I remember this old-fashioned plant from my grandma's gardens. It is a loyal rebloomer through the summer with a bit of snipping back. |
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Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
plumbago
Herbaceous perennial |
Exellent ground cover with bright blue summer blooms and fabulous fall color. I use it often with evergreens shrubs that need a punch. |
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Chelone lyonii
shellflower
Herbaceous perennial |
Perfect to grow with only late-day sun for late-season blooms. I love the dark green foliage. |
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Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'
threadleaf coreopsis
Herbaceous perennial |
Bread and butter perennial. It is overused but deserving fo a space in the garden because of its long bloom time. The light-yellow flowers are a delight. |
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Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb'
threadleaf coreopsis
Herbaceous perennial |
Bread and butter perennial. It is overused but deserving of a space in the garden because of its long bloom time. |
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Dianthus 'Feuerhexe' FIREWITCH
cheddar pink
Herbaceous perennial |
Lovely blue foliage provides great contrast to green and persists through winter. Will rebloom with deadheading. Electric blooms! |
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Dicentra eximia
bleeding heart
Herbaceous perennial |
Looks best in part sun. Reblooms are sparce but loyal. Fine foliage and mounded shape are a draw. |
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Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'
purple coneflower
Herbaceous perennial |
Very drought tolerant and a butterfly magnet in bloom. Seed heads left to ripen will invite finches, so do not deadhead. Flowers do not reflex as much as the straight species. |
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Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum'
bishop's hat
Herbaceous perennial |
All the epimediums are great. Their spring and fall color is hard to beat. Terrific ground cover for a change of pace from ivy and vinca. Dies back in winter. |
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Galium odoratum
sweet woodruff
Herbaceous perennial |
Dainty groundcover for small areas. Needs moisture to succeed. |
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Gaura lindheimeri
gaura
Herbaceous perennial |
I love the soft and airy presence of this perennial. The blooms appear to float. Will bloom from June to frost with adequate moisture. |
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Geranium sanguineum
bloody cranesbill
Herbaceous perennial |
I love the straight species because the color is striking! A mounded plant for edging. Fall coloris my favorite feature of this plant. |
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Heliopsis 'Helhan' LORAINE SUNSHINE
ox-eye daisy
Herbaceous perennial |
A great plant for sidewalk appeal. LORAINE SUNSHINE's foliage is unique, but mine is losing variegation in its 3rd year. May need staking. |
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Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra 'Sommersonne' SUMMER SUN
ox eye
Herbaceous perennial |
A plant with great sidewalk appeal. May need staking. |
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Hemerocallis 'Pardon Me'
daylily
Herbaceous perennial |
'Pardon Me' is a nice change of pace from 'Stella D'Oro' but 'Stella D'Oro' still repeats bloom best for me. I love to use it in high-traffic areas. |
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Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro'
daylily
Herbaceous perennial |
A great repeat bloomer. I love to use in high traffic areas |
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Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia 'Palace Purple'
coral bells
Herbaceous perennial |
This plant got me hooked on heucheras but I am liking varieties with a bit more color, such as, 'Pewter Veil' and 'Chocolate Ruffles'. |
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Hosta (Tardiana Group) 'June'
hosta
Herbaceous perennial |
The color is the seller here- blue and green! It is one of the last hostas to die back in the fall for me. |
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Hosta 'Ginko Craig'
hosta
Herbaceous perennial |
The perfect edger hosta- tidy, small and clean. |
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Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude' AUTUMN JOY
stonecrop
Herbaceous perennial |
Splits without summer pruning. Pinch up until mid July. I like the late bloom time because it leads into my mums and the seeds head hang on. |
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Iris 'Caesar's Brother'
Siberian iris
Herbaceous perennial |
Siberian irises look very grassy and the foliage is nice all summer (unlike the bearded types.) They are great changes of texture for the perennial garden. I love the sophisticated-looking blooms. Can tolerate wet sites. |
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Liatris spicata 'Kobold'
blazing star
Herbaceous perennial |
Vertical flowers are a standout in summer. One of the most drought-tolerant plants I have grown. After bloom, I try to disguise the foliage with other perennials. Great cut flower. |
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Liriope muscari 'Variegata'
lily turf
Herbaceous perennial |
I love this plant for edging sidewalks or in front of shrub borders. It brightens shady spots but will also handle sun. |
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Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'
beard tongue
Herbaceous perennial |
I love the purple foliage in spring, which turns more green through the summer. The foliage always has a clean appearance. |
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Perovskia atriplicifolia
Russian sage
Herbaceous perennial |
All cultivars are good. |
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Perovskia 'Filigran'
Russian sage
Herbaceous perennial |
Use as a filler plant (like baby's breath in bouquets). I love the pungent foliage because it is deer- and rabbit-resistant. Cut it back to the ground each year even if it gets woody. |
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Phlox paniculata 'Robert Poore'
garden phlox
Herbaceous perennial |
I am hooked on 'Robert Poore'. The long bloom time continues to impress me. |
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Pulmonaria longifolia 'Bertram Anderson'
lungwort
Herbaceous perennial |
Spotted foliage is a real treat. I have had trouble with root disease and seem to lose one each year. Still it is worth the effort in my opinion. Has unique foliage and flowers. |
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Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'
black-eyed Susan
Herbaceous perennial |
I love the traditional blooms and this plant is so easy to grow. Spots on foliage are the biggest drawback but Ijust overlook them. Deadhead for extended bloom. |
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Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain'
lilac sage
Herbaceous perennial |
So many salvias to choose from! This one is one of my top five. Deadhead for rebloom. Deer resistant. |
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Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'
rough goldenrod
Herbaceous perennial |
Garden explosion in late summer. The flower is unique. An all-around tough plant. |
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Tricyrtis hirta
Japanese toad lily
Herbaceous perennial |
Dark green foliage is a standout. Leaves tend to sunburn but I love the flowers and the habit so much I don't mind. |
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Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'
speedwell
Herbaceous perennial |
A Perennial Plant of the Year in 1993. Clean foliage all season, bushy and tidy. I love the puckered leaves for a different texture in the garden. |
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Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
feather reed grass
Ornamental grass |
A grass that shares space! I love to use it in perennial gardens when a vertical element is needed. Looks great with black eyed Susam. Plumes are showy in summer. |
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Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Little Bunny'
fountain grass
Ornamental grass |
Tidy little mounded grass. I have grown 'Hameln' for years and this is just like a baby 'Hameln'. |
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Clematis 'Jackmanii'
clematis
Vine |
The no-brainer clematis. It can bloom on new wood so it can be cut back each year. Perfect for light posts. |
