Paeonia lactiflora 'Edulis Superba'

Peony, Edulis Superba

S

24-36"

May

Pink

A double flowering Peony, this plant gets beautiful pink flowers.  A trace of white is mixed in with the pink flower, giving it a delicate appearance.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Festiva Maxima'

Peony, Festiva Maxima

S

36"

May

White

A beautiful double flowering plant, this Peony is an early bloomer.  The flowers are creamy white with a touch of red in the center.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Kansas'

Peony, Kansas

S

36"

May

Red

A consistent red Peony, this plant has crimson blooms that do not fade.  It is a strong stemmed cultivar.  It will do best in full sun.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Red Magic'

Peony, Red Magic

S

24-32"

May

Red

A nice dark red cultivar, this Peony blooms in late spring.  It does well in sunny locations and prefers well-drained sites.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt'

Peony, Sarah Bernhardt'

S

36"

June

Pink

A fragrant Peony, this is one of the most popular cultivars available.  It blooms later in the season than most Peonies.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Shirley Temple'

Peony, Shirley Temple

S

24-36"

June

White

Double flowering white Peonies are a classic garden plant.  Shirley Temple is an excellent cultivar, with creamy white flowers and dark green foliage.

Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'

Beard Tongue, Husker's Red

S

24-36"

July

White

The 1996 Perennial Plant of the Year. Its deep maroon foliage is attractive throughout the season. This plant will survive in the shade, but the foliage will not be as colorful.

Penstemon 'Prairie Dusk'

Beard Tongue, Prairie Dusk

S-PSH

20"

June-July

Light Purple

A beautiful, slightly tender plant.  This Penstemon bears soft violet flowers early in the summer.  It may need some winter protection.

Pentemon virgatus 'Blue Buckle'

Beard Tongue, Blue Buckle

S

12-18"

July-September

Purple

This blue plant is quite purple, which is normal in the plant world. For a Penstemon it is quite reliable. It makes a wonderful companion for Tickseed and Black-Eyed Susans.

Perovskia atriplicifolia

Sage, Russian

S

36-48"

July-September

Lavender

Aromatic deeply cut gray-green leaves make this an attractive plant even when it's not flowering. It thrives in dry, hot locations. Blooms of lavender-blue flowers begin in July and continue through September.

Perovskia x atriplicifolia 'Little Spire''

Sage, Dwarf Russian

S

24"

July-September

Lavender

A dwarf Russian Sage, this little spire is not supposed to top two feet in height. Sounds too good to be true, but it should remain more compact than typical Russian Sage plants.

Perovskia x atriplicifolia 'Longin'

Sage, Longin Russian

S

36-48"

July-September

Lavender

A very carefree perennial, this Russian Sage is both drought and disease resistant.  The flowers on this plant are blue-lavender and appear in the mid-summer.

Phlox paniculata

Phlox, Garden

S-PS

32-36"

July-August

Mix

Everyone wants Garden Phlox in their landscape.  They produce a spectacular display of flowers, and make a great cut flower.  There are white, pink, orange, blue, and other colored cultivars.

Phlox paniculata 'Bright Eyes'

Phlox, Bright Eyes Garden

S

24"

July-August

Pink

This plant is an old favorite in the cut flower garden.  Its blooms are large and two-tone pink.  It is moderately powdery mildew resistant.

Phlox paniculata 'David'

Phlox, David Garden

S-PS

36-42"

July-August

White

The Perennial Plant of the Year in 2002.  David provides a delightful splash of snowy-white in the garden.  Considered the best white Phlox available by most experts, this plant is highly mildew resistant.

Phlox paniculata 'Laura'

Phlox, Laura Garden

S-PS

12-14"

July-August

Purple

This Phlox is an upright dwarf plant that gets a purple flower with a white eye.  It makes a great garden plant and requires no staking.

Phlox paniculata 'Nicky'

Phlox, Nicky Garden

S

32-48"

July-August

Purple

A mildew resistant Garden Phlox, Nicky is a reliable bloomer that holds up well into the summer.

Phlox paniculata 'Orange Perfection'

Phlox, Orange Perfection Garden

S

36"

July-August

Orange

Salmon-Orange flowers with a small red eye appear on this plant in the early summer.

Phlox paniculata 'Shortwood'

Phlox, Shortwood Garden

S

32-48"

July-August

Pink

A plant with local connections, Shortwood is named for the gardens of Stephanie Cohen. It has the best powdery mildew resistance of the Garden Phlox, and is an excellent cultivar.

Phlox paniculata 'Starfire'

Phlox, Starfire Garden

S

24-48"

July-August

Pink/Red

This perennial's free flowering, showy, cherry-red blooms are excellent in borders, and as cut flowers.

Phlox stolonifera 'Home Fires'

Phlox, Home Fires Creeping

PSH

6-10"

April-May

Pink

This Creeping Phlox is a fragrant variety.  It makes an excellent groundcover.  During the spring months its pink blooms are extremely plentiful.

Phlox stolonifera 'Pink Ridge'

Phlox, Pink Ridge Creeping

PSH

6-10"

April-May

Light Pink

An excellent Phlox for the shade garden. Pink Ridge has a softer bloom color than the popular Home Fires. 

Phlox stolonifera 'Sherwood Purple'

Phlox, Sherwood Purple Creeping

PSH

6-10"

April-May

Purple

This species was named the first Perennial Plant of the Year in 1990, and has continued to be a garden favorite.  'Sherwood Purple' thrives in shade and produces  an abundance of violet blooms in the spring.

Physostegia virginiana

Obedient Plant

PSH

36"

July-September

Lavender

Obedient Plant is an ironic name for this plant.  It is an aggressive spreader, give it some room to grow.  This plant makes a nice cut flower.

Physostegia virginiana 'Miss Manners'

Obedient Plant, Miss Manners

PSH

24"

June-September

White

A greatly improved variety of Physostegia, Miss Manners is not invasive.  The plant's foliage stays a very deep green and provides the perfect background for the snow-white flowers.

Physostegia virginiana 'Red Beauty'

Obedient Plant, Red Beauty

PSH

24-36"

July-August

Lavender

While the buds of this cultivar are red, hence the name Red Beauty, the flowers are still very lavender. This plant is a vigorous grower, take heed. In the right place it's a wonderful plant, in the wrong spot it's a menace.

Physostegia virginiana 'Variegata'

Obedient Plant, Variegated

S

36"

July-September

Pink

The foliage on this plant is almost more interesting than the pink flower spikes--when they are combined they make a wonderful plant.

Platycodon grandiflorus 'Sentimental Blue'

Balloon Flower, Sentimental Blue

S-PS

8-10"

July-September

Violet

Sentimental Blue is considered the best Balloon Flower cultivar because it is more disease and pest resistant than its counterparts.  It is a great late-summer bloomer for the garden.

Polemonium boreale 'Heavenly Habit'

Jacob's Ladder, Heavenly Habit

PSH

12"

June

Blue

A lesser known species of Jacob's Ladder, this plant's parentage is questioned.  While experts disagree on this, they do agree that it is an exceptional plant.

Polemonium yezoense Bressingham Purple

Jacob's Ladder, Bressingham Purple

PSH

12-18"

May-July

Violet

A relatively new cultivar to the industry, Bressingham Purple is an excellent plant for a partially shaded garden. It will grow best in a moist shaded location.

Polygonatum odoratum

Solomon's Seal

SH

18-24"

May-June

White

The long graceful stalks of this plant are very attractive in moist shady locations.

Polygonum 'Border Jewel'

Fleece Flower, Border Jewel

S-PS

4-6"

May

Light Pink

The dark green foliage of this plant creeps along the ground, creating a nice groundcover. The red fall color is almost as much of an asset as the spring flowers.

Potentilla nepalensis 'Miss Wilmott'

Cinquefoil, Miss Wilmott

S

20"

May-August

Red

A clump forming perennial with strawberry-like leaves, this plant has numerous branching stems carrying cherry red flowers.  It is rather wild looking.

Pulmonaria off. 'Sissinghurst White'

Lungwort, Sissinghurst White

PSH

12-24"

April-May

White

The white flowers of this plant are spectacular in the spring.  Its foliage is silver and white, and is ornamental.

Pulmonaria sacch. 'Mrs. Moon'

Lungwort, Mrs. Moon

PSH-SH

12-24"

April-May

Pink

This plant's foliage is its drawing card.  The leaves are silver and mottled with color.  Pink flowers add to the plant's appearance in the spring.