Getting more bloom for your buck with reliable favourites
The months of May and June create quite a flurry of activity in the garden and at garden retailers. There is a temptation to just buy everything that looks good right now. Well, hold on for a moment.
There are many plants that will provide great value for the investment. Some produce lots of bloom reliably the first year, continue to grow in size with the passage of time, are reliably winter hardy, have very few insect or disease problems and after a few years you can dig them up, divide them and plant the divisions around your yard (or give them away).
HERE ARE MY TOP 5 FAVOURITES:
1. Day lilies (Hemerocallis): Unbeatable for reliable blooms in a sunny location. I planted about 50 day lilies around my new garden 11 years ago and all of them have outperformed, each year growing in flower count. I do separate them every four to five years, to help restore their vigour. Look for any variety that suits your colour palette. In my experience, there is nothing that harms day lilies: insects, disease or deep freezing temperatures. Even the lily beetles don’t bother them. 2. Monarda. Bee Balm: This native plant blooms for up to eight weeks, attracting hummingbirds and honey bees. You can cut it and bring the flowers indoors and if that isn’t enough, you can make fine tasting tea with it. Growing to about 80 cm high, the original Bee Balm is a winner but there are many introductions that have been developed by the ‘hand of man’ that are outstanding garden performers. Loves the sun, tolerates up to half a day of shade. 3. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum): Most varieties of shasta daisies bloom from June to September. Think about that. Lots of annual flowers don’t bloom that long: nasturtiums, lobelia and calendula have much shorter bloom cycles. 4. Geraniums: You are now saying, “the annual or perennial geraniums?” and my answer is “take your pick.” They are both excellent garden performers. a. Annual geranium (pelargonium): There are no plants on the market that produce such reliable colour as geraniums do. Preferring ‘cool’ sun on the east or southeast side of the house during summer, they are forgiving virtually everywhere. They look better when you remove the spent flower, though some of the new varieties are almost ‘self-cleaning’. What makes annual geraniums most remarkable is that you can let them go dry for quite a while and they will forgive you. b. Perennial geraniums or Cranesbill: a ground hugging perennial plant that will bloom from May until September. Look for the variety Rozanne, the perennial plant of the year in 2008 for good reason. There are many varieties to choose from that range in colour from magenta, blue, violet and pink. Most grow about 30 to 40 cm high and spread much further. All are reliable winter hardy plants to zone 4.
My short list of second choices includes veronica, rudbeckia, hosta, peonies, all of the hardy ornamental grasses and perennial sage.