GARDENING
Perfect perennials for an attractive allseason flower garden
Beautiful, easy and reliable, the following 24 plants will come back faithfully year after year. Our top picks for this summer are insect- and diseaseresistant, non-invasive and don’t require any fussy maintenance. It’s exactly what you need for an attractive, all-season-long flower garden that practically takes care of itself.
‘Moonshine’ yarrow
( Achillea ‘Moonshine’) Flat-headed clusters of enchanting lemon-yellow flowers grace the tops of deeply toothed, silver foliage. This yarrow keeps blooming all summer long, and butterflies love it. Growing to 60 centimetres high by 60 centimetres wide and preferring full sun in average to dry soil, this perennial is highly resistant to heat and drought. HARDINESS ZONES: 3 TO 9
‘Arendsii’ monk’s hood
(Ac on it um car michael ii‘ Ar ends ii ’) Finish summer off right with this late bloomer. Enjoy spikes of large azure-blue blooms set above dark green foliage from September to November. This perennial pre-fers sun or partial shade in welldrained, rich soil and grows to 1.8 metres in height and a width of 90 centimetres. HARDINESS ZONES: 2 TO 8
Lady’s mantle
( Alchemilla mollis) A beautiful, classical perennial with sprays of small yellow-green flowers from late spring to early summer over velvety leaves with scalloped and toothed edges. Growing 45 centimetres high by 60 centimetres wide, this versatile plant tolerates full sun as well as partial and full shade, and prefers welldrained soil. An excellent cut flower! HARDINESS ZONES: 3 TO 8
Eastern bluestar
(Am sonia tab er nae montana) This clump-forming perennial has clusters of pale blue starshaped flowers in early summer that give way to an attractive rounded dome of shiny, pointed leaves. It prefers sun, but tolerates partial shade. Comfortable in average soils, this plant will grow to a height of 90 centimetres and a diameter of 60 centimetres. HARDINESS ZONES: 3 TO 9
‘Sun King’ Japanese spikenard
( Aralia cordata) A large perennial with brilliant chartreuse foliage that brightens up shady spots like a sunbeam. Tiny white spring flowers yield handsome (but inedible) deep purple berries in the fall. This lush perennial grows to a height of 2 metres tall by 1 metre wide and prefers rich soil. HARDINESS ZONES: 3 TO 9
Swamp milkweed
(A sc le pia sin car na ta) The perfect perennial for attracting monarch butterflies! Dense stems of long, lanceolate leaves are topped with pink or white domed clusters of flowers through July and August. Growing to a height of 1.5 metres and a diameter of 60 centimetres, this plant tolerates almost all soils, from dry to soggy, but likes full sun. HARDINESS ZONES: 3 TO 8
‘Jack Frost’ Siberian bugloss
(B runner am a crop hy ll a‘ Jack Frost ’) One plant, two effects! In spring, superb sky-blue flowers; in summer, large, heart-shaped silver leaves with contrasting green veins. This perennial will grow 50 centimetres high by 40 centimetres wide. It prefers full sun or partial shade and well-drained, somewhat moist soil. HARDINESS ZONES: 3 TO 8
‘Karl Foerster’ feather reedgrass
( Calamagrostis × acutiflora
‘Karl Foerster’) This ornamental grass stands out from the crowd with its upright stems and tufted tops of linear leaves. The narrow arching leaves are crowned with thin spikes of beige flowers that persist throughout winter. It grows to 1.7 metres in height and 75 centimetres in diameter. This perennial prefers full sun or partial shade and welldrained soil. HARDINESS ZONES: 3 TO 9
Five-fingered maidenhair fern
( Adiantum pedatum) This native Canadian fern has attractive arching fronds and black petioles as thin as a strand of hair. Tough and hardy, it belies the reputation of ferns being fragile beauties. Growing 45 centimetres tall and 45 centimetres wide, this plant prefers full to partial shade and slightly moist soil. HARDINESS ZONES: 3 TO 8
Cohosh bugbane
( Actaea racemosa) Another perennial native to Canada, this plant has large, deeply cut leaves and narrow spikes of fragrant feathery white flowers, creating a candelabra effect. It prefers partial shade and average soil and will grow to a height of 2.5 metres and
1.2 metres in diameter. This delicate beauty will also bring the butterflies to your yard. HARDINESS ZONES: 3 TO 8