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Flowering Perennials for Four Seasons of Interest
Flowering perennials, carefully curated to combine varying heights, colours, and textures, make the most intriguing gardens. For a beautiful, low-maintenance addition to your garden, perennial plants are the way to go – they grow back every spring, year after year. Think of them like wardrobe basics to which you can accessorize with eye-popping annuals (purchased each year).
For Alta Vista gardens my perennial favorites, in descending order of height, are:
Peony
Peonies deliver outrageously beautiful blooms with the most sumptuous flowers (white/yellow/ pink/ fuchsia) and lush green foliage (3-4’ tall; full sun)
Credit: Jean Carr
Salvia/Sage
These aromatic beauties burst into bright blue bloom in late summer against a backdrop of lustrous silvery-green leaves that contrast well with darker plants (3-4’tall; full sun)
Coneflower
Think of echinacea as daisies on steroids; the tall flower stocks add height and a classic look to any garden amid their daisy-like flower heads with pink/purple/coral petals (2-4’ tall; full sun)
Credit: Jean Carr
Phlox
These eye-catchers win the perennial popularity contest in my books with their large, long-blooming clusters of pink, purple, lavender or white flowers (2-3’ tall; full sun)
Daylilies
Ubiquitous in Ottawa thanks to their easy-care nature; newer repeat-blooming hybrids are preferred over older varieties (2-3’ tall; full sun to light shade)
Credit: Jean Carr
Irises
This June bloomer is sophisticated, reliable, and easy to grow with flower options available in a rainbow of magical colors (2’ tall; full sun). Check our how to grow Blue Flag Iris.
Astilbe
From the attractive lacy greenery, beautiful and long-lasting white, pink, or violet plume flowers spike upward in July (2’ tall; light afternoon shade). Read more about Astilbe, the queen of the garden!
Cranesbill Geranium
These cheery geranium plants deliver flowers in shades of blue, pink and vivid purple; varieties such as ‘Rozanne’ bloom non-stop throughout the summer (1’ tall; full sun)
Credit: Trish Steel, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hosta
Touting an almost tropical appearance with lush foliage in varying shades of creamy to dark green, hostas are ideal for shadier areas, including under tall trees (1’tall; light shade)
Cushion Spurge
Prized for its ‘cushion’ of flamboyant chartreuse and yellow flowers throughout the summer and transitioning to red, maroon, and orange foliage in the fall (1’ tall; full sun)
Credit: Chrumps, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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