Tag Archives: catnip

Power Perennials

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It’s peak season for summer-blooming perennials – the easiest way to enjoy reliable flowers all summer without having to replant annuals. If you’re considering adding perennials to your garden or expanding the collection you already have, now is the time.

My list of power perennials are plants with an abundance of flowers and a long bloom cycle. They are also water-wise, adaptable, and low-maintenance.

Here are some of my favorites:

Achellia (Yarrow). This tried and true perennial has several exotic cultivars that are just as versatile and tough as the old-fashioned, and still popular, bright yellow ‘Moonshine’. The flowers of Achellia millefolium ‘Sassy Summer Sangria’ are a multitude of individual deep coral-red florets with a white eye and ‘Sassy Summer Sunset’ has red-orange florets with a yellow eye. Woody stems hold the flower heads above a clump of soft, feathery green-gray foliage. Achellia does best in well-drained average soil with some supplemental water, but once established it will tolerate short periods of drought.

Salvia (Sage). A large genus that includes several species and numerous cultivars. Here, I am focus on Salvia nemorosa. ‘Marcus’, one of the most compact cultivars, has deep purple flower spikes above a low basal clump of silvery-green foliage. Its diminutive size and uniform appearance make it a good choice for a seasonal border or edging a perennial garden. ‘Rose Marvel’ has small leaves along upright stems with flower spikes lined composed of rose-colored florets. Its unique color and form add continuity when repeated in combination with other plants. Salvia will bloom throughout summer if the spent flower heads are removed. It thrives in full sun and may become leggy with too much moisture or not enough sun.

Nepeta (Catnip). Hybrid Nepeta x faassenii has low, spreading stems of soft gray-green foliage that extend outward horizontally giving the plant a graceful, symmetrical appearance. Each stem develops a flower spike at the end making the plant a solid mass color when in bloom. ‘Walker’s Low’ has light blue flowers and may reach more than 24″ across in a single season making it an excellent seasonal ground cover or colorful mass planting. ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ is a compact cultivar with indigo blue flowers and rosy-purple calyxes that remain after the flowers are spent. Catnip x faassenii hybrids have a long growth season – foliage emerges in early spring and plants continue to bloom until frost. If plants become leggy mid-season, cut them back to encourage a new flush of foliage and flowers.

This summer is a great time to add perennials to your garden while there is still a good selection in nurseries. If you are not ready to plant, make notes and take pictures of your favorites and I can help you identify them.

If you’re ready to start fresh, renovate or just need a change, now is the time to evaluate your garden and complete design plans to execute this fall.

Need more ideas? Contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or how to maximize the impact of plantings for any spot in your garden.

A Haven For Hummingbirds

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Hummingbirds are one of the most popular and esteemed visitors to any garden. Why are we so fascinated by them? Is it the familiar humming sound they make as they hover with the precision of a drone? Or is it the way they dart from flower to flower with energy and determination?

Aster

If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden, plant what they love. These intriguing little birds will appear like magic if you give them the goods. The same flowers you plant to attract hummingbirds will attract other friendly pollinators that want to join in the flower power.

Not all hummingbirds migrate south during the winter. Those that do, put on weight before their long migration, expending more than half their body weight in reaching their destinations. Those that don’t leave, seek late-blooming perennials such as salvia that bloom until frost. During wintertime they search for any nectar-rich flowers that might still be blooming and will also frequent well stocked humming bird feeders.

Here are some hardy summer and autumn blooming perennials that you can plant now. They will keep hummingbirds around and also refresh your garden when other perennials are declining at the end of summer.

Asters

Asters bloom profusely from late summer until frost. Their dense habit, bright green foliage, and delicate flowers give a tired perennial border a fresh look just when it needs it the most. This is a great choice for mass plantings.

Nepeta (catnip)

Nepeta blooms from late spring until frost making it one of the longest-blooming perennials in this region. Cutting it back mid-season will keep plants tidy and force a new flush of foliage and flowers. There are several varieties to choose from.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ (Black And Bloom Salvia)

This variety of salvia is a favorite among hummingbirds and its grass-green foliage and deep blue flowers are a dramatic addition to a perennial border. Racemes holding delicate black buds emerge at the end of waist-high woody stems making them easy for hummingbirds to access and giving onlookers an excellent vantage point.

Agastache (Hummingbird Mint)

The name pretty much says it all. Most varieties bloom throughout summer and into fall. Their tidy upright habit makes them a good vertical feature in a perennial border. They are easy to grow and a multitude of tiny flowers on spire-like racemes have a luscious scent.

MORE IDEAS

Upgrading your garden this spring is a great way to prepare for summer!

If you’re looking for more ideas, please contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or how to maximize the impact of plantings for any spot in your garden.