Dendranthema Autumn Crescendo™ ‘Samba’. Picture taken 10/17/09 after several hard frosts.

Dahlia    Look for Dahlias under Tenders.

DARMERA peltata ‘Nana’ (Umbrella Plant)     Massive, round leaves similar to Petasites form an impressive mound 3’ high. Light pink flowers on tall petioles appear in May before the foliage. Prefers ample moisture and rich, even boggy soil; tolerates partial morning sun. These are large, aggressive plants and should only be used on sites that can accomodate their aggressive nature. Zones 5-7. 

DELOSPERMA cooperi     Flat mats of lance-shaped, three-sided,tube-like leaves. Rose-pink flowers bloom summerto hard frost. Hot full sun and excellent drainage. 

DELPHINIUM     Despite their somewhat demanding nature,- fertile, moist, but well drained soil, full sun and the likely need of staking - it’s hard to imagine a garden,-or a bouquet- without Delphiniums. A second bloom can be had by removing spent flower stalks immediately after flowering. 

grandiflorum (Chinese Delphinium)    Small to midsize plants with gorgeous blue flowers, Chinese Delphiniums flower for much of the summer if deadheaded. They are more carefree than their more statuesque cousins—no staking, no pests. Their one drawback is a tendency to be shortlived, though they may self-seed a bit.

'Blue Butterfly'    Low, (16ins. high), loose, open stalks of iridescent, marine blue flowers starting in June and continuing for a long period. A beacon of color in the early summer border

grandiflorum ‘Summer Blues’ New     A little treasure that grows only 10-12” tall and 12” wide and produces a multitude of soft, shy blue flowers in early summer over compact mounds of well-branched, lacy foliage. Earlier flowering and more heat tolerant.  Zone 3.

grandiflorum ‘Summer Morning’ New     A very showy dwarf selection. Said to be the first true pink form of this early blooming species. Features spikes of pale pink blossoms over compact mounds of well-branched, lacy foliage. 10-12” tall. Zone 3.

x belladonna ‘Bellamosum’    A stout, much branched, 4ft. tall hybrid delphinium with deep blue flowers from mid summer till fall. Grow in good soil, fertile and reasonably moist, in sun. Zone 3.

x belladonna ‘Connecticut Yankees’    A lower growing, sturdy and reliable strain in a mix of colors ranging from deep purple, through every shade of blue, to white. Well branched flower stalks rise 3½ ft. above a thick tuft of basal foliage and bloom over a very long period, essentially all summer if flowers are cut. Easy to grow in average or better, fertile, evenly moist soil. If soil is lacking fertility, a simple spring and summer broadcast of a balanced fertilizer will do the trick. No staking required. Plants thrive here in our sandy loam and from, time to time, just for the fun of it , we treat ourselves to a mass planting of 10 to 20 plants! Zone 3.

x elatum ‘Clear Springs Mix’    This dwarf series features 3ft. tall, sturdy spikes of flowers in a range of colors from lavender blue to rose-pink. A pacilic type that blooms freely and repeatedly throughout the season. This selection is said to have some of the strongest stems of any delphinium,- so no staking requered! Zone 3.

x elatum ‘Dasante Blue’ New     Vibrant true-blue flowers with light purple accents and white bees. Grows to only 3’ tall with a more uniform, compact habit, so will not require staking.

x elatum Magic Fountain series:     Compact, 3ft. tall plants, 2ft. of which is flower spike above 1ft. of foliage. Very sturdy, requiring no staking. Perfect for placing mid to back border. Make excellent cuts. Very hardy, zone 4 and even into zone 3.

‘Dark Blue with White Bee’

x elatum New Millennium Hybd. ‘Blushing Brides’     Huge spires of rich mulberry pink to soft dusky pink flowers with a brown or white bee. Large, deeply divided leaves which confer beauty on the plant even when not in bloom. 3-4’ tall. Blooms through the summer particularly if flowers are taken as cuts. Full sun with rich, evenly moist but well drained soil. Zone 3.

x elatum Pacific Giant Hybrids 'Black Knight'    Deep midnight purple with a dark bee. 6' tall, very large-flowered, semi-double delphiniums with densely packed flower spikes. Bloom time is June. Garden classics. Zone 3.

DENDRANTHEMA (CHRYSANTHEMUM)

Autumn Crescendo™ Series:      A series of vigorous, cold hardy, perennial mums that form a very wide mound up to 3’ across and differ from standard garden mums in having a more natural, less formal look. All bloom late in the season, from the tail end of summer well into fall bringing the gardening season to a spectacular end. Hardy through 5.

Autumn Crescendo™ ‘Harmony’  New    Lush, loose sprays of 2½”, single, daisy-like flowers, golden yellow when young but then fading to creamy yellow with pink tones as they mature. Habit is wide, mounding, 18-24” high.

Autumn Crescendo™ ‘Rhumba’    A prolific bloomer, covering itself with elegantly single, 2in. wide, daisy-like flowers starting as deep red buds, opening to reveal vibrant coral-red blooms. Blooms starts at the end of summer and continues into fall until brought to a close by hard frosts. 

 

Autumn Crescendo™ ‘Samba’     2”, single, flowers that open light peach with a yellow center and gradually become pink as they mature. Wide, mounding form, 18-24” tall. Photo was taken on 10/17/09 after several hard frosts.

Dendranthema koreanum ‘Cambodian Queen’    This late, fall blooming, Korean mum is just as pretty in the garden as it is in the photo! 2” iridescent blooms absolutely obliterate the foliage with their massive display of flower power in late September into October and, not unusually, early to mid November. 20-24” tall with a wider spread, almost shrub-like. Completely hardy in Zone 4. 

zawadskii ‘Clara Curtis’    18-24in. stems bear 2in. daisies of the purist pink from mid summer into September. Plants spread moderately fast to form thick clumps supporting a long succession of exceptionally pretty, soft pink daisies. Easy to grow in average or better soil with sufficient moisture. By no means required, but If one has the time, pinching will result in more flowers on lower plants. I’ve never had the time yet the plant in our border overflows with bloom year after year. I do recommend digging out and discarding half the clump every two years or so. Not seen in gardens so much these days, and one has to wonder why . Zone 3. 

DIANTHUS (Pinks, Carnations)     An old-fashioned favorite, most with deliciously fragrant flowers, good for cutting. All require excellent drainage and prefer a slightly alkaline soil, and full sun unless noted otherwise. Many benefit from division every two or three years to remain vigorous and most attractive.

barbarini ‘Purple Picotee’ (Sweet William) New    Showy deep purple flowers with a glistening white edge. Blooms all summer with very little attention. Very effective at the front of the border, draping over rocks and in containers. Zone 3.    

deltoides ‘Brilliant’      Low, spreading mats of tiny, dark green leaves that send up a multitude of bright pink, ½” wide, double flower in steady succession from early spring into mid summer. Heat and drought tolerant so particularly suited to the tops of walls and allowed to drape, as well as to the often neglected and harsh environment at the base of walls. These are feisty little critters that can fill in the gaps, bringing color and interest to places considered too inhospitable for other plants.

gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch’     Deep blue foliage with single, bright maginta flowers for many weeds in early spring. Excellent heat tolerance. 4-8ins. tall.  2006 PPA Perennial Plant of the Year

gratianopolitanus ‘Tiny Rubies’ New      Cute little tufts of grass-like foliage send up a multitude of double, rose-pink flowers on 4-6” stems, May-June. Perfectly suited for rock gardens, trough gardens, between stepping stones and any sunny, well-drained nook or crevice. Has endeared itself to American gardeners for nearly one hundred years. Zone 3.

Hybrid Cultivars:

‘Candy Floss’ New    Soft, double pink flowers with reddish accents and a spicy fragrance bloom for a very long period from May-Oct., (especially if the weather is cool). 

‘Coconut Surprise New     Pristine double white blossoms with deep mahogany centers, bloom May-Oct. over very compact, blue-green foliage. Very fragrant. Zone 4.

‘Cranberry Ice’ New     Flowers are rose colored with a cranberry red eye and wide pinkish picotee, edges. The large flowers measure 1½ “ across and bloom through summer. 12” tall. Zone 5.

‘Fire Star’ New    Vivid fire red flowers with a deeper crimson eye and a spicy clove fragrance. Foliage is glaucous gray-green and evergreen. 8” tall. Zone 5.

‘Tickled Pink’ New    Semi-double, deep, lavender-pink flowers with a strong, spicy fragrance. Blooms from spring through summer. 

 

DICENTRA eximia (Fringed Bleeding Heart) & formasa (Western Fringed Bleeding Heart); selections of:     Attractive green or blue-green, deeply cut, fern-like foliage 8-12ins. high with flower stalks rising an additional 6-8ins. above the foliage. Depending on the selection, flower color is a deeper or lighter shade of pink, or, white. Very long blooming, beginning in spring and continuing for many weeks. A carefree, adaptable plant, happy in sun and all but the deepest shade, and not at all finicky about soil. There is considerable confusion about the parentage of many of the fringed bleeding heart cultivars, some sources listing D. eximia, and others D. formosa. They are very similar looking. Differences are minimal, discernable only under close inspection.  

‘Bacchanal’A Dutch hybrid that differs from D. 'Luxuriant' in having deeper, brick red flowers, May till frost. Zone 3.

‘Burning Hearts’ New      Striking, rose red, heart-shaped flowers with a distinct white edge are produced all season atop a compact mound of lovely blue-gray, finely textured foliage. 10-12” high. Zone 3. available late May.

‘king of Hearts’    A complicated hybrid with beautiful, lacy, fern-like, blue-green foliage and bright, cherry-pink  flowers that last all summer, usually out-blooming D. ‘Luxurient. Could be grown for the beautiful foliage alone. 8-10ins. high. Zone 3.

spectabilis (Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart)    Pink flowers, spring, 3'. Foliage may turn yellow and die back during the summer in a sunny dry spot, but not to worry, plants are merely going dormant, and will reappear bigger and better the next spring! Zone 3. 

spectabilis 'Alba'     White form of D. spectabilis. Zone 3.

spectabilis ‘Goldheart’     This combination of pink flowers against golden yellow foliage does not produce the color collision one might expect, instead, quite the opposite.  The flowers are just the right shade of pink to blend with the lovely, smooth golden foliage to create a very handsome collaboration, eye-catching without being garish. We have it in a fairly sunny spot yet the foliage persists well into summer, and, as long as the foliage persists it retains the excellent golden color. I like it more and more every year.

Dictamnus albus ‘Purpureus’ (Gas Plant)    A stately display of large pink flowers with petals that curve back at their tips creating an elegant, widely-flared, trumpet-shaped flower. Flowers are carried high above the foliage on strong, 1' stalks. Foliage is dense, dark green, very attractive.  This is a bold, sturdy perennial that is attractive both in and out of bloom, establishing such a solid presence in the garden that one could easily mistake it for a shrub. Blooms heavily for 2-3 week in mid June. Once in the ground, plants should not be move as they resent disturbance and want to be left un-fooled-around-with for an indefinite period, much like a peony. Beautiful, long-lived and pest free.

DIGITALIS (Foxglove)    Popular garden favorites with tall colorful spikes of pendulous bells. Thrive in soils rich in organic matter. Some are biennial, but they self-sow freely. Best performance is in full sun with evenly moist soil, though plant seem to do reasonably well in afternoon shade     

grandiflora (ambigua)    Large, soft yellow flowers on 3-4ft. spikes over apple-green basal foliage. These are tough, versatile, plants showing strong perennial tendencies. Perfectly happy in full sun with reasonable moisture. Zone 3.

purpurea (Common Foxglove)     A classic border plant if ever there was one, so evocative of mythical fairy tale gardens and forever emblematic of everything that’s good about gardening.  4-5’ high spikes of purple-pink, down-facing gloves cast their spell over the garden for 2-3 weeks in spring, and bloom can be extended by cutting back initial flower stalks when gone by to encourage blooming side shoots. Be sure to allow some seed to mature and drop so new plants will start. Full sun to light afternoon shade and moist soil is preferred, but foxgloves are pretty tolerant of less than ideal conditions. Strictly speaking, the common foxglove is biennial and not perennial but one hardly notices the difference since their prolific self-seeding insures that there are always fresh plants in the garden. Zone 4.

purpurea ‘Apricot Beauty’ New   Creamy-yellow and pink flowers on 40” stalks.

purpurea ‘Candy Mountain’    The first foxglove with upfacing flowers. Large, rose-pink, upward facing gloves are tightly packed all around the 3-4ft. sturdy stems. Flowers open wide allowing a good view of their attractive interiors. Blooms in late spring, early summer with a distinctive look, unlike any other foxglove. Grow in sun to light shade with even moisture. Zone 4.

purpurea ‘Giant Shirley’ New    This classic foxglove comes in a rich mixture of pinks, white, pale yellow and shades of purple. Plants vary in height but tend to be tall, sometimes reaching a spectacular 8’ in height.  Blooms June-July.

purpurea ‘Dwarf Red’ New     Low, 2½’ spikes densely packed with bright purplish-red flowers. Blooms May-July. Now everyone can have foxgloves, even those gardeners who thought they didn’t have enough room.

purpurea ‘Dwarf Vanilla’ New     Similar to the above variety except with cream-colored gloves. Both are perfect for smaller gardens or mid positions in larger borders.

thapsi ‘Spanish Peaks’    A very different looking foxglove, only 12” high with large, rosey-pink tubular flowers carried on short, much-branched flower stalks. Flowers are more narrow and less flaring than those of other varieties. The velvety, blue/green foliage provides a nice backdrop for the pink flowers. A very cute, and curious little plant, easy to grow in average, well-drained soil, in sun.

x mertonensis    A hybrid of D. purpurea and D. grandiflora with 2-3ft. stalks lined with strawberry pink colored gloves from late spring into summer. The robust nature of these plants is immediately apparent from the sturdy flower stems, the thick textured, dark green leaves and correspondingly large, beefy flowers. A number of years ago I saw an amazing, one hundred foot long, mass planting of this hybrid at the Montreal Botanic Garden.

x ‘Spice Island’ New     2-3' tall flower stalks are lined with 1" long flowers of an intriging new color that's a blend of apricot, peach and yellow resulting in a flower of rich orange-amber tones. The sturdy, upright flower stalks branch nicely from the plant base and, unlike other foxgloves, the glossy, dark green foliage is evergreen. Blooms repeatedly, June-Sept. Zone 3.