OENOTHERA (Evening Primrose)  

OENOTHERA berlanderi (speciosa) 'Siskiyou' 2" fragrant pink flowers all summer, much like O. speciosa, but more compact, more flowers.

fruiticosa 'Fireworks' 18in. red stems bear large, 2-3in., bright, sunny yellow flowers. Almost every gardener knows this plant, and many grow it not by choice but because a well-meaning gardening friend or relative "gifted" them, (that is to say, forced upon them), a couple of divisions. Once in the garden, they're not leaving, and this is perhaps all for the better as, without any effort from the gardener, they spread themselves around and, in June -July, flood the garden with cheerful yellow goblets. There is almost no soil type or light level that they don't like with the exception that heavy shade results in week stems, fewer flowers and the eventual demise of the plants. Zone 4.

PAEONIA (Garden Peony) Every garden should have at least one of these old-fashioned beauties, and more than one is even better.  Hardy to zone 3. 

Lactiflora and hybrid double peonies

'Eden's Perfume' New One of the most fragrant and beautiful varieties we offer. 4-7in., double, rose-pink blossoms with a complementary layer of cream-colored petals. 24-34ins. tall. Blooms in June.

'Eden's Temptation' Double, white flowers on strong stems. Considered one of the best whites. 34ins. tall, blooms mid season.

'Pillow Talk' New  Large, double, pink, mildly fragrant blooms with a full, rose form. Nice for cutting. 35ins. tall. Blooms mid season.

'Pink Cameo' New Flowers have deep pink outer ring of petals. with narrow, light, ice pink petals in the center . 36ins. tall. Blooms in June.

'Pink Parfait' New    Ravishing, medium pink, rose-like double blossoms with silver edges make this variety shine in any garden! Blooms late season . Very fragrant. 36ins. tall.

PAEONIA 'Raspberry Sundae' Huge, full blossoms up to 6ins. across are delightfully fragrant and great for cutting. Pale pink guard petals surround a fluffy vanilla to blush pink center flushed deeper pink on top. 30ins. tall. Blooms early summer.

'Whopper' New Believed to have the largest flowers of any peony, with "whopping" 7-8in. wide blooms. The large, soft pink flowers bloom profusely May to early June on strong, stiff stems reaching 35ins. 

Japanese and Single Peonies

'Blaze' New Brilliant, red, single flowers with prominent golden yellow stamens. 30ins. tall. Early blooming.

'Do Tell' New Soft orchid to shell pink petals with dark rose stamens that contrast beautifully with the pink petals. 32ins. tall, blooms mid season.

'Pastel Sunrise' New Single, fragrant, soft pink blooms with bright yellow centers. 25-30ins. tall, blooms mid season.

'Squirt' New Cup-shaped, single white blossoms on plants only 16ins. tall. Early blooming

Specie Peonies

tenuifolia Fern Leaf Peony New Dark red flowers atop fine, thread-like foliage that is completely unlike the foliage of other garden peonies. Blooms early and may go dormant in early summer. Tolerates drier conditions better than most peonies.

Tree Peonies (suffruiticosa)

suffruiticosa Tree Peony  We've grouped the tree peonies with their herbaceous cousins to eliminate unnecessary clicking back and forth between web pages and because it just seems to make sense to present them together. But make no mistake, tree peonies do have stems of real wood. Plants seldom get much taller than 4ft., appreciate a rich, slightly basic, moist, well-drained soil, and do very well in light afternoon shade. Full sun is certainly okay, but here water becomes more of an issue. Pruning should be avoided unless plants become misshapen, at which time they may be cut back to a foot or so to encourage the development of new shoots. This should not be done routinely, and actually, is best avoided altogether unless plants become an unshapely mess. These are not difficult plants to grow when provided with conditions even remotely approaching ideal. We've had our tree peony for many years and I defy anyone to accuse us of pampering it. When we remember to do it, a little lime, fertilizer and compost get turned under in spring.  For this meager effort we're rewarded every year with two weeks of huge, beautiful blooms during late spring/early summer.  Zone 4. 

suffruiticosa Pink

suffruiticosa Lavender

suffruiticosa Red

suffruiticosa Salmon Pink

suffruiticosa White

suffruiticosa Yellow

 PAPAVER (Poppy)  

orientale (Oriental Poppy)  All oriental poppies decline after flowering to the point of complete dormancy by summer. Plants will reemerge with cooler fall weather.  Combine with Gypsophila (Baby's Breath) or some other leafy, later-blooming plant to fill in the gap. 

'Beauty of Livermere'  A big, bold, red poppy. One of the best reds. 2-3ft. tall.

'Betty Ann' Crinkled pink flowers, without basal spots, on 30in. stems.

'Glowing Rose' New 24-30in. sturdy stems with bright watermelon pink flowers.

'Goliath' 4ft. tall with orange/red flowers with black centers.

'Harvest Moon' New 2ft. tall with striking, double, golden orange flowers.

'Little Candy Floss' New    Soft pink flowers with purple spots around the base. Dark green foliage, compact habit, only 14ins. tall.

'Patty's Plum' Very dark, reddish purple flowers on 32ins. stems in late May to early June.

'Pink Ruffles' 30in. stems bearing pink flowers with fringed edges.

'Show Girl' New Huge, ruffled, bi-colored flowers, showy pink with white centers.

Other Poppies

atlanticum New Here's another orange flower for those of us who can't get enough of this color. Not only are the petals colored rich, pumpkin-orange but they possess the very appealing, crepe paper texture. 3in. wide, early summer blooms are carried on 2ft., sturdy stems. Zone 4.

nordhagenianum ssp. islandicum (radiatum ssp. radiatum) (Arctic Poppy) This very long name belongs to the little orange poppy that has graced our borders for many years. We've called it Papaver spicatum, Papaver atlanticum, Papaver "Cute Little Orange Poppy", but had never been quite sure of the correct name until Peter spotted the very same plant at the botanic gardens in Montreal. A staff horticulturist identified the poppy with the caveat that a good amount of confusion swirls around the correct name. Whatever the name, it's a charmer, with orange, crepe paper-like flowers over gray-green foliage, 18-24".  Blooms off and on all summer long. Self sows. Very hardy (all the Google hits were in Iceland!).

 

nudicaule 'Champagne Classic Mix' Iceland Poppy Single, 4-6in. wide flowers in shades of white, orange, pink and yellow on 12in. stems from late April till mid summer. Always more effective planted in groups of three or more, and dazzling in large drifts as they gently quake on every passing breeze. These are short lived perennials, living  a couple of years and then needing to be replaced, which is a task one readily undertakes since, once having grown them, it's impossible to imagine the garden without them. Zone 3.

PARDANCANDA x 'Dazzler' (Candylily) A close relative of the Blackberry Lily, selected for its shorter stature and larger, star-shaped flowers in vibrant shades of purple. Iris-like foliage. Best in full sun with good drainage. 15-18ins. tall. Blooms during the latter part of summer. Zone 5.

PAXISTIMA canbyi  A woody, slowly-spreading shrubby groundcover, 8-10ins. tall. Small, glossy, finely toothed evergreen leaves. Flowers are greenish white and insignificant. Does best in evenly moist, well drained soil and tolerates dry, part shade, low fertility and high pH. We have a large specimen in our border that looks sensational year after year with absolutely no attention. Zone 3.

PELTOBOYKINIA watanabei, (previously, Boykinia), New A rare and choice plant from Japan with huge, rounded, slightly divided leaves on longish petioles. Dainty creamy yellow flowers rise above the foliage on 20in. stems. Plants require rich, moist soil in shade. They will tolerate boggy conditions and look really nice at stream or pond side. Zone 5.

PENSTEMON (Beard Tongue)  

PENSTEMON barbatus 'Elfin Pink' Hundreds of delicate pink trumpets on 12-14in. spikes for many weeks in summer. Charming in the border, and always alive with hummingbirds..

digitalis 'Husker Red'  Bronze-red foliage provides striking contrast to masses of white flowers, 30". 1996 Perennial Plant of the Year. Zone 3.

digitalis 'Mystical'New Similar to 'Husker Red' but with more consistent coloring. Plants are attractive for three seasons, with burgundy red spring foliage, white flowers with a hint of lilac in summer, and deep red fall color. 30in. sturdy, upright stems. Zone 3.

mexicale 'Sunburst Amethyst' New Upright stems with fine, glossy, bright green foliage and abundant, purple, tubular flowers in summer. Both this and the selection below are welcome newcomers to the gardening scene and have impressed us with their attractive foliage in tidy, mounds and their showy, long blooming flowers.  Grow in full sun with well drained soil. 18ins. high. Zone 5.

PENESETMON mexicale 'Sunburst Ruby' Tolerant of both heat and frost. Attractive, glossy foliage in bushy, 12in.mounds. Red blossoms with white centers rise an additional several inches above the foliage and occur over a long period in summer. Grow in full sun in well drained soil.  An exciting addition to the gardening palette.

PEROVSKIA atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)  Finely textured, aromatic, silver-gray foliage topped with long spikes of purple flowers in late summer, persisting for many weeks. Plants have an airy and relaxed form. Full sun and good drainage are essential. Cut back in spring to no more than 1ft. It has been our experience that going lower than 1 ft. greatly impedes the plants ability to fully regrow during the season.  Hardy to zone 5. 

PEROVSKIA 'Little Spires' Selected for its shorter more upright habit and its longer bloom period. Grows 2 1/2ft.-3ft. tall.  At left, 'Little Spires' harmonizes with Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold' in our front border.

PERSICARIA (formerly POLYGONUM) (Fleece or Lace Plant)

affinis 'Dimity'New Spreading mats of glossy leaves, 6ins. high form the launching pad for pretty pink to red bottlebrush-like flowers rising 4-6ins. above the tidy foliage, July-Sept. Plants look their best in soils with average  or better moisture levels, full sun. Much favored in English gardens and gaining in popularity in America. Zone 3.

PERSICARIA amplexicaulis 'Speciosa' ( Firetails )   One of my favorite perennials for its bright red beads from late summer into fall, ( much redder than in the photo ), and its sturdy upright, non-spreading stems clothed in lanced-shaped, matte green leaves that form the perfect backdrop for the bright red flowers. Flowers are attractive fillers in bouquets. A well behaved plant with character. Does best with even moisture in average or better soil, in sun or part shade. Japanese beetles sometimes dine out on the leaves. 3 to 4ft. tall. Zone 5.

 

polymorpha  Fluffy, creamy-white plumes all summer long over strong stemmed, upright, non- spreading mounds of foliage. Its long bloom period, strong upright habit and ease of culture commend this plant as a first rate garden specimen. Several years ago when it was new on the gardening scene, polymorpha created a good bit of excitement, and if you're looking for a large, pest free perennial with good form and season-long bloom, then this might be just your plant. 5-6ft. high. Zone 4.   

PETRORHAGIA (Tunic Flower) 

PETRORHAGIA saxifraga 'Lady Mary'  8-10" compact mounds of lacy foliage and masses of tiny, double pink flowers that resemble those of baby's breath. Perfect for tucking into rock gardens and walls, where there is sharp drainage and full sun. Blooms all summer. Zone 5.

PHLOMIS tuberosa 'Bronze Flamingo' New Rich, ruby red stems, deep green leaves and bright pink flowers in whorls at the leaf axils make this a very appealing plant. The manner in which the stem-encircling flowers are tiered  along the stems in candelabra fashion lends a unique charm. Hight is generally around 3ft., could be slightly more.  Phlomis in general are still not common in gardens and plants in our border always generate much interest form visitors.  Grow in full sun in well drained soil. Stems dry well and look good in dried arrangements. Zone 5.

Taller Growing, Border Phlox

PHLOX maculata 'Miss Lingard'  Mildew resistant, blooming a little earlier than P. paniculata, pure white, 2-3', late June. Zone 3.

PHLOX maculata 'Natascha' Rounded panicles of pink and white, candy-striped flowers. Unequaled for showy bloom over a long period. In general, Phlox maculata tends to have better mildew resistance than other types of phlox. 2-3ft. tall. Blooms from mid to late summer.

PHLOX paniculata (Summer Phlox)     Summer Phlox are invaluable for exuberant displays of color at that awkward time between mid summer and fall. They're easy to satisfy, needing only a site in full sun with average or better, well -drained soil, with reasonably consistent moisture.  If powdery mildew should become a problem, the following recommendations may prove helpful. First, after selecting a resistant variety, hope and pray that you never have to deal with the problem. If that doesn't work, consider adding extra doses of lime to the soil. I know of one major grower who swears that raising the pH will significantly reduce outbreaks. Fall cleanup is important. The spores overwinter in the fallen leaves so, as well as cutting back stems, as many leaves as possible should be raked up, hand picked or otherwise gotten into the trash,(not into the compost pile), and off your property. A low impact application of baking soda , alone, dissolved in warm water or in solution with one of the new, light weight, horticultural oils can be quite effective. 

paniculata 'Becky Towe'  The best of the variegated Summer Phlox, with butter-cream and green foliage, 24 -30" tall. Carmine rose blooms with a dark magenta eye bloom from late July to September. Young spring foliage is accented by a bronze overlay. Plant displays good mildew resistance. Discovered by June Towe of England and named after her pooch. Hardy to zone 4.