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Easy-Care Garden Perennials - Garden Gate Magazine
Easy-Care Garden Perennials - Garden Gate Magazine
Easy-Care Perennials:
Add These to Your
Shopping List
I s there really such a thing as a no-fail plant?
Not really. But there are perennials that are
ridiculously easy to grow. I’m talking about those
plants that once you get them established in the
garden, there’s really nothing else to do except
perhaps annual clean-up of the spent plant. No
deadheading, no staking or tying up, no spraying or
Tall sedum
Hylotelephium ‘Autumn Joy’
fertilizing necessary. Do these plants really exist? WHY IT’S SO GREAT Besides its
Yes! Check out my shopping list of almost no-care year-round good looks, ‘Autumn Joy’
perennials. Start with five sunny favorites, then can be considered among the most
move to six shade-lovers on the next page. popular perennials of all time because
—James A. Baggett it’s practically indestructible. It’s not
invasive, it rarely needs to be dug up
and divided and it’s not particularly
bothered by pests. ‘Autumn Joy’
always delivers in my garden: It
produces delicate bright-pink flowers
on large heads that age into a deep
rose-red and then a beautiful copper-
rust color in autumn that persists
SUN-LOVING PERENNIALS
1 GA R D EN GATE
Siberian iris
Iris sibirica
Hardy geranium WHY IT’S SO GREAT Although
Geranium ‘Rozanne’ the flowers are smaller and more
WHY IT’S SO GREAT Never mind that the delicate than bearded iris, Siberian
flowers of ‘Rozanne’ seem to almost glow in iris is the easiest to grow of all the
the garden, it boasts bigger blooms, greater irises. Its graceful stems, blooms,
heat tolerance and a longer bloom time foliage, and neat appearance makes
than all previous hardy geraniums. Look it super adaptable. The exquisite
closely and you’ll see that the center of each flowers bloom in a wide range of
vibrant violet-blue blossom has a white eye colors and color combinations, the
with darker violet-blue lines along the petals arching standards and undulating
(nectar guides for pollinators). Its strong falls fluttering in the gentlest breeze.
constitution and ability to adapt to a wide The handsome grasslike foliage forms
range of conditions means there’s very little a vase-shaped clump and is attractive
that can go wrong. all year, even when the first frost turns
leaves a rusty red-brown.
Need to Know: Violet-blue flowers from late
spring to early fall; full sun to part shade; 12 to 18 in. tall, Need to Know: Flowers in colors that
12 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8 include blue, lavender, purple, white, yellow,
pink and wine in late spring into early summer;
full sun to part shade; 3 to 4 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft.
wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8
Penstemon
Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’
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W E E K E N D GA R D E N I N G continued
Lungwort
epimedium
Epimedium spp. and hybrids
Pulmonaria spp. and hybrids WHY IT’S SO GREAT The perfect
WHY IT’S SO GREAT This durable early ground cover for moist or dry shade,
spring bloomer boasts attractive and bold- this is a tough and sturdy plant with
textured foliage, often green with silver or sophisticated good looks. Its heart-
white markings, that’s ideal for shady sites. shaped leaves can be evergreen and
This is one of the first plants to appear in emerge on wiry stems in spring tinted
spring. There are a huge variety of leaf and pink or bronze with sprays of dainty
flower colors to choose from. I’m fond of ‘Mrs. blossoms. Newer cultivars have more
Moon’ with its silver spots and magenta-pink and bigger flowers in more brilliant
blossoms that mature to a bright blue. colors. If dry shade is an issue, this is
the plant for you.
Need to Know: Nodding clusters of bell-shaped
flowers in shades of red, white, pink, purple, and blue Need to Know: Short-spurred flowers
emerge in early spring above fuzzy deep green leaves in white, yellow, pink, orange or lavender in
that are heavily mottled with striking white spots or spring above handsome foliage tinted red in
splotches; part to full shade; 9 to 18 in. tall 18 to 24 in. spring and bronze in fall; part to full shade;
wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 6 to 12 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide; cold hardy in
USDA zones 5 to 9
3 GA R D EN GATE
SHADE-LOVING PERENNIALS
Brunnera
Brunnera macrophylla
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