Spider Web Gardens

Perennials

It won’t be long before the growing season is in full force.  The perennial plants at Spider Web are started a few different ways.  Bill usually seeds several varieties and we also pot up bare root and plug varieties.
A few new plants that we will have this season include:  Achillea ‘Pomegranate’ that has a rich magenta-red flower. Aquilegia ‘Blackcurrant Ice’ which provides abundant drooping purple and creamy yellow flowers.  Centaurea ‘Amethyst in Snow’ a lovely flower with white petals that open to royal purple centers; this is a compact plant. Dianthus ‘Peppermint Star’; the flower is light pink with a defined red center and a toothed edge.  Veronica ‘Crater Lake Blue’ with intense blue flowers, this would make a good edging plant or ground cover.
There are several things to consider when planting a flower garden.  Plants have different needs and growth habits.  It’s important to think about bloom time, light requirements, height and spread, foliage interest, disease resistance and possible year round interest. 

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  With so many perennials to choose from the gardener may be overwhelmed. To help make the planning process easier one should get to know the “Perennials of the Year” named by the Perennial Plant Association (PPA).  These plants are great performers and most are available at Spider Web Gardens.
  The 22 plants that have made the cut are listed below:
  1990 Phlox stolonifera
  1991 Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’
  1992 Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’
  1993 Veronic ‘Sunny Border Blue’
  1994 Astilbe ‘Sprite’
  1995 Perovskia atriplicifolia
  1996 Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’
  1997 Salvia ‘May Night’
  1998 Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’
  1999 Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivartii ‘Goldstrum’
  2000 Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’
  2001 Calamagrostis xacutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’
  2002 Phlox ‘David’
  2003 Leucanthemum ‘Becky’
  2004 Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’
  2005 Helleborus x hybridus
  2006 Dianthus gratianoplitanus ‘Feuerhexe’
  2007 Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’
  2008 Geranium ‘Rozanne’
  2009 Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’
  2010 Bapisia australis
  2011 Amsonia Blue Star Flower

The 2011 Perennial of the Year
Amsonia hubrechtii
Blue Star
Hardy zones 4-9
Height 36”
Native clump forming perennial found along the woodland’s edge or river banks.  Spectacular spring bloom with clusters of 5 petaled star-shaped flowers.  Prefers loamy, well-drained soil.  Tall arching stems with long narrow leaves give this plant a very delicate and graceful appearance, terminal clusters of light blue flowers that bloom late spring to early summer.  Bright golden-yellow foliage in the fall adds spectacular color to the garden, a slow growing but very long-lived perennial. 

(Gardenworld/Van Bloem Gardens 2011 catalog)

More great performing perennials: 
Dicentra, Echinacea, Geranium, Hemerocallis, Hosta, Lillium, Paeonia, Pulmonaria and Sedum. 
Perennials with Interesting Foliage:
Alchemilla, Artemisia, Brunnera, Cimicifuga, Ferns, Grasses, Helleborus, Heuchera, Hosta, Nepeta,
Polygonatum, Pulmonaria, Sedum and Tiarella.
Ideas for Plant combinations:
For shade:  Hosta, Japanese Painted Fern and Pulmonaria;  Maidenhair Fern and Epimedium
For sun: Bearded Iris and Oriental Poppy, Catmint ‘Walker’s Low’ and Happy Returns Daylily.
Color Contrast:
Lady’s Mantle and Geranium ‘Rozanne’
Combination of Shape and Texture:

Liatris and Phlox paniculata; in some shades a white combination or a purple combination.

There are many perennials that make nice cut flowers including:

If you are planting near water bodies (lakes, streams, etc) a few shoreline buffer plants to consider:

Asclepias incarnata, Aster, Batisia australis, Caltha, Campanula rotundiflora, Eupatorium, Ferns (certain varieties), Gaultheria, Grass Carex, Iris versicolor, Linnaea, Lobelia cardinalis, Lupinus perennis, Solidago, Tiarella, Vaccinium

Whatever your perennial needs are we can help. With our large assortment we are sure to have what you want and if we don't have a specific variety, we can find something that can work in its place which you'll love! For a list of some of the perennials that we have please click Here. Remember this is a list that is constantly changing so please call, visit or email to verify that we have the plant that you are looking for.

For more perennial photos click Here

 

Our Shade perennials are down under the pines. This is a lovely area on a sunny summer day!

We have many hardy field grown perennials including daylilies. Later in the summer season we offer a fun experience; come and dig your own daylilies. Bring a shovel and a pot or we will provide them.

 

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