Plants
Aurinia saxatilis 'Summit'
Aurinia, or Basket of Gold, is a perennial alyssum here in Minnesota. Clusters of of tiny, golden yellow flowers blanket the plant from late spring through late summer. Aurinia spreads quickly, produces a large and long-lasting quantity of flowers, and is easy to care for. It’s a wonderful plant for rock gardens, borders, or cascading over a wall. The Summit variety is particularly disease resistant and drought tolerant. It grows 8-12″ tall. Prune back halfway immediately after flowering, but do not prune in fall or early spring.
Astrantia major 'Star of Fire'
Astrantia, or Masterwort, is a wonderful woodland plant preferring cool, moist, shady places rich in organic matter. These plants flower all summer long - from June to September! Star of Fire is an especially vigorous grower that produces clusters of unique burgandy-red starry flowers that are accented by tall purple stems. Flowers are cupped with colorful star-shaped bracts that remain attractive even after blooms are spent. Astrantia make great cut flowers. Star of Fire grows 20-24″ tall and 18-24″ wide.
Astrantia major 'Star of Beauty'
Astrantia, or Masterwort, is a wonderful woodland plant preferring cool, moist, shady places rich in organic matter. Its unique blooms are great for cut flowers and last all summer – from June to September! Star of Beauty features red pincushion-like flowers cupped with colorful star-shaped bracts that sit on tall stems above the foliage. The bracts remain attractive even after the bloom is spent. Star of Beauty is a compact variety, growing to 18″ tall.
Aster novae-angliae 'Vibrant Dome'
Vibrant Dome forms neat, compact mounds with masses of vibrant, hot pink flowers. Cut back in late June for a bushier plant with more flowers. This variety is particularly mildew resistant.
Aster x dumosus 'Wood's Purple'
Wood’s Purple features purple flowers with yellow centers on a compact plant that is virtually mildew and rust free.
Aster x dumosus 'Wood's Pink'
This variety features clear pink flowers with gold centers. Wood’s Pink was bred for compact habit, long bloom period, and heavy flowering.
Aster x dumosus 'Wood's Blue'
In the fall, Wood’s Blue features clear blue flowers with gold centers that are good cut for bouquets. This variety is particularly disease- and rabbit- resistant.
Aster x dumosus 'Winston Churchill'
Bright raspberry-red flowers with golden centers cover this variety at the end of the summer. Cut Winston Churchill back in late June for a bushier plant with more flowers.
Aster x dumosus 'Professor Anton Kippenburg'
This variety features clusters of daisy-like, lavender-blue flowers that cover the plant in the fall and remain until frost. Kippenburg pairs especially well with ornamental grasses.
Aster x dumosus 'Alert'
Just as the colors of summer start to fade, Alert’s dense clusters of deep purple-red blooms will light up your garden. This high performing plant will bloom from August right through October, and its blooms make great cut flowers for fall bouquets. Alert is one of the most compact aster varieties.
Asarum europaeum
Wild ginger is an easy to grow, vigorous groundcover for part fo full shade. It features beautiful, heart-shaped leaves. In the springtime, you’ll find interesting, mauve-purple flowers hidden beneath its lush foliage. Plant in a moist area.
Asarum canadense
Wild ginger is an easy to grow, vigorous groundcover for part to full shade. It features beautiful, heart-shaped leaves. In the springtime, you’ll find interesting, mauve-purple flowers beneath its lush foliage. Plant in a moist area. This variety has better heat tolerance than others.
Heucherella 'Burnished Bronze'
Large, deeply divided leaves with a glossy bronze color give the effect of well-stained wood. This amazing shade variety not only boasts excellent contrasting foliage color to hostas and other shade perennials, it also sprouts stary pink flowers mid-summer.
Heucherella 'Alabama Sunrise'
Large, deeply incised leaves of glorious golden yellow show heavy maroon-red veining that jumps out to attention in the shade garden.
Nepeta 'Blue Wonder'
Grey-green aromatic foliage makes way for a ton of lavender blue blooms in the spring. An easy to grow and extremely hardy perennial, ‘Blue Wonder’ has a short statue (12-16″) making it great for edging or borders.
Sedum 'Xenox'
As outstanding sedum offering season long color, ‘Xenox’ emerges green and mauve in the spring and turns a dark purple color as the foliage ages. In late summer the plant is covered with an multitude of large pink flower heads.
Leucanthemum 'Thomas Killen'
Although technically a single flower, the ‘Thomas Killen’ shasta daisy has double rows of petals and crested golden centers that lend the plant a fluffy appearence. Great for use as a cut flower.
Leucanthemum 'Becky'
The 2003 Perennial Plant of the Year, ‘Becky’- chosen for its bright white flowers, sturdy stems and resistence to pests and disease – reaches three feet in height and produces large (3″) flower single white flowers in mid-summer. One of the best overall flowering varieties of perennials available.
Tradescantia 'Red Cloud'
Dark green, grassy foliage gives way to reddish-violet flowers that bloom in abundence, even in dense shade.
Dicentra 'Burning Heart'
Similar to ‘King of Hearts’ with its ferny foliage and all-season bloom time, ‘Burning Hearts’ features dainty clusters of bright blood red heart shaped flowers that produce color all season. A newer introduction with flower color that must be seen to be believed.
