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Wow!Plants
One gardener’s 25
must-haves for season-long color
Photos and story by Michelle Mero Riedel
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Top: Narcissus ‘Sir Winston Churchill’; Above, clockwise from top left: Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Loraine Sunshine’, Trollius cultorum ‘Earliest of All,
Gladiolus callianthus ‘Murielae’, Iris ‘Edith Wolford’, Leucanthemum superbum ‘Sunny Side Up’, Eryngium maritimum ‘Sapphire Blue’, and
Pelargonium hortorum ‘Indian Dunes’ annual geranium.
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L
ike most gardeners, I have had
many plant failures. For instance,
I just can’t seem to successfully
grow hollyhocks. They don’t get as tall
or flower as prolifically as the hollyhocks in some of my friends’ cottage
gardens. Last year, I tried to grow
gomphrena and could not get it to take
off. My list of failures changes from year
to year, but what I’ve learned is this:
When a plant reliably works, is a great
performer, and impresses me time after
time, I stick with it.
Great plants that prove to be
dependable have the following qualities:
• They bloom for a long time—two to
three months for perennials and from
planting time to frost for annuals.
• They have no serious insect or disease
problems.
• They look terrific when not flowering.
These plants may have colorful foliage
or provide the right amount of
contrast with surrounding plants.
• They get repeated compliments. I call
these my “wow” plants because their
showiness never lets me down.
The Garden Awakes
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3. Narcissus ‘Sir Winston Churchill’
The first time I saw this daffodil blooming, my mouth dropped. Multiple showy
flowers per sturdy stem, this daffodil is
surely a must-have in any spring
garden. Large, creamy white flowers
with an orange-yellow spot in the center
and four to five flowers per stem give
the illusion of a daffodil bouquet.
4. Aurinia saxitilis ‘Compacta’
Also called basket of gold alyssum, this
popular spring-flowering, evergreen
perennial has an amazing display of
dark yellow flower clusters. Compacta is
drought-tolerant and a welcome sight in
any rock garden.
It’s Officially Summer
5. Heliopsis helianthoides
‘Loraine Sunshine’ PP10690
A long bloomer with beautiful foliage:
What more could you ask for? Loraine
Sunshine stands about 18 inches tall,
boasts bright yellow flowers, and
flowers from June through August.
If kept deadheaded, flowers can last
into September. But don’t buy it for the
flowers; it’s the foliage that makes this
plant so stunning.
1. Iris ‘Edith Wolford’
Edith Wolford entered my garden in
2005. Although slow to multiply, the
show was definitely worth the patience.
Huge ruffled blooms top this bearded
beauty, and the plant stands 3 to 4 feet
tall. The combination of lemon-yellow
standard with bluish-purple falls is
striking. When it comes to dividing,
I find myself putting Edith in other
areas of my garden instead of giving
some to friends.
2. Trollius cultorum ‘Earliest of All’
This late spring bloomer is an absolute
knockout when planted with tall, purple
Siberian irises. Like the Siberians,
Earliest of All needs to have its feet in
damp soil. The edge of a backyard pond
is the perfect location. The large, double
orange-yellow flowers, known as buttercups, bloom for several days. But you’ll
get three to four weeks of continuous
blooms on 28-inch stems. The dark
green divided foliage remains attractive
after blooming.
6. Penstemon barbatus ‘Prairie Dusk’
Prairie Dusk is one of my favorite early
summer perennials for its striking, deep
lavender flowers and dark green leaves
that are attractive season-long. I find
myself digging, dividing, and planting
Prairie Dusk in empty spaces.
gladiolus, it has swordlike leaves that
stand up straight. It’s the lightweight
flowers that I like the best. Their wildflower appearance combines nicely with
other natural and native plants.
9. Echinacea purpurea
‘Pink Double Delight’ PPAF
A recent introduction to the Echinacea
family, Pink Double Delight lives up to
its name. The flowers are indeed
double, and they are huge—about 3 to 4
inches across. This prolific bloomer
starts in July and continues throughout
most of the summer. You’ll want to find
a sunny location for this cheerful plant.
10. Leucanthemum superbum
‘Sunny Side Up’ PP12837 Shasta Daisy
If you like compact Shasta daisies, you’ll
love Sunny Side Up. This breakfast-inthe-garden-looking plant is gorgeous
and blooms for about two months.
I love the unusual, large, yellow
center disk.
11. Gaura lindheimeri Karalee®
‘Petite Pink’
I’ve been planting Karalee® Petite Pink
in my containers for many years. In the
wind, the flowers look like fluttering
butterflies. The dark green leaves set
off the bright pink and magenta
flowers. This is a stunning, compact
plant that flowers month after month
without any additional care. If you’re in
USDA Zone 5 or higher, you are in luck
and can enjoy this pretty plant year
after year.
12. Geranium ‘Jolly Bee’ PP12,148
7. Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria Blue’
I grow Victoria Blue from seed every
year, and I still don’t have enough. I’m
at the nursery picking up annual plant
pack after plant pack, and mass planting in the many sunny areas of my
garden. A terrific performer, not
needing any trimming or fuss, it never
stops flowering from the time I plant in
May and June until fall.
8. Gladiolus callianthus ‘Murielae’
Peacock Orchid
I love gladiolus but hate staking them.
Murielae is a cousin of the gladiolus,
producing creamy white petals with a
burgundy-brown throat. Like the
Jolly Bee outperforms all other hardy
geraniums in my garden. I can count on
its dazzling bluish-lavender blooms
from July through frost. Its appearance
is mounding and floppy, but it fills in a
large garden space nicely. I can’t get
enough of this plant. It is a good thing
it divides easily.
13. Pelargonium hortorum
‘Indian Dunes’ Annual Geranium
If you take my container gardening
class, you’ll find Indian Dunes in many
of my pot designs. Long-blooming even
in fall when our temperatures dip into
the low 30s, this tender geranium is
best grown for its unusual foliage. The
January/February 2010
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wow! plants
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Above, clockwise from left: Helianthus annus ‘Teddy Bear’, Lysimachia congestiflora Walkabout Sunset®, Japanese Blood Grass, Sedum ‘Red Cauli’, Dianthus amurensis‘
It’s Officially Summer (cont’d)
variegated leaf colors range from yellow
to chartreuse with a russet center. The
flower is reddish-orange. Its habit is
upright and trailing, making it flawless
for containers.
14. Lysimachia congestiflora
Walkabout Sunset®
If you are searching for tropical-looking
plants, then you will want to add
Walkabout Sunset to your garden or
container. The variegated yellow and
green leaves contrast nicely with the
yellow flowers with red centers.
Practically a paradise in a pot! It is a
great groundcover for the tropical
garden.
16. Monarda citriodora ‘Lambada’
A rather underused Monarda but
beautiful in a naturalized or cottage
garden, Lambada is grown in northern
climates as an annual. Its dramatic
pinkish-lavender flowers are stacked on
top of one another, usually four to six
clusters to a stem. It’s a rewarding and
unique addition to your garden.
17. Phlox paniculata
‘Orange Perfection’
The huge flower clusters, in a rare
orange with a hint of red, are
spectacular in my garden border from
mid to late summer. Although phlox
tends to have mildew problems, my
Orange Perfection is mildew free.
15. Lychnis arkwrightii ‘Vesuvius’
When I look out into my garden in early
summer, my eyes just can’t get past this
dwarf, blaring-orange plant. The dark,
purple-green leaves provide an
interesting background, showing off the
brilliant flowers. Blooming for about
one month (I wish it was longer), it’s
quite the garden showoff. You must try
this one!
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18. Dianthus amurensis
‘Siberian Blues’
Blooming almost all summer, Siberian
Blues is loaded with fringed flowers.
Almost blue but closer to a deep purple,
this plant will fit in nicely on the
border’s edge or in a rock garden. I like
the bushy, bluish-green foliage. And yes,
it’s from Siberia, so it will overwinter
well.
19. Helianthus annus
‘Teddy Bear’
If you are looking for a short, 2-foot-tall
sunflower, this is the plant for you.
Loads of fuzzy 4-inch yellow flowers—
I’ve counted as many as 12 on a stem—
make this a garden eye-catcher. Flowers
last a long time for a sunflower, but
leave them attached. The goldfinches
will appreciate the seed!
20. Eryngium maritimum
‘Sapphire Blue’ Sea Holly
Here’s another unique plant that starts
blooming around July 1 and continues
for more than two months. Its steelblue flowers with spiky bracts resemble
thistle, but only close up. From a
distance, you just see this sea of blue
beauty. You’ll get loads of admirers
asking, “What is that beautiful plant?”
Siberian
amurensis‘
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Siberian Blue’ and (inset) Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Kopper King’.
Grand Finale
21. Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Kopper King’
I like leaf and flower contrast, and
Kopper King is truly spectacular. Even
before the 6-inch pale pink blooms
show up in late summer, the bronze
foliage is a wonderful stand-alone plant.
Pinch back the plant in early summer so
the stems can support the flower load.
24. Symphyotrichum ‘Wood’s Blue’
Aster
A woodland native, Wood’s Blue will
produce masses of blue-violet, daisylike
flowers with a yellow center. Place it in
full sun for an outstanding, butterflyattracting display.
When a plant reliably works,
is a great performer, and
impresses me time after time,
I stick with it.
25. Brassica oleracea ‘Redbor’
22. Japanese Blood Grass
Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’
During the early summer months, Red
Baron looks like a typical ankle-high
grass. Mid to late summer, the upper
half of each blade turns a bright
autumn-red, which gets even darker in
the fall. Even though it sells as a zone 5
plant, I have had this grass in my zone 4
garden for over six years.
Redbor’s best characteristics include its
curled edible leaves, chunky texture,
deep purple color, and ability to
withstand freezing temperatures.
An excellent garden design plant,
Redbor is a must-have for any northern
garden. Enjoy all the compliments.
23. Sedum telephium ‘Red Cauli’ PPAF
Add all 25 to your northern garden,
and you will enjoy season-long color.
Eventually these will become your
must-haves, too.
I like the color combination: blue-green
foliage tinted with purple, and sitting
on top are raspberry-colored flower
clusters. It’s fantastic because it sits
upright and doesn’t flop like some
sedums.
Master Gardener and professional
photographer Michelle Mero Riedel
gardens in Washington County. She
teaches the popular MSHS class on winter
sowing.
More Favorites
Enroll in Michelle Mero Riedel’s class
“Must Have, Can’t Live Without Annuals
and Perennials” to be held March 16 at
MSHS. In addition to the plants covered in
this article, she’ll share 50 more plants
that look fantastic all season.
—Vicky Vogels
January/February 2010
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