18 Perennials To Spice Up Your Crop Mix [Slideshow]
Long bloom times and multi-season interest are just two of the reasons you won’t want to miss out on growing these 17 varieties next year.
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Achillea ‘Moon Dust Novaachdus’ (Star Roses And Plants)
This is a great new compact yarrow for the garden. At half the size of its parent, Moonshine, it is a soft yellow color that blends well with other colors in the garden.
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Agapanthus ‘Blue Fountain’ (Plant Development)
With its deep blue coloring and dwarf size, 'Blue Fountain' is perfect for patio containers. It tolerates near coastal conditions, frost and neglect. Blooms bear uniform heads of rich blue flowers that have a darker mid-stripe on each petal. Mature ‘Blue Fountain’ takes full sun to part shade and is hardy in Zones 8 to 10.
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Barberry ‘First Editions Toscana’ (Bailey Nursery)
‘First Editions Toscana’ has large, showy foliage that emerges red in spring with a fine yellow margin, which eventually fades. The foliage darkens in autumn, taking on burgundy tones.
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Begonia ‘T Rex St. Nick’ (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Begonia ‘T Rex St. Nick’ has a dense, shrubby habit that is full of emerald green leaves with a red center and white polka dots. It grows to an average size of 16-inches high and 16-inches wide with a 16-inch flower height.
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Blueberry ‘BrazelBerries Pink Icing’ (Fall Creek Farm And Nursery)
‘BrazelBerries Pink Icing’ has spring foliage with varying shades of pink mixed with blue and deeper greens. In winter, the foliage takes on an iridescent turquoise-blue hue. Pink Icing will grow 3 to 4 feet tall with a slightly spreading habit. Hardy in Zones 5 to 10.
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Hydrangea ‘Invincibelle Spirit II’ (Spring Meadow Nursery)
With significantly better flower color, stem strength and container presentation, ‘Invincibelle Spirit II’ hydrangea is a strong rebloomer and can be cycle-pruned. One dollar per plant sold is donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Hardy to Zone 3.
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Hydrangea ‘L.A. Dreamin’ (Ball Ornamentals)
Hydrangea ‘L.A. Dreamin’ gives you pink and blue flowers — and all colors in between — on the same plant. Get that desirable blue color for your mophead hydrangea without any special fertilizer or aluminum sulfate. It reblooms during the summer, too. This multi-color showstopper is reliably hardy.
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Ligstrum 'Sunshine' (Plant Development)
‘Sunshine’ performs well in full sun. It is ideal as a low-growing hedge and is fast-growing in the landscape. This sterile cultivar will not re-seed into the landscape. Sunshine is hardy from Zones 5 to 9 and takes full sun.
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Lobelia ‘Starship Scarlet’ (Kieft Seed)
Lobelia ‘Starship Scarlet’ is a summer-flowering perennial that is a showy, mid-height plant covered with masses of deep red flowers. These sturdy plants are low maintenance, grow in full to partial sun and prefer heat and humidity. Grow it from 5-inch pots to 2-gallon containers or in annual and perennial combos. Hardy in Zones 6 to 10.
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Lonicera ‘Scentsation’ (Four Star Greenhouse)
This big, beautiful honeysuckle vine features showy, fragrant yellow flowers that bloom from mid-spring to late summer, followed by bright red berries. Scentsation trains well up a trellis or fence, attracts birds and offers deer resistance.
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Nandina ‘Lemon-Lime’ (Plants Nouveau)
‘Lemon-Lime’ is one of the first heavenly bamboos with lime green foliage. In spring, new growth emerges a bright, limey chartreuse and then fades to grass green as the summer heats up. Hardy in Zones 6 to 9.
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Perovskia ‘Rocketman’ (Walters Gardens)
‘Rocketman’ has stiff, upright stems and a shorter height overall compared to older varieties. Its silvery green foliage is topped with large, fluffy textured, lavender blue flowers from mid-summer into fall. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
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Rosa ‘Easy Elegance Screaming Neon Red’ (Bailey Nursery)
‘Easy Elegance Screaming Neon Red’ boasts intense color and is sure to be a standout in any garden. This compact root rose has vibrant flower power and repeat blooms throughout the season.
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Salvia ‘Blue Marvel’ (Darwin Perennials)
‘Blue Marvel’ is ideal for positioning as a premium perennial for greater margin opportunity. Finish as a first-year-flowering perennial. No PGRs are needed to keep its compact shape. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
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Scilla ‘Caribbean Jewels Cayman’ (Golden State Bulb)
‘Caribbean Jewels Cayman’ has violet buds that open to violet blooms with true-blue centers and striking yellow anthers. Compact, matte-green leaves cradle large umbels filled with blooms.
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Sunrosa Landscape Roses (Suntory Flowers)
Sunrosa roses offer superior disease resistance and a manageable growth habit. Two new colors, Fragrant Pink and Orange Delight, bring the series to five colors. Plants are covered with small blooms and reach a height of two feet with a spread of 18 inches.
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Trifolium ‘4 Luck Red Green’ (Michells)
4 Luck plants are excellent for use as hardy components in mixed containers with annuals or other perennials. Trifolium ‘4 Luck Red Green’ has been bred to develop four leaves per stem and is hardy to Zone 4.
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Veronica ‘Rocket Power’ (Beekenkamp)
Veronica ‘Rocket Power’ is an annualized perennial that does not need vernalization. It comes in dark blue and dark pink. Because the plants do not need cold, they can be grown like an annual inside or outside. They are perennials in Zone 6.
View all
Achillea ‘Moon Dust Novaachdus’ (Star Roses And Plants)
Agapanthus ‘Blue Fountain’ (Plant Development)
Barberry ‘First Editions Toscana’ (Bailey Nursery)
Begonia ‘T Rex St. Nick’ (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Blueberry ‘BrazelBerries Pink Icing’ (Fall Creek Farm And Nursery)
Hydrangea ‘Invincibelle Spirit II’ (Spring Meadow Nursery)
Hydrangea ‘L.A. Dreamin’ (Ball Ornamentals)
Ligstrum 'Sunshine' (Plant Development)
Lobelia ‘Starship Scarlet’ (Kieft Seed)
Lonicera ‘Scentsation’ (Four Star Greenhouse)
Nandina ‘Lemon-Lime’ (Plants Nouveau)
Perovskia ‘Rocketman’ (Walters Gardens)
Rosa ‘Easy Elegance Screaming Neon Red’ (Bailey Nursery)
Salvia ‘Blue Marvel’ (Darwin Perennials)
Scilla ‘Caribbean Jewels Cayman’ (Golden State Bulb)
Sunrosa Landscape Roses (Suntory Flowers)
Trifolium ‘4 Luck Red Green’ (Michells)
Veronica ‘Rocket Power’ (Beekenkamp)