There’s a difference between seeing a perennial in a nursery pot and seeing what it can do in the landscape. At Walters Gardens in Zeeland, MI, visitors to the 2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour had plenty of opportunities to experience the latter. The family-owned wholesale grower, home of Proven Winners Perennials, maintains extensive display gardens featuring more than 1,000 labeled varieties. Recent garden renovations and dedicated comparison areas for hostas, daylilies, and hardy hibiscus offered a closer look at established favorites and newer introductions. Here’s what caught my attention!
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
The brilliant blue blooms of Agapanthus ‘Cosmic Blue’ rise above the deep burgundy foliage of Astilbe ‘Runaround’. It's a striking pairing that makes the most of contrasting flower color and foliage.
All images courtesy of Marisa Reyes
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
Kniphofia ‘Papaya Popsicle’ lives up to its name with fiery red-orange flower spikes that fade to golden yellow at their tips. Its compact, grassy foliage makes those bright blooms stand out even more.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
Sedum Rock 'N Grow ‘Bundle of Joy’ spills over the edge of a retaining wall at Walters Gardens, showing off its low, rounded habit. The developing flower buds will eventually cover each mound in a blanket of white.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
A beautiful example of how plants of different sizes can complement each other in the landscape. The soft pink flowers of Allium ‘Pincushion’ fill the foreground, while Hibiscus ‘Edge of Night’ adds height and bold color behind them.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
A wooden pergola provides a beautiful focal point in the display gardens at Walters Gardens. The surrounding plantings show how perennials can be used to create an inviting garden space.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
Few plants make a statement in the shade quite like hostas, and Walters Gardens had no shortage of them! Large sweeps of blue-green, gold and variegated foliage demonstrated how much visual interest can come from leaves alone.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
Eucomis ‘Princess Bride’ adds an unexpected tropical touch to the perennial garden. Also known as pineapple lily, this variety produces unusual flower spikes above a mound of broad, arching foliage.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
The golden-chartreuse foliage of Penstemon ‘Golden Gala’ is beautiful on its own, but the delicate lavender-pink flowers add another layer of interest. Even when it isn't blooming, that foliage could brighten a perennial border.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
Heliopsis ‘Forged in Fire’ lives up to its fiery name with masses of golden-yellow flowers and burnt-orange centers. The coloring changes as the blooms mature, giving this planting a wonderful mix of warm shades.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
Kniphofia ‘High Roller’ takes the red-hot poker look to new heights. Tall flower spikes open from coral-orange buds to creamy white blooms, creating a beautiful two-toned effect.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
It's hard to overlook Delosperma ‘Neon Flame’! Brilliant magenta-red flowers with bright centers rise just above a dense carpet of succulent foliage, making this a striking option for the front of a sunny border.
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2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour: Walters Gardens
Talk about a showstopper! Hibiscus ‘Fantasy Twirl’, a new introduction for 2027, features enormous flowers with vivid pink edges that blend into white around a deep red eye. The coloring almost looks hand-painted.
