Annuals seem to get a lot of attention so in order to show perennials some love too we have selected our top 5 perennials for the year. We have grown many of these perennials for years and we know some these are our customers’ favorites too. We would love for you to share your favorite perennials of the year so please add your comments to our blog post or share them with us on the Blooming Secrets Facebook Page.
Helenium is number 5 on the Blooming Secrets list of favorite summer perennials. We discovered this perennial several years ago when we were looking for a flower that could tolerate wet soil conditions and this plant does not disappoint! Its daisy-like flowers add color to a late-season garden with bright yellow (Our personal favorite), brown and mahogany blossoms along with yellow or brown centers. These plants are native to North America, are easy to care for and are beneficial to pollinators. Heleniums start to bloom in June or early July and will go on flowering right through the fall provided you dead head regularly.
In the #4 spot is Hardy Hibiscus also known as Rose Mallow. We love the large colorful blooms of this plant; a real show stopper! Our plants have white blooms but they come in shades of pink and red too. We enjoy the tropical feel they add to our garden and while they may look and sound exotic they are really easy to grow. Perennial Hibiscus is usually one of the last perennials to break dormancy in the spring so don’t be worried if you don’t see them right away. With proper care, these plants will produce beautiful blooms summer after summer.
Number 3 on our Blooming Secrets top 5 perennials is Astilbe. Astilbe was probably one of the first perennials that we ever planted more than 30 years ago and they are a great choice for adding color to in areas where you don’t have a lot of sun. They bloom in the late spring and early summer with feathery white, red, lavender or pink flowers. Even after they finish flowering their fern-like foliage is quite attractive and they are oh so easy-to-grow.
Coreopsis Moonbeam is #2 on our Blooming Secrets list of the 5 best perennials and is a past Perennial Plant Association of the year winner. These yellow daisy-like flowers are a real standout and this plant is a mainstay in the hot and dry areas of our garden. The flowers are deer resistant and can bloom for several months. This plant is great for both beginners and more advanced gardeners.
Our top perennial for the year, are you ready for our #1 choice? It is the Karl Rosenfield Peony. This beautiful Peony has bright red double flowers suspended above its glossy green foliage. They make a great early season rear of the border candidate and while the flowers do need staking their beauty makes that task worthwhile. Peonies are an old-fashioned favorite that never go out of style!
