New Flowering Perennials Add Pizzazz To Garden

(HIT) - There’s nothing like new flowering perennials to add "pizzazz" to a tired garden, according to David Salman, president and chief horticulturist of High Country Gardens.

"Adding new flowering plants each spring gives your garden a fresh and exciting new look," said Salman. "Flowering perennials not only offer colorful blooms and interesting foliage, but they’re less labor intensive because they flower year after year."

To invigorate your garden this spring, try these new flowering perennials from the High Country Gardens (1-800-925-9387, www.highcountrygardens.com):

Dwarf Silver-leaf Sage (Salvia daghestanica) is an Asian Salvia flowering perennial species that found its way to the United States via a Swedish botanic garden seed exchange. This Salvia is easy to grow, water thrifty, eye catching in and out of flower, and deer and rabbit resistant. The silvery white foliage creates a superb backdrop to the showy late spring-spikes of large clear blue flowers. A small, tidy grower that reaches 12-14 inches tall, Salvia daghestanica is perfect in perennial borders as an edging plant or as a complement to taller plants. It loves full sun and well-drained soil and is cold hardy in USDA zones 5-8.

‘Hot Spot Coral’ Hedgenettle (Stachys coccinea ‘Hot Spot Coral’) is a new flowering perennial cultivar of a spectacular but little-known southwestern wildflower. ‘Hot Spot Coral’ has a unique coral-red coloration, and it will bloom all summer with only occasional "deadheading." The 18-inch-tall flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds, and ‘Hot Spot Coral’ grows well in both full sun and part shade in all soil types except extremely sandy and heavy, wet clay soils. USDA zones 5 to 9.

Grand Mesa Beardtongue (Penstemon mensarum) is a beautiful flowering perennial Penstemon that has proven to be an excellent, long-lived garden perennial. The flowers are an intense cobalt blue, which are set off nicely by the glossy deep-green evergreen leaves. The sturdy 15-inch-tall bloom spikes appear in late spring and last 3-4 weeks, and they will grow more numerous each year. Penstemon mensarum grows easily in any well-drained garden soil in a hot, sunny location, and it is cold hardy in USDA zones 4-8.

High Country Gardens is a nationally recognized source for flowering perennials. To receive a free catalog call 1-800-925-9387, or view the entire catalog online at www.highcountrygardens.com.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center