Perennial Picks for 2012

Everyone has a pet perennial they feel is essential to gardening success. All of "Jody's Perennial Picks" are chosen because they have outstanding characteristics or unique traits that qualify them to be "hand-picked" and grown by me, and then offered to you. Like most pet perennials they have to be attractive, carefree, and adaptable. I hope you will consider adding one (or more) of these plants to your garden. They may become your new pet perennials, too! Talk to any of us at Mill Hollow Nursery about your garden needs and we'll help you select the right plants for your garden space.

	GERANIUM 'ROZANNE' - O.K., I know this has been on my list for 4 years now but I just can't help myself, Geranium 'Rozanne' is truly an amazing perennial. It's huge, violet blue flowers keep blooming from late spring into late-fall. One vigorous plant will cover a 2-3 sq. foot area or can be cut back after the first bloom to keep it more compact. It requires no regular maintenance, is very heat tolerant and is deer resistant. It is not picky about soil type, has no serious disease or insect problems, and can be used in the garden or in a container. It prefers full sun but can tolerate part shade. A truly great plant!
	SEDUM 'LYNDA WINDSOR' -Many of you know I always offer low-growing sedum assortments and this year is no different but I thought I would add a "hard-to-find" upright sedum to the succulent line-up. 'Lynda Windsor' is the darkest sedum available. It has a beautiful violet underside with dark purple on top. The flowers are the deepest color of ruby-red and sharply contrast with the dark purple foliage making it a stunner in the garden! A low maintenance plant, this one grows to about 16 inches tall and has good upright form. As with all sedums 'Lynda Windsor' is drought tolerant and attracts butterflies.
	ECHINACEA 'HOT PAPAYA' - The unusual orange-red color and very double bloom of this coneflower make this plant a great choice for your borders. The fragrant flowers are unusually uniform in color and unlike other Echinaceas, do not fade. Excellent as a cut flower, they can have up to 10 large blooms open at any given time! Flower stems stay upright and sturdy reaching two to three feet in height. Echinacea's are very drought tolerant and deer resistant. They also attract butterflies and hummingbirds. This perennial is a real winner!
	AGASTACHE 'TANGO' - Many of my customers come looking for two things: something new and something easy to grow. This Agastache fits the bill!  Numerous, heavy flowering, fiery orange flower spikes characterize this new 2012 variety. Agastaches have everything I love in a perennial; aromatic flowers and foliage, stunning spikes of tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies, and they bloom from June to October! A compact variety growing only 14" tall, this one is great for containers or in the front of the garden bed. A hardy agastache for our Zone.
	HEUCHERAS - The richly colored leaves is the main reason why I love coral bell plants. When you add pretty, delicate blooms and the fact that most heucheras are evergreen and deer resistant, what you end up with is a "must-have" plant. Their blooms grow on spikes of delicate "bells" in shades of red, pink, white, and purple attracting hummingbirds. Widely adaptable to various soil types, coral bells can be used in shade to part sun and are equally spectacular in containers. I will be offering an assortment of unusual and hard-to-find coral bells because they are all so pretty and it's too hard to pick just one!
	DORONICUM 'LITTLE LEO' - Also known as Leopard's Bane, this uncommon perennial is the star of my garden in the spring when admiring customers come asking if I have it for sale (I finally got the hint). Its bright yellow daisy-like double flowers with dark green, heart-shaped leaves is one of the earliest blooming perennials. It can be planted in full shade to part sun and is adaptable to different soil types (it even loves clay!). It is deer and rabbit resistant, too.