Perennial show-offs - Special Issue: Spring-Summer 1994 Garden Guide

Annuals or perennials? It's a hare-and-tortoise question, and the answer, for many gardeners, is much the same as the one in the fable--annuals are good for the short run, but for staying power perennials are the undisputed winners.

Choose the right mix of perennials, and you'll have bloom for a season or longer.

Here are 10 of our favorites for showy, reliable summer bloom. Most grow in all climate zones included in the Sunset Western Garden Book. Many are sold in gallon cans; transplant them as shown in the drawing below.

Blanket flower (Gaillardia grandiflora). Red and yellow daisy flowers top 2- to 4-foot plants. Several strains and varieties are available; 'Goblin' is compact (to 1 foot), with deep red flowers bordered by bright yellow.

Catmint (Nepeta faassenii). Tiny lavender flowers form along branch tips of plants 1 to 2 feet tall with fragrant gray-green leaves. Flowers come in early summer; shear for repeat bloom. 'Six Hills Giant' and 'Snowflake' are especially showy.

Coreopsis grandiflora. Golden yellow blooms 1 1/2 to 2 inches across appear all summer on long stems above 1- to 2-foot plants. 'Sunburst' has semidouble flowers.

Delphinium (D. elatum). Dramatic tall stems make for excellent cut flowers. Pacific Coast Hybrids reach 8 feet. Choices include 'Summer Skies' (light blue) and 'Galahad' (white). Medium-height strains include Blue Fountains, Blue Springs, and Magic Fountains. Grows in zones 1-10, 14-24; in hot-summer areas, grow it as an annual.

Evening primrose (Oenothera). Care-free plants have abundant broad-petaled flowers. O. berlandieri (rose pink) blooms during the day; yellow blooms of O. missourensis open in the evening. O. b. 'Siskiyou' (light pink) is a compact variety.

Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri). Crepe-papery white flowers up to 9 inches across grow atop 8-foot stems. Leaves are gray-green. Cut back in late fall.

Penstemon. Tubular flowers distinguish this diverse group of more than 250 species, from mat-forming alpines to plants 2 to 4 feet tall. Showiest include P. gloxinioides (pink to purple) and P. heterophyllus purdyi 'Blue Bedder'; among the hybrids, 'Firebird' (red), 'Huntington Pink', and 'Midnight' (purple) stand out. In the desert, try P. parryi (pink) or P. eatonii (red). Zones vary with species. Plant in light shade inland.

Pincushion flower (Scabiosa caucasica). Long-stemmed blue to bluish lavender or white flowers 2 1/2 to 3 inches across have tufted centers like pincushions. Blooms June to frost. Annual S. atropurpurea persists as a perennial in mild climates.

Salvia. Dozens of diverse plants with flowers from white to pink, blue, and scarlet. Foliage is often aromatic. S. chamaedryoides (true blue flowers, gray-green leaves) grows 2 1/2 feet tall, 5 feet across; S. clevelandii (lavender blue flowers, gray-green leaves) to 4 feet; S. greggii (red, purple, pink, or violet) to 4 feet; S. leucantha (velvety purple or deep rose spikes) to 4 feet; and S. uliginosa (sky blue) to 6 feet. Zones vary with species.

Yarrow (Achillea). Profusely blooming plants 4 inches to 5 feet tall produce flowers that grow in flattish clusters. Aromatic leaves are gray to green. Hybrids of A. millefolium and A. taygetea (Debutante, Galaxy series, Summer Pastels) bear flowers from creamy pastels to vivid colors on 2-foot stems. 'Moonshine' bears yellow flowers, silvery leaves.

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COPYRIGHT 1994 Sunset Publishing Corp.
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