Eagle Lake Nurseries Gardening Tips

August 2004

Top Five Perennial Plants for the Garden Border

The perennial border provides the finishing touch to a larger grouping of perennials, shrubs and trees in the landscape background. Installments of edging plants placed in specific areas of your garden can add the color "WOW" to each gardening season. In a more practical sense, these plantings act as a living mulch, covering areas where weed seeds may germinate.

Take the opportunity to make a statement with these five little perennial gems.

  • Purple Rockcress
    Aubrieta deltoidea - Height: 15cm, Spread: 60 cm, Sun to partial shade Enjoy one of the first perennials to bloom in spring. The profuse purple blooms are a welcome sight after a long cold winter. Purple Rockcress looks impressive combined with tulips and other spring flowering bulbs.
  • Coralbells
    Heuchera sp. -Height: 20-60cm, Spread 30-45cm The color hues and textures of the coralbell add sharp contrast to the colors of hosta, lungwort and other shade loving perennials and shrubs. Collect them all and enjoy the charming purple, silver purple and metallic bronze foliage various to each species.

    Recommended species:
    Heuchera 'Palace Purple'- Dark purple foliage
    Heuchera 'Pewter Veil'- Dark veining on silver purple foliage.
  • Rock Soapwort
    Saponaria ocymoides - Height: 10-15cm, Spread: 45 cm, Sun to partial shade.
    In late spring, the rock soapwort is completely covered in a carpet of pink flowers.
    Expect neighbors to enquire about this one when in bloom in your garden.
  • Cranesbill Geranium
    Geranium cinereum 'Ballerina'- Height: 15cm, Spread: 30 cm, Sun to partial shade. Beautiful Lilac pink flowers with purple veins adorn the silvery green foliage.

    Geranium sanguineum -Height: 30cm, Spread: 30-60 cm, Sun to partial shade. This is a very vigorous perennial, forming a neat dense clump. Flowers are a striking deep pink. The bloodred cranesbill flowers in summer with repeat blooms through fall.
  • Maiden Pinks
    Dianthus deltoides 'Flashing Lights' -Height: 30cm, Spread: 40-60 cm, Sun
    Intense pink flowers in summer.

    Dianthus deltoides 'Zing Rose'- Height: 30cm, Spread: 40-50cm, Sun Brilliant single red flowers in summer.
    Jennifer Seafoot
    Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd.


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