The Best Plant Of Your Garden

Perennials with Purple, Red, or Bronze Foliage

LILYTURF

Ideal for ground cover, the low, evergreen tufts of narrow, leathery, blackish purple leaves form patches in time. It has slender purple-white flower sprays in summer.

NEW ZEALAND FLAX

This flax has stout clumps of evergreen, arching, strap-shaped, leathery leaves, impressively striped red, orange, and pink on a bronze-purple background.

LESSER CELANDINE

The small rosettes or patches of long- stalked, heart-shaped, glossy, chocolate- brown leaves are an ideal backing for the shining, golden yellow flowers in spring.

RODGERSIA

Bronze-red when young, the large clumps of long-stalked, deeply divided and lobed leaves color red again in autumn. White flower plumes are borne in summer. 

ICE PLANT

From late summer into autumn, flattened heads of starry pink flowers rise on stout, fleshy, purple-red stems above the robust clumps of fleshy, bloomy purple leaves.

ICE PLANT

One-of the best of the low-growing purple' sedums, it has fleshy, trailing or lax stems, bloomy foliage, and flattened pink flower- heads in late summer and autumn.

Perfect Plant For Perfect Place

Perennials with Deep-cut or jagged Leaves

THE NUMBER OF PERENNIALS with bold, entire leaves has led to an increase in demand for plants that have deeply cut, divided, or jaggedly cut foliage to use with them as a contrast. Fortunately, their number and variety are great, and many of them also have the added advantage of attractive flowers.

RODGERSIA

All rodgersias sport handsome foliage, but this one is particularly desirable. It has large, horse-chestnut-like leaves, and pink or white flower plumes in summer.

ASTILBE

One of the smallest and daintiest astilbes, forming hummocks of ferny, glossy, dark green leaves, and neat little plumes of pinkish red flowers in late summer.  

INCARVILLEA

Already attractive with its clump of bold, deeply divided, dark green leaves, this plant really catches the eye in summer when its rose-pink trumpet-flowers open.

BUGBANE

The loose clumps of large, much-divided, dark green to purplish leaves are topped during autumn by long, cylindrical, dark- stemmed racemes of tiny white flowers.

LIGULARIA

Easily recognized, this robust perennial develops large clumps of rounded, sharply divided, deep-cut leaves. Dark-stemmed spires of yellow flowers open in summer. 

CHINESE RAGWORT

The creeping rootstock produces stout, dark stems clothed in jaggedly cut leaves. In autumn, substantial, conical heads of yellow flowers emerge. It can be invasive.

Gardening With More Plants

Perennials with a Long Flowering Season

GIVEN THAT MOST GARDEN PERENNIALS, especially during spring, flower for a relatively limited period, it is natural that those with a more extended flowering season should be eagerly sought after by gardeners. These perennials usually bloom throughout summer or from summer into autumn, and will bring an element of continuity to the garden.

MASTERWORT

Clusters of tiny flowers, surrounded by large, jagged, green-tipped white bracts, open on branching stems in summer. The deeply cut leaves form bold clumps.     

       

DICENTRA

A creeping perennial forming clumps of divided, fern-like, blue-grey leaves. Sprays of locket-shaped, pendent, deep pink flowers emerge from spring to summer.

MAIDEN PINK

This reliable pink bears dark-eyed, white, pink, or red flowers throughout summer, above mats of slender, narrow-leaved stems. Thrives on well-drained soil.  

     

EPILOBIUM

During summer, the clumps of arching stems, densely clothed in semi-evergreen leaves, bear creamy white or pink-tinted flowers. Prefers a site in cool, damp shade.

'Russell Prichard'

Ideal for ground cover, this low-grower has trailing stems clothed in neatly lobed, sharp-toothed, grey-green leaves. Deep magenta flowers appear in summer.          

GEUM

Flowering freely throughout summer, this perennial produces semi-double, brilliant scarlet flowers on branched stems, above clumps of softly-hairy, fresh green foliage.

All The Basics About Perennial Plants

LOW-ALLERGEN PERENNIALS

`Duchesse de Nemours'

The large, fragrant, double white flowers of this strong-growing peony have yellow- based inner petals. Flushed green in bud, the blooms open in early summer.

CHECKERBLOOM

During summer, the clumps of erect, leafy stems bear loose racemes of clear rose- pink mallow-flowers. The stem leaves are deeply lobed, the basal ones less so.

HORNED VIOLET

An excellent and reliable small perennial with a low-spreading, slightly bushy habit and lightly scented, lilac-blue to violet flowers in late spring and summer.  

         

ARMENIAN CRANESBILL

Fantastic in flower, this striking cranes bill sends up a mound of dense, leafy stems, which are covered throughout summer with bright magenta, black-eyed blooms.  

       

Andenken an Friedrich Hahn'

Also known as P 'Garnet', this is probably the most reliable perennial penstemon. Its deep red flowers are produced on strong, leafy stems from midsummer onwards. 

PLANTAIN  LILY

One of the most striking hostas, forming clumps of lance-shaped, strongly veined, blue-green leaves. It bears bell-shaped, lavender-blue flowers in summer.

SPIKED SPEEDWELL

The dense spikes of purple-blue flowers, borne throughout summer, are in striking contrast to the densely silver-hairy stems and mat of silvery foliage beneath.  

Gardening With Perennial Plants

 OTHER PERENNIALS FOR ROCK GARDENS AND SCREES

CRANESBILL

A neat little perennial, producing a loose hummock of small, grey-green leaves, and purplish red flowers with dark veins and eyes over a long period in summer. 

               

ALPINE OXALIS

The tuft of deeply divided, greyish green leaves is accompanied during spring by funnel-shaped, purplish pink flowers with pale centers and dark throats.

ROSCOEA

Appearing in late spring, this gorgeous perennial produces a small clump of erect, leafy stems, which bear loose spikes of large, pale yellow, orchid-like flowers. 

AUTUMN GENTIAN

One of the most famous and spectacular autumn-flowering gentians, with an over- wintering mat of trailing, leafy stems and upturned, deep blue trumpet flowers. 

ALPINE GYPSOPHILA

Also known as 'Pink Beauty', as the semi- evergreen mat of slender, bluish green stems and leaves is smothered for many weeks in summer by tiny pink flowers.

Tips And Ideas For Perennial Plants Gardening

BULBS FOR DRY SOIL IN SUN

TRITELIA

Like a white-flowered ornamental onion without the smell, this very attractive and reliable bulb produces umbels of starry flowers on slender stems in early summer.

TULIP

One of the most reliable and lovely small tulip species, producing a rosette of glossy, narrow leaves, and bearing star-shaped yellow, white-tipped flowers in spring.

WHISTLING JACKS

Reliable and easy to grow, this robust plant quickly forms a clump, then a patch, of leafy stems that sport bold spikes of vivid magenta flowers during summer. 

FOXTAIL LILY

Although not strictly a bulb, this perennial has a divided, fleshy crown that produces a cluster of strap-like leaves, and tall spires of starry yellow flowers in summer.    

     

WIDOW IRI

This sombre but charming iris relative has narrow, grassy leaves, which are joined by green or greenish yellow flowers in spring. The outer petals have blackish brown tips.

SCILLA

The basal rosettes of broad, strap-shaped, fleshy green leaves are topped, during late spring, by striking, large, conical heads of small, star-shaped blue flowers.

LADY TULIP

A beautiful tulip of slender, elegant poise. It produces narrow grey leaves and white spring flowers with dark crimson eyes and pinkish crimson backs to the outer petals.

Useful Information About Perennial Plants Gardening

Medium to Tall Perennials for Heavy Clay Soil

MANY OF THE MORE ROBUST perennials are tolerant of heavy clay soils. Some have densely fibrous rootstocks, others are deep-rooted, allowing them to survive so long as their site is not waterlogged. The following perennials, all 1-2m (3—oft) tall, will do even better in these conditions if drainage can be improved by adding coarse grit and compost.

GOATSBEARD

An impressive perennial forming a bold clump of large, much-divided, fern-like leaves, with equally attractive plumes of frothy, creamy white summer flowers. 

BUGBANE

A handsome perennial with tall, branched spikes of tiny white flowers that rise over the large, bold clumps of deeply divided,  fern-like leaves during autumn.

DELPHINIUM

No perennial border on clay soil should be without a delphinium. This one produces neat, semi-double, light violet flowers, with fawn-colored eyes, in summer.

MONKSHOOD

This stout perennial has deeply divided, sharply toothed; dark green leaves and bears branched heads of helmet-shaped, blue and white flowers during summer. 

CENTAUREA

Throughout summer, large, chunky heads of golden yellow cornflowers, with shiny brown bracts, top the erect, leafy stems of this striking, clump-forming perennial.

Atropurpureum

The domed heads of pink-purple flowers, loved by butterflies and bees, are borne by stout, erect clumps of purplish, tall, leafy stems in summer and autumn.