Wildflowers: Iris Native to the Mid-Atlantic States
Karen Meyers Iris is a genus of 310 species and is in the plant family Iridaceae that also included gladiolus, crocus and freesia. The plants are all perennial and grow from rhizomes…
Genus Rock Cress (Arabis) for the Garden
Karen Arabis is a genus of herbaceous annuals and perennials and a member of the mustard family, Cruciferaceae, that also includes broccoli, radish, and stock. Although there are over 100 species…
Plant Combination: Brazilian Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) and Arkansas Blue Star (Amsonia hubrechtil)
A “see through” plant like Brazilian verbena creates a beautiful sight when paired with the delicate foliage of narrow leaf blue star. The action starts with the emergence of the…
Perennials with Fine Textured Foliage for Shade
When designing a garden shady areas present problems and many are best solved by the use of plants with handsome foliage to make up or the dearth of flowers. The…
Plants for Rain Gardens: Spring Blooming Native Perennials Wet Conditions
The moisture conditions in a rain garden vary and four regions can be identified: areas with 1. shallow water most of the time, 2.wet soil with occasional standing water, 3.…
Plant Profile: Hybrid Columbine (Aquilegia x hybrida)
Hybrid columbines are herbaceous perennials and members of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes monkshood, delphinium, and anemone. There are a large number of hybrid columbines and many are…
Genus: Armeria (Thrift) for the Garden
Thrifts are members of the plumbago family, Plumbaginaceae, that also includes leadwort (Ceratostigma) and statice (Limonium) . There are about fifty species but only a few are considered good garden…
Plant Combination: Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata) ‘Laura’ and Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ) ‘Goldsturm’
These two popular perennials combine to make an eye-catching combination in the mid- to late summer border. The billowing purple flower heads of ‘Laura’ provide contrast in shape, size and…
Amsonias (bluestars) for the Garden
Amsonias, also known as bluestars and dogbane, are subshrubs or perennials belonging to the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that also includes oleander, periwinkle, and mandevilla. Bluestars are native to North America…
Five Summer Blooming Perennials with White Flowers for the Rock Garden
There are many shades of white and there are flowers in almost all of them. Think about cream, antique white, pearl, chalk, and snow white. Each varies from the others…