Perennial Links
Background perennials. The tallest growing perennials, to be used at the extreme back, give height and dignity to the border. They should be used in-groups of from one to a dozen, depending upon the size and length of the border. In a very small border one each may be sufficient, but ordinarily a group of two or three is necessary.
Althaea rosea
Artemisia vulgaris lactiflora
Aster tataricus
Bocconia cordata
Boltonia asteroides
Delphinium
Helenium. autumnale Riverton Gem
Helianthus maximiliani
Helianthus orgyalis
Heliopsis scabra
Heliopsis pitcheriana
Liatris pychnostachya
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Hollyhock
White mugwort
Aster
Plumepoppy
White boltonia
Larkspur
Common sneezeweed
Sunflower
Sunflower
Hellopsis
Pitcher heliopsis
Cattail gayfeather
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Foliage effects. Any one variety of perennial, with very few, exceptions, can be expected to bloom for a period of but a few weeks. Consequently, we must concern ourselves with the appearance of that particular variety after blooming. Does the plant, after the flowers have been cut off, maintain its foliage in good condition, or does it, like Oriental poppy, die to the ground and disappear by midsummer? A sufficient number of good foliage perennials are necessary in each border to maintain a foliage effect in the border throughout the season. Incidentally, large amounts of green foliage tend to absorb the brilliant flower colors, and if undesirable combinations exist, will lessen the harshness of the color clashes. A few plants that have foliage effect after blooming are:
Anemone japonica
Baptisia australis
Clematis recta
Dicentra eximia
Dictamnus albus
Iris (tall bearded)
Hemerocallis
Hosta plantaginea
Hosta lanceolata
Iris siberica
Paeonia
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Japanese anemone
Blue wild-indigo
Clematis
Fringed bleedingheart
White gasplant
Iris
Daylily
White plantainfily
Plantainlify
Siberian iris
Peony
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Also consider in this association the low-growing groundcover plants.
Some plants with colored foliage will give much the same color effects as the bloom. For the front of the border you may use Festuca glauca, lavender, Santolina, Nepeta mussini, Cerastiurn tomentesum, Alyssurn saxatile, Stachys lanata, Ruta graveolens and Veronica incana, all of gray tones.
Accents in the border. To relieve the monotony of uniform height among the flowers select a few plants -of a taller type such as:
Bocconia
Campanula pyramidalis
Helianthus orgyalis
Iris siberica
Liatris
Lilium henryi
Lilium. tigrinurn
Verbascum olympicum
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Plumepoppy
Chirnney bellflower
Sunflower
Siberian iris
Gayfeather
Henry lily
Tiger lily
Purple mullein
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Low-growing | Taller-growing | Background | Foliage effects | Continuous bloom | Cutting Garden | Among the Shrubs | Shady | Rock Garden | Naturalized |
