The year in perennials
This year is far from over, but we have started to reach a point where we can finally take a breath and reflect a little on the season so far. On one hand, it was a very long year with countless obstacles. But on the other hand, I can’t believe that it’s September and we’re already fully immersed in planning for 2021. While we didn’t have a huge lineup of new perennials this year, there were still a lot of outstanding varieties that stood out above the rest.
The first perennials to really stand out for us this season were Helleborus ‘Ivory Prince’ and Pulsatilla vulgaris. With all the hellebore varieties there are to choose from, ‘Ivory Prince’ is certainly not the most exotic, but it is definitely the one that we have had the most reliable success with year after year. The one disappointing aspect of this plant is that it usually starts to bloom earlier than when our customers are ready to start bringing in perennials from us. There have been so many times that I have walked through the snow in February and March to get to the hellebore house in order to take pictures and appreciate the fact that spring is finally on its way. Another feature of this plant that I love is that the bracts remain attractive for weeks after the flowers are done blooming. Pulsatilla vulgaris is by no means a new perennial, but sometimes we get so caught up in all the new and exciting varieties of plants that it’s nice to appreciate some old favorites. When our crop of Pulsatilla first started to bud, I was not impressed: the plants were tiny and barely had foliage. But they soon filled out and I was amazed by the longevity of the blooms, as well as the almost otherworldly appearance of the flowers.
We almost didn’t plant any Veronica ‘Wizard of Ahhs’ this year, but I am so glad we did. This variety replaced ‘Hocus Pocus’ in the Proven Winners® Magic Show® series. It has a flawlessly clean and consistent habit, fills out in a matter of a few weeks, and is quickly covered with spikes of deep blue flowers. I was amazed when the crop we planted in mid-April was blooming by mid-June. This variety is definitely a keeper.
We also tried some Delphiniums from the Aurora™ series, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well they performed. We planted crops of Aurora™ Blue and Deep Purple in our heated house in February and outside in May. I thought it was interesting that the Purple tended to take about two weeks longer to fill out than the Blue, but were equally stunning once they caught up. Although this variety grows to over 3’ tall, the plants were surprisingly sturdy and held up well.
Of course, we have been raving about the Amazing Daisies® series of PW® Leucanthemum for years, but I really had an appreciation for ‘Banana Cream’ this summer. While Daisy May® tends to be more widely requested, ‘Banana Cream’ held up longer during the heat and humidity of summer. I was impressed by the extremely long bloom period and by the durability of the flowers, which remained clean and attractive for weeks.
I must admit that I didn’t have high expectations for Heuchera ‘Cherry Truffles’, part of the Dolce® series of Proven Winners®, because the crop we planted in 2019 was not successful. It took several months for these to fill out this season, but once they did, we were blown away by the size and texture. We haven’t had the opportunity to overwinter this variety yet, but if we have the same success with overwintering them as we have had with some of the others, I think this plant could become a staple for us.
We also received some sample plants to test out this year, and among them was the new PW® Heuchera variety ‘Toffee Tart’, an addition to the Dolce® series. It’s difficult to tell from our small group of samples how well these will perform, but I would welcome an alternative to ‘Caramel’, which is very prone to root rot issues. I am excited to plant an increased sample crop of these next year and watch them throughout the season. Another sample that really caught my eye was Phlox paniculata ‘Glamour Girl’. I was immediately drawn to the hot coral flowers; they are a shade of pink that I have not often seen and that is difficult to capture in a photo.
These are just a few of my personal favorites from this season. I think we all felt the absence of the trade shows and plant tours that had to be canceled this year, and we weren’t able to venture out far beyond our own nurseries to get a look at new and upcoming varieties. I would love to hear about some of your favorite perennials, old and new, that you were excited about this year.
