e red, pink and white, a must.
Liatris-Blazing Star white
July and August are months that are sit back and enjoy the garden and this is possible if you did all your spring work as needed but some times it difficult. The perennial Liatris "Blazing Star" white is a very useful plant that comes into bloom 'without 'your help or care. It's actually a bulb that will spread rapidly if you have good soil and feed the regularly. Each bulb can make five new bulbs in just 3 years. The Liatris is often confused with the Loosestrife plant that chokes our wetlands every summer. This plant is safe to grow in your garden and not evasive. The Liatris is a rugged winter hardy plant that will do well in full sun to partial shade. The flowers develop on long thick stems that are covered with hundreds of buds that open slowly from top to bottom over several weeks. The flowers make the stem appear as if they are covered with a soft cottony material. The plant will attract butterflies all the time its in bloom and it makes a wonderful cut flower. Plant the bulbs or a starter plant in the spring is recommended. The richer your soil the better and larger the flower spikes will be.
When spring arrives the one plant that announces to me: "that spring is here" "that spring is here" is the "Bleeding Heart". If you're looking for elegance in your perennial garden, a plant that is spectacular, look no further than the "Bleeding Heart". This plant is necessary for the shady garden but it will do well with half a day of sun. The foliage softens such shade plants as hosta and daylilies making a beautiful combination. The flowers appear on long curved stems that contain 12 or more flowers each. The bloom resembles a tiny heart that breaks open at the bottom to reveal a tear like petal. The pink variety has a white tear. The plant grows 2 to 3 feet tall and flourishes best in a rich fertile soil and lives longer especially in cool climates. The Bleeding Heart forms a clump that expands quickly and the clump can be divided after the third season. You must have this plant somewhere on your property.
"Lily of the Valley"
If you have a woodsy or natural garden, you must plant the "Lily of the Valley" this spring. This perennial spreads quickly and its tiny bell like flowers will excite any gardener. The plant grows 6 to 8 inches tall and the flowers come from the center of the plant on a tall rigid stem. Each flower stem contains 10 to 12 flowers that last for 2 to 3 weeks outside or 10 days + as a cut flower. The flowers are fragrant and as it fades it makes a seed pod full of seed that disperses them as they mature to spread in your garden. The "Lily of the Valley" makes a good ground cover under tall trees because they grow best in a rich soil with many leaf mold/humus. Plants flower only when they are 2 years old, so you may not have flowers the first year. Plants also force easily during the winter when potted in the fall. If you have shade, this plant is necessary.
Gardening in the shade can be difficult if you don't know your plants, there is one plant you should know and it is called Solomon's Seal. The plant is graceful, erect, and its arching stems carry clusters of bell shaped flowers. The flower is creamy white with a green tip and as the buds open one at a time, the green color is kept on the inside of the bell shaped flower. Groups of flower buds develop where the leaf is attached to the stem and flowers hang down. Sometimes the plant will make seeds that resemble blue-black berries during the summer. If your soil is rich in humus or organic matter, it will spread with underground stems called rhizomes. It will grow best in full to partial shade and most of us have a spot like that on our property. I like this plant and I am sure you will also because it's easy to grow and has no bugs or disease problems. Solomon's Seal will flower in the late spring and bloom for several weeks. It also makes a unique cut flower for your table.
A wonderful and easy to care for perennial is the Echinacea "White Swan", a white coneflower and this perennial blooms 