Perennials: Plant of the Year in your garden?, 1 by taylordaylily

taylordaylily wrote:
I've had or have 14 of them.
Firewitch Dianthus needs good drainage or it rots. I have Shooting Star Dianthus and like it a lot better. The foliage stays tidier looking and it reblooms better than Firewitch. It's also less prone to rot.

Becky Shasta Daisy is a strong a stemmed Shasta that spreads to form a huge clump. It's been Hardy for me lasting for 5 years. Bananna Cream is a wonderful shorter Shasta Daisy, just for the record. I bought mine on clearance at Lowe's several years ago and divide it every Spring so I can have more of it. :-)

Palace Purple Coral Bells are old and a little tired. Lol That being said, I still have a few of them. I have found they hold up better in full sun than any of the other colored leaved coral bells. Silver Scrolls doesn't Me. Lol I've bought it 4 times and gave it a nice shady spot, it always dies over winter.
Butterfly Blue Scabiosa blooms all summer into Fall. It needs protection from hot afternoon sun here in Ohio to look it's best. Platycondon does better in all day full sun than Scabiosa.

Nepeta Walkers Low is a great all summer bloomer. I take a weed whacker to mine to deadhead it and 2 weeks later it's full of blooms again. I have Dropmore Blues also and love it as well. Their soft color helps blend other plants beautifully and gives a cool look to garden beds.

Baptisia Australis is wonderful, beautiful flowers then the seeds pods that follow are great. Mine has been doing great for 6 years. I'm trying to WS some seeds this year.

Coriopsis Moonbeam isn't my favorite. I like Zagreb better. Moonbeam was a little floppy in my garden. Zagreb never flops or disappoints.

Pennstemon Huskers Red didn't survive last winter here. My favorite Pennstemon is Calycosus. Pictured below. It's tough as nails and beautiful. It gets big, 3' tall and 4'wide, that is one plant at 3 years of age.

Salvia May Night is a great garden plant. I deadhead mine with a weed whacker. I've never found a Salvia I didn't like. ;-)

Veronica Sunny Border Blue is a awesome plant in my garden. They need moisture or their foliage will look a Hot Mess. Lol If you deadhead them they will bloom until they go dormant. I use the weed whacker on these too.

Echinacea Magnus isn't my favorite Echinacia really. I prefer Echinacea Pallidia or Paradoxa. I like the look of the double's but they aren't the best for butterfly food. Butterflies prefer single blooms over double blooms of any flower. All Echinacea's are great bird food.

Peroviska atriplicifolia is very floppy. It can be part of it's charm, if you plan for it's flop. I like plants that hang out with their neighbors and blend together.
Rudbeckia Goldstrum is cheerful and hardy.

Amsonia is beautiful when in bloom and the foliage looks great in Fall. If only Daylilies came in the same color blooms.
Phlox David hates my garden. Lol I can kill Phlox faster than anybody. I stopped torturing it several years ago. Sometimes you have to accept failure for the welfare of others. Lol

This is a interesting topic for a thread. Thanks Rouge21!