Need suggestions for a perennial that's great by the front walk

13 years ago

Hello!

We have a mixed bed along the front of our house along the sidewalk. There is a prominent spot right by the end of the sidewalk where I now have three perennial blue salvia. They are pretty when in flower, but after they bloom the foliage looks scrubby for the rest of the summer. If they were elsewhere in the garden, it wouldn't bother me - but in this spot I feel the need for something that's beautiful in bloom but also looks lush and full and leafy when it's not blooming. It's not a huge spot... something with a rounded shape that's perhaps 2-3' tall and wide would be perfect there. (Ideally I'd like something that would flower in late summer.)

Any suggestions?

Thank you!!

Tess

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Comments (13)

laceyvail 6A, WV
13 years ago
There are some new Coreopsis bred by the famous Epimedium man, Darrell Probst, that would work because they bloom all summer until frost and don't need deadheading. One of them is called 'Full Moon' and is a soft yellow. Another possibility for a more open, billowy look is one of the western Salvias that begin after the Salvias we are familiar with and bloom until frost. High Country Gardens carries them--try "Black Cherry', or 'Ultra Violet' or one of that type. (They must not be cut back in fall and they do need good drainage, but otherwise are very easy)
flora2b
13 years ago
What about an echinacea....is this a full sun location? Lots of newer varieties that are supposed to be very floriferous.
A perennial with variegated foliage and then flowers is always lovely (if you like variegation). A variegated Phlox comes to mind.
{{gwi:203422}}

Grasses always are a nice addition....earlier.....
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and later
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Do you have a picture of what else is in this bed to match things to?
Some of new hydrangeas while not a perennial are a nice addition.
Show us your final result.
Flora
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That is a pretty combination of plants assuming you are staying in a similar value of color pinks, white, purple, yellow. I might move my Spirea forward and have an evergreen as a back drop, as this whole area will be blank in the winter. Your phlox and daisies will block the Spirea so do them in clumps and use a smaller daylily along the edge. Hope that helps. Try John Fanick Phlox with your Spirea, In the fall you can fill your daylily area in with bulbs for the spring. Best of luck!
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I want to reiterate Marie's and Ken's praise for the width of your path as well as the depth of your front beds, both of which are in proportion to the house, though if it were mine, I would add depth along the back deck to make it deep enough to have perhaps three layers of plants (and knowing me, also along the octagonal porch as well.) In southern ME you will have acid soil like I do here in central NH, so there are a bunch of nice shrubs that will work for you, both evergreen and deciduous to give you the "bones" as GardenHoe suggested. Evergreen: Rhododendron spring flowers Mountain Laurel (Kalmia) spring flowers Bird's nest spruce dwarf forms of blue spruce smaller to medium forms of arborvitae/white cedar/Thuja occidentalis (not green giant!) which the deer haven't eaten in my garden, though it's an issue elsewhere You can also ask on the conifer forum for evergreen suggestions. IME, GH's suggestion of dwarf Alberta spruce isn't happy for long here - too disease prone Deciduous: Fothergilla (spring blooms and stunning fall color) variegated red-twigged dogwood Azaleas (spring or summer bloom, fall color) Hydrangea paniculata as jacquierz suggested, though choose the variety carefully. My Pinky Winky at 6 years is a monster (8' tall x 12' wide) so you want some of the varieties with 'little' in the name - Little Lime, Little Quickfire (starts blooming 4 weeks earlier than others and continues until hard freeze), Little Lamb, which will all be about 5'-6' tall or a few others that will stay even smaller such as Bobo. They are all fine in full sun in this part of the country and have blooms when many plants don't and mine have been fine without additional water this summer even though there have been some long dry spells. I do use mulch to retain moisture. (It's H. arborescens and H. macrophylla that likes some shade, and 'Twist and Shout' is the only H. macrophylla I would recommend of the several I've tried if you have morning sun somewhere or any of the H arborescens that appeal to you in the same 1/2 day morning sun. My H arborescens Annabelle suckers, so if you use it take that into account) Many varieties of Viburnum would work, but choose a type that is resistent to Viburnum beetles since they are around. smaller lilacs Physocarpus/ninebark, especially one of the smaller ones like Tiny Wine IME two of the suggestions further up this thread, butterfly bush and anything but the hardiest selection of the native form of redbud won't survive more than a couple of years here before they succumb to our winters. For perennials, some of my favorites in your color range include Caryopteris divaricata 'Snow Fairy', with variegated green/white leaves Aster 'Lady in Black' along with many other hardy asters in various shades of purple/blue, dark pink, and white fall Clematis, particularly the summer blooming varieties, the type 3 (hard) pruners including 'Venosa Violacea', 'Arabella', 'Betty Corning', 'Little Bas', 'John Huxtable', and 'Juuli' as well as 'Piilu', a type 2 (light) prune after blooming many groundcover dianthus in shades of pink and/or white, including 'Brilliancy' and 'Greystone' spring or spring and summer Nepeta/catmint spring into summer Some of the easy care, hardy roses, including John Davis rose and others in the Canadian Explorer series. all season Baptisia spring with nice summer foliage Iris, particularly the Siberian and Japanese varieties spring, though there are also bearded iris in your color scheme, some of which rebloom in the fall perennial Geraniums including sanguineum var. lancastriense, Rozanne, Orkney Cherry, Cinereum Ballerina, all of which bloom much of the summer in my garden Allium 'Millenium' summer Amsonia hubrichtii - spring blooms, feathery foliage with bright yellow fall color Peonies spring Salvias Caradonna and Royal Candles Penstemon Sweet Joanne late spring into fall Pulmonaria Scabiosa 'butterfly blue' all summer Stokesia summer Campanula Birch Hybrid and Resholt Variety Ibiris/candytuft Bulbs: spring - plant all where emerging perennials will hide the dying foliage White daffodils Reticulated iris Hyacinths Hyacinthoides Tall alliums such as Mt. Everest or Globemaster crocus Siberian squill (Scilla) tulips in white, pink or purple (many behave as annuals and won't bloom in following years, so look for ones that are specified as perennial)
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marquest
13 years ago
I use hardscape when I want interest in a garden for long periods.

How about a Obelisk and clematis that is long blooming. I had one that is a pretty blue that bloomed all summer. I have to look the name up and come back with the name for you.

This clematis could also be used without the Obelisk because it is a bush type clematis. I just thought the obelisk could add to the beauty when it is not blooming in the Spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Metal Obelisk
felisar (z5)
13 years ago
Some possible suggestions:
-Nepeta 'Walkers Low' or 'Meow'. Cut back after first flowering to refresh foliage and it will look grest and re-bloom until Novemeber.
- Sedum 'Autumn Charm' - great variegated foliage and dark pink flowers in the late summer
Spiraea 'Golden Elf' - dwarf shrub, with bright gold foliage all growing season.
Allium 'Summer Beauty' - great blue green foliage, blooms from July into August, great seedheads, good gold fall color
DYH
13 years ago
Here in zone 7b, there are a few perennials that bloom for me non-stop* from mid-April or May until frost.

Don't know if these will be okay in your zone:

Without any cutting back --

*agastache 'Cotton Candy'
*perennial heliotrope (heliotropium amplexicaule 'Azure Skies')
*salvia guaranitica 'black & blue'

With a refresh cut --

hardy geranium 'Rozanne'
leucanthemum 'Paladin'
nepeta 'Six Hills Giant'

Blooms off and on and foliage stays nice:

salvia greggii 'Dark Dancer' or similar greggii varieties. Some are too tender for you zone.

Blooms, then foliage stays nice:

lavender

No blooms, nice foliage:

stachys 'Big Ears'

I also like to use delosperma cooperii (ice plant) and ground-covering thyme and sedum along walkways.

Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: my best plants in 2010 photos
Oakley
13 years ago
Nothing is prettier than blue salvia! Yellow Coreopsis planted between them would be stunning. I'd get the larger Coreopsis (sorry, can't remember the name) but the flowers are a lot bigger than the smaller Coreopsis'.
Nancy
13 years ago
I have some of the dwarf balloon flowers planted along my sidewalk. They bloom a lot of the summer if you cut the blooms off. I have some scabiosa & stokesia that do pretty well, along with a couple of salvias & short veronicas.
Oakley
13 years ago
The Coreopsis I mentioned above is called "Early Sunrise."

It needs deadheading though but they look like yellow daisy's. Perfect color combo with blue!
dirtdiver
13 years ago
Late bloomers, neat, not too tall... That picture of the grass got me to thinking of my favorite--sporobolis heterolepsis. It does have a roundish habit and flowers out at around two feet tall or so, and I just love, love, love the smell of it. Otherwise, short aster? Montauk daisy? Heuchera villosa? Salvia koyame (yellow bloomer)?
echinaceamaniac
13 years ago
Nepeta 'Walker's Low" is by far my favorite. Blooms so long and the foliage is nice.
marquest
13 years ago
I was looking at my photos last night and it hit me...LOL how about carpet rose. Mine bloomed all summer into Fall, I have a Fairy Rose in the front driveway bed with a Coral Bell that also looked great all summer and Fall.

{{gwi:203425}}
hunt4carl
13 years ago
It sounds like you need a strong anchor plant, which immediately
suggests shrub to me. . .I have a similar situation, and my solution was
Caryopteris 'Sunshine Blue" (3' x3'), a variety with lovely golden leaves
all summer which covers itself with blue flowers in late summer into the
fall. Since it benefits from being cut back hard each Spring, I underplanted
it with some miniature narcissi 'Tete-a-Tete' and 'Minnow", as well as
Geranium 'Wargrave Pink'. . .six months of bloom in one spot doesn't
seem too shabby! Good luck. . .
WendyB 5A/MA
13 years ago
My first thought was lavendar. It has some structure year round. The caryopteris is also a good choice. I have 'Summer Sorbet' and 'Snow Fairy'. THe latter has been a stronger grower.

Need suggestions for a perennial that's great by the front walk

Comments (13)

laceyvail 6A, WV

flora2b

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