Perennial Gardens

Toad lilies are, contrary to their name, very attractive perennials with purple-spotted, creamy white flowers that bloom in late September or October. They prefer shade and must be protected against frost.

By C. Colston Burrell

Yellow coneflowers, or black-eyed Susans, are an American wildflower. Their daisylike ray flowers and purple-brown disk flowers bloom in midsummer on to frost and are perfect for cutting. Learn more about these pretty perennials.

By C. Colston Burrell

Yellow foxglove is a strong-stemmed perennial with nodding bell-like flowers that form up one side of the stem and bloom in summer. They are easy to care for and superb in a wild garden.

By C. Colston Burrell

Christmas Rose, known also as Lenten Rose or Hellebore, displays flat or tubular flowers in winter and early spring. Gardeners like the leaves for ground cover and use the flowers in arrangements.

By C. Colston Burrell

Cinquefoil, a shrub with deep red flowers, takes to well-drained soil and direct sunlight. Cinquefoil is easy to care for and serves as the edge of your garden or flowerbed. Learn more about growing cinquefoil.

By C. Colston Burrell

Creeping buttercup, replete with yellow flowers and occasionally spotted leaves, originated in Europe. Some of the buttercup species are aquatic, but in general they look best in more informal gardens. Learn to grow creeping buttercup.

By C. Colston Burrell

Cupid's dart sprouts two-inch blue or white flowers and prefers direct sunlight with well-drained soil. Learn to use Cupid's dart as a good frontrunner in the garden or long-lasting winter cut flower.

By C. Colston Burrell

Cushion spurge, like the Christmas poinsettia, has colored leaves, often mistaken for petals. It comes in bright yellow, changing to red in autumn. Learn to use cushion spurge in a bank or against a wall.

By C. Colston Burrell

Knotweed, also called Himalaya fleece flower, has dark green, tapered leaves on creeping stems with tiny bright rose flowers. Learn to use this excellent ground cover as an edging plant for the bed or border.

By C. Colston Burrell

Delphinium, or larkspur, grows delicate, hollow stalks that become covered in flowers. As such, they should be staked or planted near protection from wind. Learn to propagate this cold-resistant blossom.

By C. Colston Burrell

Edelweiss has tiny heads of flowers flanked by gatherings of white, almost furry, bracts and grows to 1 foot in height. Use the softness of edelweiss to provide visual contrast in your rock garden.

By C. Colston Burrell

Fleabane, a lovely clustered flower in the daisy family, grows atop stems over a foot tall. Learn to use this visually appealing flower among several types of plants in the garden or in a vase.

By C. Colston Burrell

Gas plant, or burning bush, grows up to three feet tall. Its shiny leaves smell a bit like lemon. Learn to make gas plant a part of your garden, even after the flowers are gone.

By C. Colston Burrell

Globeflowers stun the eye with golden flowers on stems over 2 feet high. The large blooms grow well near water. Learn to grow and display globeflowers in a vase or planted en masse outdoors.

By C. Colston Burrell

Golden aster, a native to America, has furry stems with a violet tint. Growing up to 3 feet high, the flowers are yellow. Learn to grow this drought-resistant blossom in regular or sandy soil.

By C. Colston Burrell

Goldenstar sprouts 2-inch yellow flowers from its stem nodes. Its stems grow into a mound around 10 inches in height. Though its leaves are evergreen, goldenstar needs protection from snow and wind. Read about goldenstar.

By C. Colston Burrell

Planting your flower or vegetable plants isn't the first step you take when getting a garden started, but it's the most important. Learn all you need to know about planting a garden.

By Betty Barr Mackey

Bugleweeds are known for their colorful leaves and pretty, irregular flowers. They work well as garden ground cover that drapes over rock edging and blocks out weed growth. Learn to grow this easy-care perennial.

By C. Colston Burrell

The shrub bush clematis, or upright clematis, makes a good garden border, complement to small conifers, or a tidy cover for a wire structure. Get tips about bush or upright clematis.

By C. Colston Burrell

The candytuft shrub blooms white with occasional pink flushing in spring, and its branches should be pruned afterward. Learn to plant candytuft to weave through a rock garden or to act as a border.

By C. Colston Burrell

Italian bugloss, a member of the forget-me-not family, is an easy to grow brilliant true blue blooming plant. Learn to use this perennial flower bunched in large clumps or in a border.

By C. Colston Burrell

Knapweeds are bright and cheerful stout-stemmed plants that bear thistlelike flowers blooming from June to August. Learn to make knapweeds a great border or a featured element of your garden.

By C. Colston Burrell

Lamb's-ears, also known as lamb's-tongue, have gray-white, woolly leaves that feel exactly like a lamb's skin. Learn more about growing this full sun annual as a border or in your rock garden.

By C. Colston Burrell

Chinese forget-me-not, growing over 2 feet high, sprouts blue flowers, marking the height of summer. Stems that bend and a profusion of leaves are normal. Learn more about Chinese forget-me-not, perfect for the wild garden.

By C. Colston Burrell

Leopard's-bane has bright yellow, daisylike flowers that bloom in the spring. Read about using this perennial flower as a border plant in front of low walls or as an excellent cut flower.

By C. Colston Burrell