{"title":"Groundcover Perennials","description":"\u003cdiv title=\"\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether you're looking to prevent erosion, replace your lawn, or fill in those weed-prone areas between the stepping stones of your garden path, we have a wonderful variety of tough, easy-to-grow perennial groundcovers that will multiply and naturalize beautifully.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"perennial-trillium-painted","title":"Painted Trillium","description":"\u003cstrong\u003ePainted Trillium\u003c\/strong\u003e is the only bi-colored beauty in the group, with snow white petals and dramatic red markings radiating from its center.  This trillium is one that demands heavily acid soils, so it is a growing companion of pink lady's slippers, and is often found in every green woods, growing up through the carpet of fallen pine needles. \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe Trillium Tribe, and why its so famous.\u003c\/strong\u003e The classic 4-inch thick botanical reference work, Hortus Third, tells us that there are about 30 species of Trillium worldwide, but the majority of the species are native to North America.  A very few originate in Japan and Korea, none in Europe.  This is one reason that our colonists were so taken with these woodland beauties when they arrived. They had simply never seen anything like them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrilliums, as the name implies have everything in 3s--three leaves, three petals, etc.  And compared to the other spring flowers that bloom when winter is finally over in our cold climates, the Trilliums are the ones with large look-at-me flowers.  They were famous with the Indians before colonization, and instantly the stars of spring bloom with the colonists. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemember, when the colonists arrived, they arrived on our east coast which was totally wooded--big, primeval old growth forest, right down to the beaches.  And under these cathedral-like trees were the woodland native flowers--almost all species the Europeans had never seen.  Also, this is why almost all the native flowers of our east coast are woodland plants, not meadow wildflowers.  Of this famous original group of woodland wildflowers, which includes the Lady Slippers, Mayflower, Hepatica and many more, the Trilliums reigned supreme.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor centuries the flowers were picked heavily, which is unfortunate since a picked trillium is a dead trillium.  But it was the clearing of the forests for farming, a necessity for the colonists, that really devastated the woodland wildflowers.  We like to wring our hands about paving for interstates and new condominium projects today, but we needn't.  The damage was done long ago when our ancestors cleared the eastern forests for farming.  Of course, there are relatively small habitats left, and in recent years, our forested area has been enlarging, and woodland wildflower habitat has been restored in many places.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn any case, this elegant class of flowers, the Trilliums, are now recognized as precious and special, although they are not officially endangered.  In many areas, Trilliums are still very common. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWildflower gardeners love them, and it is true that most of them are not difficult to grow or transplant, and if conditions are good, they thrive.  However, it does help to know the facts.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeres how they are propagated. \u003c\/strong\u003e Trilliums such as The Great White spread very slowly by underground root stocks, and the seed produced creates new plants even more slowly.  From a planted seed, it takes approximately five to nine years for a Trillium grandiflorum plant (the Great White Trillium) to bloom.  So when you see a massive drift of these in spring, you know you're looking at a bunch of plants that are at least a decade old, probably much older.  These plants are not daisies!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd how do they propagate themselves?  Well, \u003cem\u003eT. grandiflorum\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the wildflowers whose seeds are distributed by ants.  Yes, ants--not birds or bees, or the wind, but ants.  This is why the species creates large close drifts over the years.  Plants are never very far apart, since ants don't travel far.  So each clump of \u003cem\u003eT. grandiflorum\u003c\/em\u003e you see was planted where you see it by an ant. (They carry the seeds away when they fall from the plant because the ants enjoy the sticky covering each seed case has when it falls to the ground.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat brings us to the basic rarity of the Trilliums.  A big factor is that each flower produces only one seed case when it fades. (Everybody knows that most flowers--a daisy, for example, produces hundreds of loose seeds from each flower.) So even if the ants find the sticky seed case, and take it underground where the several seeds inside can grow, there simply arent huge numbers of white trillium seeds being planted each year.  Other trillium species have various propagation strategies, but all take years and years. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow you have some idea of the value of these beautiful plants.  They are an important part of American botanical history, and deserve a place of honor in every American wildflower garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eHere are the best known species,\u003c\/strong\u003e with a little info on each: \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium grandiflorum, \u003c\/em\u003eGreat White Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e  The provincial flower of Ontario, and quite common there and around the Great Lakes. Also the official wildflower of Ohio, T. grandiflorum is native over most of the east, from Canada to Georgia, especially in neutral or non-acid soils. Large white flowers fade to pink; plants form large drifts. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium erectum, \u003c\/em\u003eRed Trillium. \u003c\/strong\u003eAlso called Wake Robin and Stinking Benjamin, the second because of the flowers unpleasant odor, said to be similar to rotting meat.  Propagated by flies.  Red to purple flowers; plants solitary in acid or alkaline woods. Native to the eastern forests from Canada to Georgia. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium undulatum, \u003c\/em\u003ePainted Trillium. \u003c\/strong\u003eSmaller than the Great White or Red, but with one of the most beautiful flowers--white with purplish\/red centers. Must have highly acidic soil; common in pine woods.  Native to forests from Canada to Georgia.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium Catesbaei, \u003c\/em\u003e Rosy Trillium or Catesby Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e One of the first Trilliums discovered and named for Mark Catesby, the famous early British plant explorer and artist. The Rosy Trillium has somewhat smallish blooms which nod below the leaves.  It is native to the Southeast, where Catesby visited. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium viride var luteum, \u003c\/em\u003eYellow Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e This unusual trillium has mottled leaves and lemon yellow blooms that hold their petals high and never really open. It is often said to have a lemon scent, and is native from Kentucky south to Florida.  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium ovatum, \u003c\/em\u003eCoast Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a famous western trillium, much like T. grandiflorum in the east. Flowers are white, fading to pink. It is native from British Columbia through coastal forests all the way to central California.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472243871983,"sku":"AM014184","price":17.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/painted-trillium-trillium-undulatum-close-up-flower_1.jpg?v=1761078662"},{"product_id":"perennial-maidenhair-fern","title":"Northern Maidenhair Fern","description":"\u003cp\u003eMost gardeners would agree that if there were a beauty contest for ferns, then Northern Maidenhair Fern would be the clear winner. A beautiful, delicate but tough native of woods all the way from Canada to Georgia.  In early spring, burgundy fiddleheads reach high, and then suddenly unfurl into flat tray-like hands of delicate fronds, clear green with striking black stems, arrayed in a perfect circle.  All Maidenhair asks is a shady spot, some fertility in the soil, and to be kept moist throughout the growing season. It's magnificent with Trillium and other early spring flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472244166895,"sku":"AM014175","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/maidenhair-fern-1.jpg?v=1761078663"},{"product_id":"perennial-astilbe-montgomery","title":"Montgomery Astilbe","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Astilbes:\u003c\/strong\u003e  Easy to grow, tough and hardy, Astilbes are now a mainstay in all good perennial gardens.  In fact, American gardeners are in the midst of a passionate love affair with Astilbes. Native to the far east, these beautiful plants and their hybrids have revolutionized the perennial possibilities of moist, shaded American gardens.  They are companions of ferns and our favorite annuals, impatiens--one of the few flowers that make big color in full or partial shade.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vast majority of the scores of hybrids now available are the work of one man, master hybridizer Georg Arends (Yes, that's why you keep seeing arendsii tacked onto hybrid names.) Mr. Arends, working in Ronsdorf, Germany spent decades hybridizing Sedums, Phlox, Campanulas....and his first love, Astilbes. In 1933, Arends introduced 74 different Astilbe cultivars, and there have been hundreds since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e These plume-flowered plants have ultra-handsome fern-like foliage, (usually dark glossy green) and stiff stems that always hold the elegant plumes aloft without any staking. Flower arrangers find the flower plumes are just as handsome in a vase as in a garden. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e From tiny dwarfs to big draping hybrids, Astilbes are all quite easy to grow, as long as their ground does not dry out for long.  They must have plenty of moisture, so choose your locations carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 3","offer_id":46472244822255,"sku":"AM014157","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/astilbe-montgomery-red-blooms.jpg?v=1761078664"},{"product_id":"perennial-mayflower-trailing-arbutus","title":"Mayflower","description":"6\" tall x 3-6\" wide. This is the famous state flower of Massachusetts, but it is native to most of the East from Canada all the way to North Florida, and loved by all woodland wildgardeners. Also called Mayflower after the famous Pilgrim ship, this sweet-scented, pastel pink beauty blooms along running stems of shiny evergreen leaves, creating the ultimate groundcover for woodland gardens. Creeping stems grow to about 16, and the when content, the plant forms lush clumps, which are a spectacle on the forest floor in spring. This wildflower is not easy to grow or rapidly spreading, but when established, it is always the pride of any woodland garden. Needs acidic woodsy soil, so its best planted under pines or oaks.\u003cp\u003eTrailing Arbutus is credited with making a very dramatic impression on early settlers in North America, especially the famous Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, MA in 1620.  Used to the exhausted fields and largely cut woodland areas of Europe, they were stunned by North Americas primeval forests, which created heavily wooded habitat, right down to the Atlantic beaches. In spring, these magnificent old growth forests burst into bloom with our now-famous host of Spring Woodland Wildflowers, unknown in Europe.  The queen of all the spring woodland flowers, at least to the Pilgrims, was this lovely ground-running vine with its delicate shell-pink flowers. For this reason, the common name of Mayflower was given the newly discovered plant, and it will always hold an important place in American history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472245838063,"sku":"AM014146","price":21.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/epigaea-repens-mayflower-hero.jpg?v=1761078666"},{"product_id":"perennial-delosperma-fire-spinner","title":"Fire Spinner® Ice Plant","description":"\u003cp class=\"richp\"\u003eFire Spinner ignites the summer garden with hot, neon colors on drought-resistant plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"richp\"\u003eIce Plant is the bright-flowered groundcover so common and loved on the West Coast, but hardly known at all in the east. Its a succulent, a lot like a short Sedum, but the flowers are the big thing--look at those sizzling hot pink daisies. Everybody loves them, and the plant spreads rapidly with trailing runners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy are these plants so popular out west?\u003c\/strong\u003e Visit the Pacific coast, all the way from San Diego up to Seattle, and you'll see these little bright daisies everywhere--edging walks, filling planters, and adding great color under foundation plantings. Why don't we see them more in the east? See the story below, and get some going in your garden! Pick a site with full sun and gritty, sharp-draining soil, and add them to your garden. You'll be amazed at the big show!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e The Ice Plant story. \u003c\/strong\u003eGarden expert Todd Boland, a horticulturalist at The College of the North Atlantic, in Newfoundland, explains it all in one of his articles at DavesGarden.com.  It seems a famous garden expert named Panayoti Kelaidis of the Denver Botanical Garden is almost single-handedly responsible for introducing these beauties to the US. They are from South Africa, and Mr. Kelaidis traveled there to find new plants suitable for growing in the dry, gritty soils of our western states. The Delospermas he introduced are now great favorites, especially in California. But as Mr. Boland points out, there's no reason eastern and mid-western gardeners cant enjoy Ice Plants. Mr. Boland actually brings \u003cem\u003eD. cooperi\u003c\/em\u003e, one of the most cold-hardy, through his wet cold winters in Newfoundland, so don't worry about the plants hardiness!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe name?\u003c\/strong\u003e They're called Ice Plants because the succulent leaves produce clear crystals that glint in the sun and sometimes seem to appear as frost.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472251244783,"sku":"AM014060","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/delosperma_fire_spinnercc_39786_web_3.jpg?v=1761078676"},{"product_id":"perennial-violet-etain","title":"Etain Violet","description":"\u003cp\u003eSome gardeners have a strong love-hate relationship with violets, due to their tendency to spread and naturalize, but it all depends on where they are planted! Of course, everybody loves the flowers. Use them anywhere that you want a drift of blooms, expanding year after year, to delight and surprise you! We particularly love them along a woodland edge, or tucked throughout our shadier areas of lawn. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472252031215,"sku":"AM014052","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/violaetain1_2.jpg?v=1761078677"},{"product_id":"perennial-iris-dwarf-crested","title":"Dwarf Crested Iris","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis hardy little plant is often hard to find in garden centers, but it isn’t difficult to grow – making it a uniquely easy accent for a sunny or partly-shaded spot.  Strappy foliage rises to approximately six inches, then upward-facing blossoms open wide in shades of lilac-blue with a white and gold patch on the outer three petals. Like most iris, they should be planted with some of the rhizome visible above the soil in a well-draining spot.  Dwarf Crested Iris is an early spring bloomer, and thus makes a wonderful companion for primroses, or ephemeral beauties such as trout lilies and trillium. It’s a vigorous spreader, and can be used very successfully as a ground cover, particularly in woodland gardens where the dagger-like foliage will not be burned by the sun. This classic, often hard-to-find North American plant is great for wild gardens. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472253571311,"sku":"AM014042","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/iris-cristata-dwarf-crested-iris_3.jpg?v=1763572618"},{"product_id":"perennial-astilbe-deutschland","title":"Deutschland Astilbe","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAbout Astilbes:\u003c\/strong\u003e  Easy to grow, tough and hardy, Astilbes are now a mainstay in all good perennial gardens.  In fact, American gardeners are in the midst of a passionate love affair with Astilbes. Native to the far east, these beautiful plants and their hybrids have revolutionized the perennial possibilities of moist, shaded American gardens.  They are companions of ferns and our favorite annuals, impatiens--one of the few flowers that make big color in full or partial shade.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vast majority of the scores of hybrids now available are the work of one man, master hybridizer Georg Arends (Yes, that's why you keep seeing arendsii tacked onto hybrid names.) Mr. Arends, working in Ronsdorf, Germany spent decades hybridizing Sedums, Phlox, Campanulas....and his first love, Astilbes. In 1933, Arends introduced 74 different Astilbe cultivars, and there have been hundreds since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e These plume-flowered plants have ultra-handsome fern-like foliage, (usually dark glossy green) and stiff stems that always hold the elegant plumes aloft without any staking. Flower arrangers find the flower plumes are just as handsome in a vase as in a garden. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e From tiny dwarfs to big draping hybrids, Astilbes are all quite easy to grow, as long as their ground does not dry out for long.  They must have plenty of moisture, so choose your locations carefully. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 3","offer_id":46472254292207,"sku":"AM014038","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/astilbe-japonica-false-spirea-white-deutschland.jpg?v=1761078681"},{"product_id":"perennial-celandine-poppy","title":"Celandine Poppy","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Calendine Poppy brings cheer to the Woodland garden in the summertime, boasting full, sunny-yellow blooms and blue-green foliage. This plant is native to the United States and naturalizes easily, making it the perfect choice for most gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":49588511375599,"sku":"AM013992","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/stylophorum-diphyllum-celandine-poppy-woods.jpg?v=1761078683"},{"product_id":"perennial-astilbe-amethyst","title":"Amethyst Astilbe","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAbout Astilbes:\u003c\/strong\u003e  Easy to grow, tough and hardy, Astilbes are now a mainstay in all good perennial gardens.  In fact, American gardeners are in the midst of a passionate love affair with Astilbes. Native to the far east, these beautiful plants and their hybrids have revolutionized the perennial possibilities of moist, shaded American gardens.  They are companions of ferns and our favorite annuals, impatiens--one of the few flowers that make big color in full or partial shade.  \n\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vast majority of the scores of hybrids now available are the work of one man, master hybridizer Georg Arends (Yes, that's why you keep seeing arendsii tacked onto hybrid names.) Mr. Arends, working in Ronsdorf, Germany spent decades hybridizing Sedums, Phlox, Campanulas....and his first love, Astilbes. In 1933, Arends introduced 74 different Astilbe cultivars, and there have been hundreds since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e These plume-flowered plants have ultra-handsome fern-like foliage, (usually dark glossy green) and stiff stems that always hold the elegant plumes aloft without any staking. Flower arrangers find the flower plumes are just as handsome in a vase as in a garden. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e From tiny dwarfs to big draping hybrids, Astilbes are all quite easy to grow, as long as their ground does not dry out for long.  They must have plenty of moisture, so choose your locations carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 3","offer_id":46472260747503,"sku":"AM013938","price":17.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/astilbe-arendsii-false-spirea-purple-amethyst.jpg?v=1761078694"},{"product_id":"perennial-sedum-album-coral-carpet","title":"Sedum album Coral Carpet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Sedums: \u003c\/strong\u003eThese perennial plants enjoy gritty, fast-draining soil, and must have full hot sun.  Theyre really desert plants, so give them sharp drainage. (Sedums are often called Succulents, due to their thickened moisture-retentive leaves, and yes, the short ones include the famous Hen and Chicks from grandmothers garden.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce sedums are established, youve assured yourself of loads of perennial interest for the later months when most garden flowers are gone.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472264188143,"sku":"AM014969","price":12.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/sedumcoralcarpet1.jpg?v=1761078699"},{"product_id":"perennial-autumn-fern-brilliance","title":"Brilliance Autumn Fern","description":"\u003cp\u003eGardeners who plant ‘Brilliance’ Autumn Fern will find that the sturdy fronds stand up to all but the harshest ice storm, providing green when we need it most. Winner of the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Award-winner, this evergreen fern unfurls bronze-colored fronds in spring and sports particularly bright orange-red ripe spores on the undersides of the leaves in autumn. In early spring, cut away the old foliage to reveal new fronds emerging in extraordinary shades of coppery pink. Though it can stand on its own with grace, it provides a fantastic backdrop to shade plants such as Variegated Solomon’s Seal and Blue Brunnera. Autumn Fern is easy to grow in rich, moist, cool soil in full shade to part shade locations. It can grow in full sun with plenty of moisture. It is tolerant of dry shade, and drought tolerant once established. It benefits from regular moisture in its first season, and from an annual dressing of compost or mulch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472264941807,"sku":"AM014956","price":12.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/dryopteris-erythrosora-brilliance-autumn-fern_walters-garden-inc-close-up.jpg?v=1761078700"},{"product_id":"perennial-violet-sweet-white","title":"Sweet White Violet","description":"\u003cp\u003e3-6\" tall x 4-8\" wide. Sweet White Violet (Viola blanda) colonies are common in moist woodlands of eastern North America, but they are great garden performers, as well. A basal clump of dark green heart-shaped leaves gives rise to fragrant white flowers each borne on single stalks. Plants spread via seed and underground runners. Hardy in zones 3-8. Easy to grow in partial to full shade in moist, well-drained soil. Deer-resistant.  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 3","offer_id":46472275820783,"sku":"AM014843","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/viola-blanda__-arthur-haines-new-england-wild-flower-society_800x800_a44a8e09-2d25-4179-a943-4852ee84f843.jpg?v=1761078719"},{"product_id":"perennial-phlox-violet-pinwheels","title":"Violet Pinwheels Creeping Phlox","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Violet Pinwheels' Creeping Phlox is a true garden knockout with its notched, perky purple flowers with upturned petals. Long blooming and fragrant, it will wake up your garden in early spring and flower from 4 to 6 weeks! Low mounds of dark green needle-like foliage, that is soft to the touch, slowly spread to form mounds of 18\" in three years. Plant ‘Violet Pinwheels’ in well-drained, compost enriched garden soil in a sunny to light shade spot. Good drainage is essential for thriving plants. Deer resistant and a pollinator favorite. Plant ‘Violet Pinwheels’ in a rock garden or at a path’s edge. It can accompany many of spring’s bulbs such as Hyacinth, Daffodils, and Tulips. Try planting a flowing area between rocks and create your own “river of bloom.” It will bloom all spring and give you a velvety green river the rest of the year.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472277491951,"sku":"AM014838","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/phlox-purple-pinwheels_800x800_visi126556.jpg?v=1761078722"},{"product_id":"perennial-geranium-rozanne","title":"Rozanne Geranium","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout The Hardy Geraniums. \u003c\/strong\u003e These fantastic perennials were not very well-known in North America until recent years, but have always been a favorite group in Europe. Now, American gardeners have really embraced them, and can't get enough. Far different from windowbox geraniums, which are in a totally different botanical group, the hardy geraniums are tough perennials that bring to gardens what every gardener wants: compact plants with beautiful flowers and a long season of bloom. Some bloom longer than others, but basically, long bloom is one big advantage of the hardy geraniums.  To encourage more blooms we suggest deadheading.  How wide the geranium grows will also depend on the soil type. For example, hardy geraniums will spread more in well-drained average soils compared to clay soils. A common name across all the species is Cranes Bill which refers to the sharp-pointed seed pod after flowering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur wild species:\u003c\/strong\u003e There are about 20 species worldwide, and two magenta-flowered ones are well-known in the US as native plants. Our Wild Geranium, or Wild Cranes Bill, \u003cem\u003eG. maculatum,\u003c\/em\u003e plus another with the curious name of Herb Robert are found over most of the east as treasured wildflowers, but their short season of bloom makes them non-competitors with the hybrids for garden space. Most of the garden favorites are crosses between species from Europe and Asia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Blue:\u003c\/strong\u003e The basic coloring of The Lilac Geranium from the Himalayas, for example, gives us many of the great blue selections. Most popular from this group is Johnson's Blue, a world favorite with large (1 1\/2 to 2 inch) true blue flowers. Another from similar parentage is Brookside with even deeper blue flowers. And then there's the newer, spectacular blue-splashed white one called Splish Splash.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePurple\/Magenta\/White: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eGeranium sanguineum\u003c\/em\u003e, is a species native to northern Europe and Asia, and known as Bloody Cranes Bill due to its magenta flowers. It has become famous itself (the wild form) and is now the most popular hardy geranium in the US. One of the reasons is that it blooms almost all summer and fall. A cultivar named Maxfrei is a dwarf version, and a newer one, Elke has striking bi-colored flowers in magenta and white. Then there's the fantastic dwarf white one with pink veins in large white petals, called \u003cem\u003eGeranium sanguineum var striatum\u003c\/em\u003e, to me, the best-looking of them all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePink:\u003c\/strong\u003e Patricia is a favorite deep pink and is also one of the larger plants, up to 36. Another sensational pink one that's only about 12 inches high is Ballerina, from the \u003cem\u003eG. cinereum\u003c\/em\u003e species with large striped pink petals and dark centers, almost like a bi-colored petunia. And more recently, Purple Pillow from this group gives us really red flowers with a purple sheen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can't have too many hardy geraniums. They are wonderful as edging in the front of a border, and equally impressive as mounded specimen plants anywhere. If they're sheared after bloom, many will do a complete repeat performance for you before fall. If you don't have them in your garden, start your collection now. You'll love them all.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472288796911,"sku":"AM014758","price":13.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/geraniumrozanne2.jpg?v=1761078741"},{"product_id":"perennial-geranium-maxfrei","title":"Max Frei Geranium","description":"This is a shorter version of the regular sanguineum. And any hybrid of this species is one of my favorite plants. I planted one (the regular G. sanguineum) in our wildflower meadow in Vermont over a decade ago, and very few other flowers have rewarded us so richly. It has had no special care, left to its own for watering and everything else, growing in tough, heavy clay. From the beginning, I was amazed how it simply stayed in bloom. From late spring all the way into fall--that clump with the deep red flowers was always there! Over the years, it has spread nicely, and is more beautiful every season.\n\u003cp\u003eThis incredible geranium is not a No. American native, but it is closely related and reminds many people of our own Wild Geranium, G. maculata (which by the way has a very short bloom season!). Geranium sanguineum is a beautiful dark green groundcover-like plant with ferny foliage, it is not invasive, it needs absolutely no care, and it just keeps blooming. Who could ask for more from any plant? You can't beat this one for anyplace where you'd like low permanent cover and constant color.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472291320047,"sku":"AM014687","price":13.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/geraniummaxfrei.jpg?v=1761078745"},{"product_id":"perennial-geranium-sanguineum","title":"Bloody Cranesbill Geranium","description":"\u003cp\u003eVery few flowers reward gardeners so richly. Bloody Cranesbill Geranium is a beautiful dark green groundcover with ferny foliage, needs absolutely no care, and it just keeps blooming. The foliage turns a vibrant red in the fall, extending it's season of beauty even longer. Who could ask for more from any plant?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472291549423,"sku":"AM014659","price":13.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/geranium-sangueneum-bee-flower.jpg?v=1761078746"},{"product_id":"perennial-euphorbia-bonfire","title":"Bonfire Euphorbia","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Bonfire'\nEuphorbia gives gardeners an edge in remembering its Latin name, Euphorbia\npolychroma, as this perennial fills the garden with dynamic color. The flowers\nare actually flowering bracts, and consequently, last much longer than petals\nin the spring garden. The foliage provides a strong presence long after the\nbracts have faded. Grow in sharply draining soil to guard against winter\nmoisture, or position these fascinating plants on a slight slope in a sunny\nlocation to help with drainage. In the spring, resist the temptation to cut\nback the older stems, as they will re-foliate and provide a show for the spring\ngarden. Absolutely stunning paired with spring-blooming Alliums. Use gloves\nwhen pruning, as milky sap can be a skin irritant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472305737967,"sku":"AM014560","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/euphorbia-bonfire-flower-garden-flowers.jpg?v=1761078760"},{"product_id":"perennial-bellflower-blue-waterfall","title":"Blue Waterfall Bellflower","description":"Blue Waterfall is an exceptionally useful plant for use on an incline, retaining wall or even for a favorite big pot.  This beauty sends out cascading stems up to 14 inches long, and creates a beautiful draped bank of blue flowers all summer long. \u003cp\u003eThe Campanulas are favorite garden perennials, and close relatives of the Bluebells or Harbells, which are treasured wildflowers both in No. America and Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472306360559,"sku":"AM014555","price":6.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/campanula-poscharskyana-blue-waterfall-tree.jpg?v=1761078761"},{"product_id":"perennial-bellflower-white-clips","title":"Bellflower White Clips","description":"The Campanulas are favorite garden perennials, and close relatives of the Bluebells or Harbells, which are treasured wildflowers both in No. America and Europe.\u003cp\u003e This famous short (only 8 to 12\") version White Clips is well-known as a wonderful blooming groundcover, perfect for the front of the garden. The botanical species name carpatica tells you its native to the Carpathian Mountains in eastern Europe. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEasy to grow and always dependable, these lovely little plants are always gardeners favorites.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472306688239,"sku":"AM014536","price":9.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/campanulawhiteclips.jpg?v=1761078762"},{"product_id":"perennial-bellflower-blue-clips","title":"Bellflower Blue Clips","description":"The Campanulas are favorite garden perennials, and close relatives of the Bluebells or Harbells, which are treasured wildflowers both in No. America and Europe.\u003cp\u003e This famous short (only 8 to 12\") version Blue Clips is well-known as a wonderful blooming groundcover, perfect for the front of the garden. The botanical species name carpatica tells you its native to the Carpathian Mountains in eastern Europe, thus one of its common names, Carpathian harebell. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEasy to grow and always dependable, these lovely little plants are always gardeners favorites.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472307048687,"sku":"AM014535","price":9.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/campanulablueclips.jpg?v=1761078763"},{"product_id":"perennial-lungwort-raspberry-splash","title":"Raspberry Splash Lungwort","description":"\u003cp\u003eDue to their attractive mounding foliage, Lungworts, or Pulmonaria, make gorgeous groundcovers and pathway plants, and are often grown particularly for this reason. The early to mid-spring flowers present arching sprays of delicate flowers, welcomed by gardeners and delighted bees. Grow them in moisture-retentive soil that is well-draining to prevent rot at the crown. Remove spent leaves early in the spring to allow a new flush of foliage to carry you through the summer. In very warm climates, the plant may experience dormancy in the late summer, but will emerge very early in the next spring season. Notable resistance to powdery mildew. Pulmonaria is rarely damaged by deer, and parts of it are toxic to dogs and cats if ingested.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472307867887,"sku":"AM014527","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/pumonaria-reaspberry-splash-lungwort-plant-alamy-5yr-lic-flowers.jpg?v=1761078765"},{"product_id":"perennial-artemisia-silver-mound","title":"Silver Mound Artemisia","description":"This is the dwarf form, growing to only about 14 inches.\u003cp\u003eOne expert calls Artemisia (or Dusty Miller) the Gardeners Dream Plant.  Its great value is its feathery foliage that adds a lovely gray-green to the  garden. Partnered with red-leaved plants or bright blooms, the combination's are spectacular. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerennial Dusty Miller needs sharp-draining soil, and is very heat tolerant.  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472312226031,"sku":"AM014466","price":9.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/artemisia_silver_mound__2.jpg?v=1761078775"},{"product_id":"perennial-creeping-phlox-apple-blossom","title":"Creeping Phlox Apple Blossom","description":"Apple Blossom’s light, star-shaped blooms create an elegant groundover in the spring garden. They prefer as much sun as possible and are deer resistant.\u003cp\u003eCreeping Phlox is a favorite for gardeners all across the country – they are ground-covering plants that bloom in a solid carpet in spring.  Creeping Phlox also spreads rapidly, covering banks, spaces under tall trees, and other places where you want color.  In one color, or as a rainbow, creeping phlox creates one of the most dependably perennial groundcovers you can plant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 2.5\" Pot","offer_id":46472312914159,"sku":"AM014453","price":10.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/phloxappleblossom.jpg?v=1761078776"},{"product_id":"perennial-may-apple","title":"Mayapple","description":"\u003cp\u003ePlant May Apple in your shade garden for unique, bright green foliage growing in the early spring. This woodland beauty grows to only about 18” and is deer-resistant, making this the perfect choice for most shade gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472313962735,"sku":"AM014433","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/may-apple-with-lily-of-the-valley.jpg?v=1761078778"},{"product_id":"perennial-lily-of-the-valley","title":"Lily of the Valley","description":"\u003cp\u003e Lily of the Valley is the super-hardy, highly scented early spring plant that makes a lovely green mat in any moist shady spot, spreading every year. The foliage is sort of like a solid green miniature Hosta, and you know the flowers. One of the great things about Lily of the Valley is the way the foliage stays rich and green all summer long. If you've never seen them before, don't be shocked by the tiny roots called pips.  They're supposed to be that small, and are a snap to grow.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 15","offer_id":46472316420335,"sku":"AM014421","price":34.65,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/lily-of-the-valley-white-flowers.jpg?v=1761078784"},{"product_id":"perennial-trillium-yellow","title":"Yellow Trillium","description":"The yellow trillium has a beautiful set of leaves that are mottled with rich green and a sort of silver.  The flower appears in the center of the leaves, and the petals rise higher.  The flowers don't usually open fully like the other Trilliums, but the bloom is lovely just the same. \u003cp\u003eThis is one of the group called sessile Trilliums which have flowers directly atop the famous triple leaf arrangement.  Others, like the Red Trillium and Great White, are called pediceled Trilliums, which means they bear their flowers on a pedicel or stem. All our trillium plants are nursery propagated from seed. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe Trillium Tribe, and why its so famous.\u003c\/strong\u003e The classic 4-inch thick botanical reference work, Hortus Third, tells us that there are about 30 species of Trillium worldwide, but the majority of the species are native to North America.  A very few originate in Japan and Korea, none in Europe.  This is one reason that our colonists were so taken with these woodland beauties when they arrived. They had simply never seen anything like them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrilliums, as the name implies have everything in 3s--three leaves, three petals, etc.  And compared to the other spring flowers that bloom when winter is finally over in our cold climates, the Trilliums are the ones with large look-at-me flowers.  They were famous with the Indians before colonization, and instantly the stars of spring bloom with the colonists. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemember, when the colonists arrived, they arrived on our east coast which was totally wooded--big, primeval old growth forest, right down to the beaches.  And under these cathedral-like trees were the woodland native flowers--almost all species the Europeans had never seen.  Also, this is why almost all the native flowers of our east coast are woodland plants, not meadow wildflowers.  Of this famous original group of woodland wildflowers, which includes the Lady Slippers, Mayflower, Hepatica and many more, the Trilliums reigned supreme.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor centuries the flowers were picked heavily, which is unfortunate since a picked trillium is a dead trillium.  But it was the clearing of the forests for farming, a necessity for the colonists, that really devastated the woodland wildflowers.  We like to wring our hands about paving for interstates and new condominium projects today, but we needn't.  The damage was done long ago when our ancestors cleared the eastern forests for farming.  Of course, there are relatively small habitats left, and in recent years, our forested area has been enlarging, and woodland wildflower habitat has been restored in many places.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn any case, this elegant class of flowers, the Trilliums, are now recognized as precious and special, although they are not officially endangered.  In many areas, Trilliums are still very common. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWildflower gardeners love them, and it is true that most of them are not difficult to grow or transplant, and if conditions are good, they thrive.  However, it does help to know the facts.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeres how they are propagated. \u003c\/strong\u003e Trilliums such as The Great White spread very slowly by underground root stocks, and the seed produced creates new plants even more slowly.  From a planted seed, it takes approximately five to nine years for a Trillium grandiflorum plant (the Great White Trillium) to bloom.  So when you see a massive drift of these in spring, you know you're looking at a bunch of plants that are at least a decade old, probably much older.  These plants are not daisies!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd how do they propagate themselves?  Well, \u003cem\u003eT. grandiflorum\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the wildflowers whose seeds are distributed by ants.  Yes, ants--not birds or bees, or the wind, but ants.  This is why the species creates large close drifts over the years.  Plants are never very far apart, since ants don't travel far.  So each clump of \u003cem\u003eT. grandiflorum\u003c\/em\u003e you see was planted where you see it by an ant. (They carry the seeds away when they fall from the plant because the ants enjoy the sticky covering each seed case has when it falls to the ground.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat brings us to the basic rarity of the Trilliums.  A big factor is that each flower produces only one seed case when it fades. (Everybody knows that most flowers--a daisy, for example, produces hundreds of loose seeds from each flower.) So even if the ants find the sticky seed case, and take it underground where the several seeds inside can grow, there simply aren't huge numbers of white trillium seeds being planted each year.  Other trillium species have various propagation strategies, but all take years and years. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow you have some idea of the value of these beautiful plants.  They are an important part of American botanical history, and deserve a place of honor in every American wildflower garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eHere are the best known species,\u003c\/strong\u003e with a little info on each: \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium grandiflorum, \u003c\/em\u003eGreat White Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e  The provincial flower of Ontario, and quite common there and around the Great Lakes. Also the official wildflower of Ohio, T. grandiflorum is native over most of the east, from Canada to Georgia, especially in neutral or non-acid soils. Large white flowers fade to pink; plants form large drifts. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium erectum, \u003c\/em\u003eRed Trillium. \u003c\/strong\u003eAlso called Wake Robin and Stinking Benjamin, the second because of the flowers unpleasant odor, said to be similar to rotting meat.  Propagated by flies.  Red to purple flowers; plants solitary in acid or alkaline woods. Native to the eastern forests from Canada to Georgia. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium undulatum, \u003c\/em\u003ePainted Trillium. \u003c\/strong\u003eSmaller than the Great White or Red, but with one of the most beautiful flowers--white with purplish\/red centers. Must have highly acidic soil; common in pine woods.  Native to forests from Canada to Georgia.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium Catesbaei, \u003c\/em\u003e Rosy Trillium or Catesby Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e One of the first Trilliums discovered and named for Mark Catesby, the famous early British plant explorer and artist. The Rosy Trillium has somewhat smallish blooms which nod below the leaves.  It is native to the Southeast, where Catesby visited. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium viride var luteum, \u003c\/em\u003eYellow Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e This unusual trillium has mottled leaves and lemon yellow blooms that hold their petals high and never really open. It is often said to have a lemon scent, and is native from Kentucky south to Florida.  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium ovatum, \u003c\/em\u003eCoast Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a famous western trillium, much like T. grandiflorum in the east. Flowers are white, fading to pink. It is native from British Columbia through coastal forests all the way to central California. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472322547951,"sku":"AM014340","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/yellow-trillium-luteum_1.jpg?v=1761078797"},{"product_id":"perennial-hosta-wide-brim","title":"Wide Brim Hosta","description":"\u003cp\u003eHostas are shade lovers grown mostly for their beautiful foliage, and they're probably the very best plants for groundcover under trees in most parts of the U.S. Its simple: they're delighted to grow in shady spots where your grass will not. (They are super hardy in cold areas, but are somewhat difficult as far south as the Gulf Coast.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAny gardener who lives in the huge area where Hostas are popular knows them. Now with over 1000 named cultivars, there are Hosta collectors everywhere. Just choose your favorites from the small, medium, and large sizes, and an endless choice of leaf designs. The plants, members of the lily family, are native to Korea, China and Japan, and gardeners there have used them for centuries for landscaping. The craze for Hostas is more recent in the U.S. And why not? They offer an endless variety of their wonderful fountain mound shape of handsome foliage--in lush shades of green, bluish-green, yellowish green, and all sorts of variegated types. Nothing is easier to grow; in fact, most gardeners simply ignore them, and they form their beautiful round shapes all by themselves, year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46827483824367,"sku":"AM014333","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/hostawidebrim.jpg?v=1761078799"},{"product_id":"perennial-hosta-variegated-mix","title":"Variegated Hosta Mix","description":"\u003cp\u003eHostas are shade lovers grown mostly for their beautiful foliage, and they're probably the very best plants for groundcover under trees in most parts of the U.S. Its simple: they're delighted to grow in shady spots where your grass will not. (They are super hardy in cold areas, but are somewhat difficult as far south as the Gulf Coast.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAny gardener who lives in the huge area where Hostas are popular knows them. Now with over 1000 named cultivars, there are Hosta collectors everywhere. Just choose your favorites from the small, medium, and large sizes, and an endless choice of leaf designs. The plants, members of the lily family, are native to Korea, China and Japan, and gardeners there have used them for centuries for landscaping. The craze for Hostas is more recent in the U.S.  And why not? They offer an endless variety of their wonderful fountain mound shape of handsome foliage--in lush shades of green, bluish-green, yellowish green, and all sorts of variegated types.  Nothing is easier to grow; in fact, most gardeners simply ignore them, and they form their beautiful round shapes all by themselves, year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePropagation is simple, too: \u003c\/strong\u003e If you've never divided a Hosta, let me tell you how simple and successful it can be.  I once volunteered to help a friend divide three or four large, old Hosta clumps into smaller plants to line a shady walk.  We began by digging them up, and then split the big fleshy root masses with a hatchet. Underground, Hostas are much like Daylilies, with fleshy, heavy masses of thick rootstocks. Once, we had the old clumps chopped into 8 or 10 equal-size pieces each, we simply dug a trench on both sides of the shady walk, and buried the pieces spaced evenly apart.  They looked fine on through that summer, and the very next spring, each one was up, healthy, and already formed into a perfect circle!  So don't think if you divide yours, you'll disturb that wonderful round fountain shape.  They just recover and create a new whorled circle wherever you put the divided pieces.  Today, that walk is edged with large, lush circles of Hosta foliage all season long.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Flowers\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, Hostas do flower, and some cultivars have quite beautiful blooms, mostly purplish, blue or white, on tall lily-like stems above the foliage. Hosta purists often nip off the flower stalks before they can bloom, preferring to throw all the growth into the all-important foliage of the plants. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 3","offer_id":46472324284655,"sku":"AM014315","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/hosta-variegated-mix_1.jpg?v=1761078801"},{"product_id":"perennial-veronica-tidal-pool","title":"Tidal Pool Veronica","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEveryone Loves Veronicas.\u003c\/strong\u003e  In perennial borders, they have always added great vertical interest with elegant spires of color.  They bloom for a long time, and are a snap to grow.  In addition, many of the species are native American wildflowers, making the hybrids at home in all our gardens. (Many call them by their other common name, Speedwell.) \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 2.5\" Pot","offer_id":46472324645103,"sku":"AM014314","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/veronica-tidal-pool-close-up_1.jpg?v=1761078802"},{"product_id":"perennial-astilbe-sister-theresa","title":"Sister Theresa Astilbe","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Astilbes:\u003c\/strong\u003e  Easy to grow, tough and hardy, Astilbes are now a mainstay in all good perennial gardens.  In fact, American gardeners are in the midst of a passionate love affair with Astilbes. Native to the far east, these beautiful plants and their hybrids have revolutionized the perennial possibilities of moist, shaded American gardens.  They are companions of ferns and our favorite annuals, impatiens--one of the few flowers that make big color in full or partial shade.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vast majority of the scores of hybrids now available are the work of one man, master hybridizer Georg Arends (Yes, that's why you keep seeing arendsii tacked onto hybrid names.) Mr. Arends, working in Ronsdorf, Germany spent decades hybridizing Sedums, Phlox, Campanulas....and his first love, Astilbes. In 1933, Arends introduced 74 different Astilbe cultivars, and there have been hundreds since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e These plume-flowered plants have ultra-handsome fern-like foliage, (usually dark glossy green) and stiff stems that always hold the elegant plumes aloft without any staking. Flower arrangers find the flower plumes are just as handsome in a vase as in a garden. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e From tiny dwarfs to big draping hybrids, Astilbes are all quite easy to grow, as long as their ground does not dry out for long.  They must have plenty of moisture, so choose your locations carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 3","offer_id":46472326480111,"sku":"AM014283","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/astilbe-arendsii-false-spirea-sister-theresa-pink.jpg?v=1775670204"},{"product_id":"perennial-violet-silver-gem","title":"Silver Gem Viola","description":"Viola Silver Gem’s sweet, light purple flowers will last from late spring into the fall months, creating an elegant statement in the shade garden. This tough groundcover is deep resistant and drought-tolerant, making it a versatile choice for many gardens.\u003cp\u003eExperienced gardeners have a strong love-hate relationship with violets, and it all depends on where they are planted.  Of course, everybody loves the flowers. Just keep them out of your regular flower garden, and use them under trees, in front of shrubs, and other places for patches of color and borders of groundcover-like violets alone.   Because they seed and spread rapidly, and if they spread throughout your other perennials, and in a year or two, you'll have a big job pulling them all out and cleaning everything up. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut just look at those flowers!  Who can resist?  Plant yours where you want them to spread, and you'll love them forever.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46827487625455,"sku":"AM014282","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/viola-silver-gem_1.jpg?v=1761078807"},{"product_id":"perennial-creeping-phlox-sherwood-purple","title":"Sherwood Purple Creeping Phlox","description":"\u003cp\u003e3-6\" x 6-12\" - it spreads! A woodland favorite, originally found along the streams and wooded areas of Appalachia, Creeping Phlox ‘Sherwood Purple’ lights up the May garden with a burst of fragrant, violet-purple flowers held high on 8-inch stems. An evergreen groundcover, it will spread where it’s happy. Plant in shade to part-shade locations in an area where it can spread, and water moderately. Once it’s established it is quite drought tolerant. Plant ‘Sherwood Purple’ with other spring blooming woodland bulbs for a cascade of color. Beautiful with ferns, Hellebore, Columbine, and Bleeding Heart. It is also an important source of spring nectar for our pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472327692527,"sku":"AM014277","price":16.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/creepin-phlox-sherwood-purple_800x800_floweristock-539363042_a.jpg?v=1761078810"},{"product_id":"perennial-trillium-rose","title":"Rose Trillium","description":"Also sometimes called the Nodding Trillium for obvious reasons, this one is particularly beautiful, but shy.  The flowers nod beneath the petals, with a hue of pastel pink or rose. The species name, catesbaei, is for the world-renowned plant explorer and botanical artist Mark Catesby, who visited the Carolinas, Florida and the Bahamas early in our history.  Today, his prints, like Audubons, are quite valuable.  \u003cp\u003eThe Rose Trillium (or Rosy Trillium or Catesbys Trillium) is one of the easiest to grow.   It is native to our southeastern highlands, but does well in most of the country with the right conditions--which means rich woodland soil in shade. Our trillium plants are nursery propagated from seed, and are 4 to 5 years old. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Trillium Tribe, and why its so famous.\u003c\/strong\u003e The classic 4-inch thick botanical reference work, Hortus Third, tells us that there are about 30 species of Trillium worldwide, but the majority of the species are native to North America.  A very few originate in Japan and Korea, none in Europe.  This is one reason that our colonists were so taken with these woodland beauties when they arrived. They had simply never seen anything like them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrilliums, as the name implies have everything in 3s--three leaves, three petals, etc.  And compared to the other spring flowers that bloom when winter is finally over in our cold climates, the Trilliums are the ones with large look-at-me flowers.  They were famous with the Indians before colonization, and instantly the stars of spring bloom with the colonists. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemember, when the colonists arrived, they arrived on our east coast which was totally wooded--big, primeval old growth forest, right down to the beaches.  And under these cathedral-like trees were the woodland native flowers--almost all species the Europeans had never seen.  Also, this is why almost all the native flowers of our east coast are woodland plants, not meadow wildflowers.  Of this famous original group of woodland wildflowers, which includes the Lady Slippers, Mayflower, Hepatica and many more, the Trilliums reigned supreme.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor centuries the flowers were picked heavily, which is unfortunate since a picked trillium is a dead trillium.  But it was the clearing of the forests for farming, a necessity for the colonists, that really devastated the woodland wildflowers.  We like to wring our hands about paving for interstates and new condominium projects today, but we needn't.  The damage was done long ago when our ancestors cleared the eastern forests for farming.  Of course, there are relatively small habitats left, and in recent years, our forested area has been enlarging, and woodland wildflower habitat has been restored in many places.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn any case, this elegant class of flowers, the Trilliums, are now recognized as precious and special, although they are not officially endangered.  In many areas, Trilliums are still very common. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWildflower gardeners love them, and it is true that most of them are not difficult to grow or transplant, and if conditions are good, they thrive.  However, it does help to know the facts.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHere's how they are propagated. \u003c\/strong\u003e Trilliums such as The Great White spread very slowly by underground root stocks, and the seed produced creates new plants even more slowly.  From a planted seed, it takes approximately five to nine years for a Trillium grandiflorum plant (the Great White Trillium) to bloom.  So when you see a massive drift of these in spring, you know you're looking at a bunch of plants that are at least a decade old, probably much older.  These plants are not daisies!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd how do they propagate themselves?  Well, \u003cem\u003eT. grandiflorum\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the wildflowers whose seeds are distributed by ants.  Yes, ants--not birds or bees, or the wind, but ants.  This is why the species creates large close drifts over the years.  Plants are never very far apart, since ants don't travel far.  So each clump of \u003cem\u003eT. grandiflorum\u003c\/em\u003e you see was planted where you see it by an ant. (They carry the seeds away when they fall from the plant because the ants enjoy the sticky covering each seed case has when it falls to the ground.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat brings us to the basic rarity of the Trilliums.  A big factor is that each flower produces only one seed case when it fades. (Everybody knows that most flowers--a daisy, for example, produces hundreds of loose seeds from each flower.) So even if the ants find the sticky seed case, and take it underground where the several seeds inside can grow, there simply aren't huge numbers of white trillium seeds being planted each year.  Other trillium species have various propagation strategies, but all take years and years. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow you have some idea of the value of these beautiful plants.  They are an important part of American botanical history, and deserve a place of honor in every American wildflower garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eHere are the best known species,\u003c\/strong\u003e with a little info on each: \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium grandiflorum, \u003c\/em\u003eGreat White Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e  The provincial flower of Ontario, and quite common there and around the Great Lakes. Also the official wildflower of Ohio, T. grandiflorum is native over most of the east, from Canada to Georgia, especially in neutral or non-acid soils. Large white flowers fade to pink; plants form large drifts. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium erectum, \u003c\/em\u003eRed Trillium. \u003c\/strong\u003eAlso called Wake Robin and Stinking Benjamin, the second because of the flowers unpleasant odor, said to be similar to rotting meat.  Propagated by flies.  Red to purple flowers; plants solitary in acid or alkaline woods. Native to the eastern forests from Canada to Georgia. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium undulatum, \u003c\/em\u003ePainted Trillium. \u003c\/strong\u003eSmaller than the Great White or Red, but with one of the most beautiful flowers--white with purplish\/red centers. Must have highly acidic soil; common in pine woods.  Native to forests from Canada to Georgia.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium Catesbaei, \u003c\/em\u003e Rosy Trillium or Catesby Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e One of the first Trilliums discovered and named for Mark Catesby, the famous early British plant explorer and artist. The Rosy Trillium has somewhat smallish blooms which nod below the leaves.  It is native to the Southeast, where Catesby visited. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium viride var luteum, \u003c\/em\u003eYellow Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e This unusual Trillium has mottled leaves and lemon yellow blooms that hold their petals high and never really open. It is often said to have a lemon scent, and is native from Kentucky south to Florida.  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium ovatum, \u003c\/em\u003eCoast Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a famous western trillium, much like T. grandiflorum in the east. Flowers are white, fading to pink. It is native from British Columbia through coastal forests all the way to central California.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472328446191,"sku":"AM014252","price":17.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/rose-trillium-pink-curled.jpg?v=1761078812"},{"product_id":"perennial-creeping-wintergreen","title":"Redwood® Creeping Wintergreen","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRedwood® Creeping Wintergreen\u003c\/strong\u003e is a charming, evergreen perennial groundcover that brings year-round beauty to shady spaces. This low-growing woodland native forms glossy, deep green mats that hug the soil, making it ideal for under trees, along shaded pathways, or in naturalized beds. In late spring to early summer, delicate bell-shaped flowers appear, followed by bright red berries that persist into fall and winter, adding cheerful color when the garden grows quiet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerfectly suited for partial to full shade, Redwood® Creeping Wintergreen thrives in cool, moist, acidic, well-draining soil. It spreads gradually by creeping stems, forming a dense carpet over time that helps suppress weeds and fill in bare areas—steady and dependable rather than aggressive. For the best berry production, plant more than one to encourage pollination and ensure a generous display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe berries are ornamental and enjoyed by wildlife,. They are generally considered non-toxic, however they are not intended as an edible food source for people or pets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith its evergreen foliage, charming blooms, and winter-bright berries, Redwood® Creeping Wintergreen is a graceful, low-maintenance solution for creating lush, shade-loving groundcover with four-season appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472328675567,"sku":"AM014246","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/gaultheria-procumbens-redwood-creeping-wintergreen.jpg?v=1761078812"},{"product_id":"perennial-trillium-red","title":"Red Trillium","description":"One of the most famous members of the famous Trillium family, the Red (or Purple) Trillium is known by several names, including Wake Robin. This beautiful wildflower is one of the easiest Trilliums to grow, since it is tolerant of acid or alkaline soils. Native all over the northern states from Maine to Michigan, and south to the Carolinas, mostly in mountains, the Red Trillium requires moist shade and rich woodland soil. The spring blooms are up to 4 in. across, and held high above the leaves on upright plants to 16 tall.  Like all Trilliums, everything appears in threes--three leaves, three petals. A real beauty for any shade garden. Our trillium plants are nursery propagated from seed. \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe Trillium Tribe, and why its so famous.\u003c\/strong\u003e The classic 4-inch thick botanical reference work, Hortus Third, tells us that there are about 30 species of Trillium worldwide, but the majority of the species are native to North America.  A very few originate in Japan and Korea, none in Europe.  This is one reason that our colonists were so taken with these woodland beauties when they arrived. They had simply never seen anything like them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrilliums, as the name implies have everything in 3s--three leaves, three petals, etc.  And compared to the other spring flowers that bloom when winter is finally over in our cold climates, the Trilliums are the ones with large look-at-me flowers.  They were famous with the Indians before colonization, and instantly the stars of spring bloom with the colonists. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemember, when the colonists arrived, they arrived on our east coast which was totally wooded--big, primeval old growth forest, right down to the beaches.  And under these cathedral-like trees were the woodland native flowers--almost all species the Europeans had never seen.  Also, this is why almost all the native flowers of our east coast are woodland plants, not meadow wildflowers.  Of this famous original group of woodland wildflowers, which includes the Lady Slippers, Mayflower, Hepatica and many more, the Trilliums reigned supreme.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor centuries the flowers were picked heavily, which is unfortunate since a picked trillium is a dead trillium.  But it was the clearing of the forests for farming, a necessity for the colonists, that really devastated the woodland wildflowers.  We like to wring our hands about paving for interstates and new condominium projects today, but we needn't.  The damage was done long ago when our ancestors cleared the eastern forests for farming.  Of course, there are relatively small habitats left, and in recent years, our forested area has been enlarging, and woodland wildflower habitat has been restored in many places.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn any case, this elegant class of flowers, the Trilliums, are now recognized as precious and special, although they are not officially endangered.  In many areas, Trilliums are still very common. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWildflower gardeners love them, and it is true that most of them are not difficult to grow or transplant, and if conditions are good, they thrive.  However, it does help to know the facts.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHere's how they are propagated. \u003c\/strong\u003e Trilliums such as The Great White spread very slowly by underground root stocks, and the seed produced creates new plants even more slowly.  From a planted seed, it takes approximately five to nine years for a Trillium grandiflorum plant (the Great White Trillium) to bloom.  So when you see a massive drift of these in spring, you kinow youre looking at a bunch of plants that are at least a decade old, probably much older.  These plants are not daisies!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd how do they propagate themselves?  Well, \u003cem\u003eT. grandiflorum\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the wildflowers whose seeds are distributed by ants.  Yes, ants--not birds or bees, or the wind, but ants.  This is why the species creates large close drifts over the years.  Plants are never very far apart, since ants don't travel far.  So each clump of \u003cem\u003eT. grandiflorum\u003c\/em\u003e you see was planted where you see it by an ant. (They carry the seeds away when they fall from the plant because the ants enjoy the sticky covering each seed case has when it falls to the ground.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat brings us to the basic rarity of the Trilliums.  A big factor is that each flower produces only one seed case when it fades. (Everybody knows that most flowers--a daisy, for example, produces hundreds of loose seeds from each flower.) So even if the ants find the sticky seed case, and take it underground where the several seeds inside can grow, there simply aren't huge numbers of white trillium seeds being planted each year.  Other trillium species have various propagation strategies, but all take years and years. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow you have some idea of the value of these beautiful plants.  They are an important part of American botanical history, and deserve a place of honor in every American wildflower garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eHere are the best known species,\u003c\/strong\u003e with a little info on each: \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium grandiflorum, \u003c\/em\u003eGreat White Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e  The provincial flower of Ontario, and quite common there and around the Great Lakes. Also the official wildflower of Ohio, T. grandiflorum is native over most of the east, from Canada to Georgia, especially in neutral or non-acid soils. Large white flowers fade to pink; plants form large drifts. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium erectum, \u003c\/em\u003eRed Trillium. \u003c\/strong\u003eAlso called Wake Robin and Stinking Benjamin, the second because of the flowers unpleasant odor, said to be similar to rotting meat.  Propagated by flies.  Red to purple flowers; plants solitary in acid or alkaline woods. Native to the eastern forests from Canada to Georgia. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium undulatum, \u003c\/em\u003ePainted Trillium. \u003c\/strong\u003eSmaller than the Great White or Red, but with one of the most beautiful flowers--white with purplish\/red centers. Must have highly acidic soil; common in pine woods.  Native to forests from Canada to Georgia.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium Catesbaei, \u003c\/em\u003e Rosy Trillium or Catesby Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e One of the first Trilliums discovered and named for Mark Catesby, the famous early British plant explorer and artist. The Rosy Trillium has somewhat smallish blooms which nod below the leaves.  It is native to the Southeast, where Catesby visited. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium viride var luteum, \u003c\/em\u003eYellow Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e This unusual trillium has mottled leaves and lemon yellow blooms that hold their petals high and never really open. It is often said to have a lemon scent, and is native from Kentucky south to Florida.  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrillium ovatum, \u003c\/em\u003eCoast Trillium.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a famous western trillium, much like T. grandiflorum in the east. Flowers are white, fading to pink. It is native from British Columbia through coastal forests all the way to central California. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472329036015,"sku":"AM014245","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/red-trillium_1.jpg?v=1773868855"},{"product_id":"perennial-japanese-painted-fern-red-beauty","title":"Red Beauty Japanese Painted Fern","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is one of the highly decorative Japanese Painted Ferns.  With burgundy highlights, it creates a dramatic background or accent in gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472329593071,"sku":"AM014240","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/RedBeautyPaintedFern.jpg?v=1779466903"},{"product_id":"perennial-hosta-patriot","title":"Patriot Hosta","description":"\u003cp\u003eHostas are shade lovers grown mostly for their beautiful foliage, and they're probably the very best plants for groundcover under trees in most parts of the U.S. Its simple: they're delighted to grow in shady spots where your grass will not. (They are super hardy in cold areas, but are somewhat difficult as far south as the Gulf Coast.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAny gardener who lives in the huge area where Hostas are popular knows them. Now with over 1000 named cultivars, there are Hosta collectors everywhere. Just choose your favorites from the small, medium, and large sizes, and an endless choice of leaf designs. The plants, members of the lily family, are native to Korea, China and Japan, and gardeners there have used them for centuries for landscaping. The craze for Hostas is more recent in the U.S.  And why not? They offer an endless variety of their wonderful fountain mound shape of handsome foliage--in lush shades of green, bluish-green, yellowish green, and all sorts of variegated types.  Nothing is easier to grow; in fact, most gardeners simply ignore them, and they form their beautiful round shapes all by themselves, year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePropagation is simple, too: \u003c\/strong\u003e If you've never divided a Hosta, let me tell you how simple and successful it can be.  I once volunteered to help a friend divide three or four large, old Hosta clumps into smaller plants to line a shady walk.  We began by digging them up, and then split the big fleshy root masses with a hatchet. Underground, Hostas are much like Daylilies, with fleshy, heavy masses of thick rootstocks. Once, we had the old clumps chopped into 8 or 10 equal-size pieces each, we simply dug a trench on both sides of the shady walk, and buried the pieces spaced evenly apart.  They looked fine on through that summer, and the very next spring, each one was up, healthy, and already formed into a perfect circle!  So don't think if you divide yours, you'll disturb that wonderful round fountain shape.  They just recover and create a new whorled circle wherever you put the divided pieces.  Today, that walk is edged with large, lush circles of Hosta foliage all season long.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Flowers\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, Hostas do flower, and some cultivars have quite beautiful blooms, mostly purplish, blue or white, on tall lily-like stems above the foliage. Hosta purists often nip off the flower stalks before they can bloom, preferring to throw all the growth into the all-important foliage of the plants. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472330772719,"sku":"AM014194","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/hosta-plantain-lily-patriot-garden.jpg?v=1761078817"},{"product_id":"perennial-coral-bells-heucherella-gold-zebra","title":"Gold Zebra Heucherella","description":"\u003cp\u003eA hybrid between Heuchera (coral bells) and Tiarella (foamflowers).   Foamy Bells combines the exceptional foliage colors from Heuchera and the patterns and shapes from Tiarella.  They take full sun or partial shade.  And while most of these are grown for their handsome foliage, many also have lovely flowers, some spectacular.  Best of all, the plants bloom for weeks and weeks. The flowers rise from a clump of leaves on elegant, thin stems which are lined with the small foam-like blooms. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472336802031,"sku":"AM015153","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/gold-zebra-heucherella.jpg?v=1761078823"},{"product_id":"perennial-bellflower-rapido-blue","title":"Rapido Blue Bellflower","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Rapido bellflower is considered an improvement on the older \"Clips\" series displaying excellent vigour and blooming up to 4 weeks earlier. Plants form a low, cushion-shaped mound of small green leaves, with loads of upfacing, open white bells appearing late spring through late summer. Will continue blooming for weeks if spent blossoms are regularly removed. Excellent choice for the rock garden, edging and in containers. Performs especially well in regions with cool nights during the summer. Plants should be divided every 2 to 4 years, in spring or fall.  Plant in rich, moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472337817839,"sku":"AM015146","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/campanula-carpatica-rapido-blue-bellflower-garden-purple-walters-garden.jpg?v=1761078825"},{"product_id":"perennial-bellflower-rapido-white","title":"Rapido White Bellflower","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Rapido bellflower is considered an improvement on the older \"Clips\" series displaying excellent vigour and blooming up to 4 weeks earlier. Plants form a low, cushion-shaped mound of small green leaves, with loads of upfacing, open white bells appearing late spring through late summer. Will continue blooming for weeks if spent blossoms are regularly removed. Excellent choice for the rock garden, edging and in containers. Performs especially well in regions with cool nights during the summer. Plants should be divided every 2 to 4 years, in spring or fall.  Plant in rich, moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472337948911,"sku":"AM015145","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/campanula-carpatica-rapido-white-bellflower-garden-walters-garden.jpg?v=1761078826"},{"product_id":"perennial-ornamental-carex-sedge-grass-evergold","title":"Evergold Sedge","description":"\u003cp\u003eA versatile and compact grass, Variegated Japanese Sedge Evergold can be tucked almost anywhere in the garden. Growing to be about 12” tall, the graceful, thin blades are complimented by a yellow stripe. Instantly adding depth and texture to any garden bed, this Ornamental Sedge is extremely low-maintenance once established. Evergold is an evergreen variety, and is critter resistant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472340078831,"sku":"AM015125","price":15.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/carex-evergold2.jpg?v=1761078831"},{"product_id":"perennial-geranium-biokovo","title":"Biokovo Geranium","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout The Hardy Geraniums. \u003c\/strong\u003e These fantastic perennials were not very well-known in North America until recent years, but have always been a favorite group in Europe. Now, American gardeners have really embraced them, and cant get enough.  Far different from windowbox geraniums, which are in a totally different botanical group, the hardy geraniums are tough perennials that bring to gardens what every gardener wants: compact plants with beautiful flowers and a long season of bloom.  Some bloom longer than others, but basically, long bloom is one big advantage of the hardy geraniums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA common name across all the species is Cranes Bill which refers to the sharp-pointed seed pod after flowering.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur wild species:\u003c\/strong\u003e There are about 20 species worldwide, and two magenta-flowered ones are well-known in the US as native plants.  Our Wild Geranium, or Wild Cranes Bill, \u003cem\u003eG. maculatum,\u003c\/em\u003e plus another with the curious name of Herb Robert are found over most of the east as treasured wildflowers, but their short season of bloom makes them non-competitors with the hybrids for garden space. Most of the garden favorites are crosses between species from Europe and Asia. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Blue:\u003c\/strong\u003e  The basic coloring of The Lilac Geranium from the Himalayas, for example, gives us many of the great blue selections. Most popular from this group is Johnsons Blue, a world favorite with large (1 1\/2 to 2) true blue flowers. Another from similar parentage is Brookside with even deeper blue flowers. And then theres the newer, spectacular blue-splashed white one called Splish Splash. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePurple\/Magenta\/White: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eGeranium sanguineum\u003c\/em\u003e, is a species native to northern Europe and Asia, and known as Bloody Cranes Bill due to its magenta flowers. It has become famous itself  (the wild form) and is now the most popular hardy geranium in the US.  One of the reasons is that it blooms almost all summer and fall.  A cultivar named  Maxfrei is a dwarf version, and a newer one, Elke has striking bi-colored flowers in magenta and white. Then theres the fantastic dwarf white one with pink veins in large white petals, called \u003cem\u003eGeranium sanguineum var striatum\u003c\/em\u003e, to me, the best-looking of them all.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePink:\u003c\/strong\u003e  Patricia is a favorite deep pink and is also one of the larger plants, up to 36.  Another sensational pink one thats only about 12 high  is Ballerina, from the \u003cem\u003eG. cinereum\u003c\/em\u003e species with large striped pink petals and dark centers, almost like a bicolored petunia. And more recently, Purple Pillow from this group gives us really red flowers with a purple sheen. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou cant have too many hardy geraniums. They are wonderful as edging in the front of a border, and equally impressive as mounded specimen plants anywhere.  If theyre sheared after bloom, many will do a complete repeat performance for you before fall.  If you dont have them in your garden, start your collection now.  Youll love them all.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472341160175,"sku":"AM015113","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/geranium-biokovo-flowers-close.jpg?v=1761078834"},{"product_id":"perennial-ginger-arrow-leaf","title":"Arrow Leaf Ginger","description":"\u003cp\u003e Arrow-Leaf Ginger, also known as \u003cem\u003eAsarum arifolium\u003c\/em\u003e, is native. This plant should not be confused with 'wild ginger' - the deciduous \u003cem\u003eAsarum canadense\u003c\/em\u003e.   \u003cem\u003eAsarum arifolium\u003c\/em\u003e has pointy shaped leaves and is slightly taller. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Ginger is a beautiful green low growing ground cover, perfect for shaded woodland areas. Good for edging and naturalizing. All ginger can be slow growing, so have patience as it can take some time for it to become established and spread.  It’s definitely worth the wait once it starts to grow!  In the early spring months be careful when walking or raking out woodland gardens.  Ginger produces unique purple flowers or jug like blossoms that are truly different than other perennials. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472341749999,"sku":"AM015110","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/ginger_arrow_leaf.jpg?v=1761078836"},{"product_id":"perennial-candy-tuft-alexanders-white","title":"Alexander's White Candy Tuft","description":"\u003cp\u003eCandy Tuft or Iberis sempervirens is an amazing petite blooming ground cover.  It requires well-draining soils and lots of sun, perfect for rock gardens or border plantings.  This charming perennial is a great addition to any garden bed as long as it’s not very wet or shaded.  It’s a relatively fast grower that is very easy to maintain.  Its foliage is semi evergreen and after it blooms you can clip back any of the dead blossoms and it will maintain its green shape for the rest of the season. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472342307055,"sku":"AM015097","price":8.65,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/candy-tuft-alexander-white.jpg?v=1773772314"},{"product_id":"perennial-delosperma-fire-wonder","title":"Fire Wonder Ice Plant","description":"\u003cp\u003eIce Plant is the bright-flowered groundcover so common and loved on the West Coast, but hardly known at all in the east. Its a succulent, a lot like a short Sedum, but the flowers are the big thing--look at those sizzling hot pink daisies. Everybody loves them, and the plant spreads rapidly with trailing runners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy are these plants so popular out west?\u003c\/strong\u003e Visit the Pacific coast, all the way from San Diego up to Seattle, and you'll see these little bright daisies everywhere--edging walks, filling planters, and adding great color under foundation plantings. Why don't we see them more in the east? See the story below, and get some going in your garden! Pick a site with full sun and gritty, sharp-draining soil, and add them to your garden. You'll be amazed at the big show!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e The Ice Plant story. \u003c\/strong\u003eGarden expert Todd Boland, a horticulturalist at The College of the North Atlantic, in Newfoundland, explains it all in one of his articles at DavesGarden.com.  It seems a famous garden expert named Panayoti Kelaidis of the Denver Botanical Garden is almost single-handedly responsible for introducing these beauties to the US. They are from South Africa, and Mr. Kelaidis traveled there to find new plants suitable for growing in the dry, gritty soils of our western states. The Delospermas he introduced are now great favorites, especially in California. But as Mr. Boland points out, there's no reason eastern and mid-western gardeners cant enjoy Ice Plants. Mr. Boland actually brings \u003cem\u003eD. cooperi\u003c\/em\u003e, one of the most cold-hardy, through his wet cold winters in Newfoundland, so don't worry about the plants hardiness!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe name?\u003c\/strong\u003e They're called Ice Plants because the succulent leaves produce clear crystals that glint in the sun and sometimes seem to appear as frost.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472342569199,"sku":"AM015096","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/delosperma-fire-wonder1.jpg?v=1761078838"},{"product_id":"perennial-sedum-lime-twister","title":"Lime Twister Sedum","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Sedums: \u003c\/strong\u003eThese perennial plants enjoy gritty, fast-draining soil, and must have full hot sun.  They are really desert plants, so give them sharp drainage. (Sedums are often called Succulents, due to their thickened moisture-retentive leaves, and yes, the short ones include the famous Hen and Chicks from grandmothers garden.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce sedums are established, you've assured yourself of loads of perennial interest for the later months when most garden flowers are gone.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472343159023,"sku":"AM015085","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/sedum-lime-twister-stonecrop-close-up-flowers.jpg?v=1761078841"},{"product_id":"perennial-lily-of-the-valley-rosea","title":"Rosea Lily of the Valley","description":"\u003cp\u003e Lily of the Valley is the super-hardy, highly scented early spring plant that makes a lovely green mat in any moist shady spot, spreading every year. The foliage is sort of like a solid green miniature Hosta, and you know the flowers. One of the great things about Lily of the Valley is the way the foliage stays rich and green all summer long. If you've never seen them before, don't be shocked by the tiny roots called pips.  They're supposed to be that small, and are a snap to grow.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 3","offer_id":46472343716079,"sku":"AM015078","price":17.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/lily-of-the-valley-rosea.jpg?v=1761078842"},{"product_id":"perennial-hosta-fire-ice","title":"Fire and Ice Hosta","description":"\u003cp\u003eHostas are shade lovers grown mostly for their beautiful foliage, and they're probably the very best plants for groundcover under trees in most parts of the U.S. Its simple: they're delighted to grow in shady spots where your grass will not. (They are super hardy in cold areas, but are somewhat difficult as far south as the Gulf Coast).\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAny gardener who lives in the huge area where Hostas are popular knows them. Now with over 1000 named cultivars, there are Hosta collectors everywhere. Just choose your favorites from the small, medium, and large sizes, and an endless choice of leaf designs. The plants, members of the lily family, are native to Korea, China and Japan, and gardeners there have used them for centuries for landscaping. The craze for Hostas is more recent in the U.S.  And why not? They offer an endless variety of their wonderful fountain mound shape of handsome foliage--in lush shades of green, bluish-green, yellowish green, and all sorts of variegated types.  Nothing is easier to grow; in fact, most gardeners simply ignore them, and they form their beautiful round shapes all by themselves, year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePropagation is simple, too: \u003c\/strong\u003e If you've never divided a Hosta, let me tell you how simple and successful it can be.  I once volunteered to help a friend divide three or four large, old Hosta clumps into smaller plants to line a shady walk.  We began by digging them up, and then split the big fleshy root masses with a hatchet. Underground, Hostas are much like Daylilies, with fleshy, heavy masses of thick rootstocks. Once, we had the old clumps chopped into 8 or 10 equal-size pieces each, we simply dug a trench on both sides of the shady walk, and buried the pieces spaced evenly apart.  They looked fine on through that summer, and the very next spring, each one was up, healthy, and already formed into a perfect circle!  So don't think if you divide yours, you'll disturb that wonderful round fountain shape.  They just recover and create a new whorled circle wherever you put the divided pieces.  Today, that walk is edged with large, lush circles of Hosta foliage all season long. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Flowers\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes, Hostas do flower, and some cultivars have quite beautiful blooms, mostly purplish, blue or white, on tall lily-like stems above the foliage. Hosta purists often nip off the flower stalks before they can bloom, preferring to throw all the growth into the all-important foliage of the plants.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472344207599,"sku":"AM015072","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/hosta-fire-ice.jpg?v=1761078844"},{"product_id":"perennial-creeping-phlox-amazing-grace","title":"Amazing Grace Creeping Phlox","description":"\u003cp\u003e4-6\" tall x 12-18\" wide. ‘Amazing Grace’ Creeping Phlox is a no-fuss groundcover for edging flower beds, lining pathways, and carpeting rock gardens. Don’t let the delicate beauty of ‘Amazing Grace’ fool you, this is a tough little plant. Tolerant of hot, dry conditions once established, creeping phlox is widely adaptable. Plants thrive in full sun but tolerate light shade, especially in hot climates. Easy to grow in average to sandy soils, but also tolerant of clay soils as long as they are well-drained. Avoid over-watering plants. Creeping phlox is deer and rabbit resistant. A low-maintenance plant, ‘Amazing Grace’ does not require any special care, though plants can be trimmed back after flowering to encourage a flush of new growth and dense habit. Perfect for waterwise gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCreeping Phlox is a favorite perennial groundcover in all growing regions. Cold hardy and heat tolerant, it creates a colorful carpet of low-growing, cheerful blooms that appear each spring atop a deep green mat of evergreen foliage. A rapid spreader, Creeping Phlox is masterful at filling spaces in between trees, rolling down gentle slopes or steep banks, and covering areas that are hard to care for with its solid swath of color. Very dependable  and tolerant of many soil types. Deer resistant. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472346271983,"sku":"AM013937","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/creeping-phlox-amazing-close-up-flowers_1.jpg?v=1761078853"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/collections\/hiro-takashima-groundcover-perennial.jpg?v=1774898876","url":"https:\/\/www.americanmeadows.com\/collections\/groundcover-perennial-plants.oembed?page=5","provider":"American Meadows","version":"1.0","type":"link"}