{"title":"Perennials For Bouquets","description":"\u003cdiv title=\"Shop Perennials For Bouquets\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese long-stemmed perennials are perfect for fresh-cut arrangements—bringing color, fragrance, and form from garden to vase.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"perennial-shasta-daisy-real-sunbeam","title":"Real Sunbeam Shasta Daisy","description":"\u003cp\u003eCheerful blooms abound with 'Real Sunbeam' Shasta Daisy. With blooms 3-4 inches across, this perennial is a summer garden essential, flowering from early summer into fall. Deadhead spent flowers to keep more blooms coming, and enjoy some in summer bouquets, too. Happy in full sun to part sun and not fussy, it will thrive in average, well-draining soil, and is drought tolerant once established. At 18-20 inches tall and 18-20 inches wide, 'Real Sunbeam' mixes into a perennial bed where its lush yellow will lift the pinks, purples, and blues of garden favorites such as Delphinium, Echinacea, Penstemon, and Coreopsis. Leucanthemum superbum can be toxic to dogs and cats and may cause skin and eye irritation. USPPP\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472243511535,"sku":"AM019696","price":13.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/leucanthemum-real-sunbeam-close-up.jpg?v=1761078661"},{"product_id":"perennial-phlox-nicky","title":"Nicky Phlox","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy Phlox should be the backbone of your garden.\u003c\/strong\u003e  They're beautiful.  They're easy. And no matter what else you grow, you cant beat their display. In fact, probably no group of plants adds more color to American perennial gardens than phlox.  They just happen to be the perfect plant--tall enough to show the flowers over the others, heavy bloomers at the right time with big colorful flower heads, and best of all--a nice long season of bloom. Most every good perennial garden has an extra measure of phlox plants. In yours, plant a few and then notice which do the best, and then get more of those.  Repeated color groups in the garden assure the great colorful display everyone wants. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe one problem: Mildew. Be ready.\u003c\/strong\u003e There's no escaping it. All Tall Garden Phlox (except the famously mildew-resistant David) are usually attacked by powdery mildew.  Its a sort of gray dust-like blight you'll start noticing on the leaves, just as the plants have grown up and are getting ready to bloom.  The minute you see it, go directly to the garden center and buy a container of fungicide for phlox mildew. I know it sounds like trouble, but its really not, and believe me, its worth it.  If you ignore the mildew, your beautiful phlox plants will be an ugly shriveled mess in just a couple of weeks. It doesn't kill the plants, it just ruins them for the year.  Some say good air circulation prevents it, but don't you believe it.  Phlox simply get mildew, and you need to spray, probably just once...then your plants will go right on and bloom all summer for you with beautiful leaves and flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThey're great for cutting, too.\u003c\/strong\u003e Need a big bouquet?  Just of few of these multi-flowered stems will do the trick, with lovely fragrance and fabulous color. Add a few lilies, and you have a knock-out arrangement anyone can do.  So be sure to grow enough phlox for cutting, too.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter bloom, simply cut down the flower stems about halfway,  (Its not botanically correct, but lots of gardeners snap them; the strong stiff stems snap off easily) and your tough, hardy plants will be ready to light up for you again next year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes, they're North American Natives.\u003c\/strong\u003e Very few American gardeners know it, but almost all phlox species are North American wildflowers, as native as our goldenrods and black-eyed susans.  But since we ignored them for years, European hybridizers (mostly German) took the wild versions back to Europe and created the fantastic hybrids we all enjoy today. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472244461807,"sku":"AM014173","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/phlox-paniculata-garden-phlox-purple-nicky-garden.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-aster-frikartii-monch","title":"Monch Frikart's Aster","description":"\u003cp\u003e24-36\" tall x 18-24\" wide. Aster ‘Frikartii Monch’, also known as Frikart’s Aster and Wonder of Staffa is one of the earliest-blooming asters to be found. A standout in border plantings and in the cottage garden, this light lavender-blue variety attracts a flurry of pollinator activity to its nectar-rich blooms. Healthy, deep-green foliage is quick-growing and resistant to disease, lending a sense of fullness to beds. Covered in flowers for much of the season, Frikartii Monch prefers full sun and average soil but will settle for part shade and a moister site. Winter hardy to zone 5.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472245149935,"sku":"AM014156","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/aster-frikartii-monch-with-grass_2.jpg?v=1761078665"},{"product_id":"perennial-salvia-marcus","title":"Marcus® Meadow Sage","description":"\u003cp\u003eSalvia, also known as Meadow Sage, is an extremely easy-to-grow perennial, boasting colorful flower spikes that add both texture and color to the spring and summer garden. Salvia is also loved by gardeners for being drought tolerant, long-blooming and deer resistant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472246558959,"sku":"AM014139","price":9.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/salvia-marcus-1.jpg?v=1761078668"},{"product_id":"perennial-russian-sage-little-spire","title":"Little Spire Russian Sage","description":"\u003cp\u003eRussian Sage is a must have in any garden. The true-blue blooms are one of the most rare colors in flowers and this variety does not disappoint. Lovely, bright blue spikes continue for weeks on large plants, making them a versatile component of almost any garden.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472246984943,"sku":"AM014133","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/russian-sage-little-spire.jpg?v=1761078668"},{"product_id":"perennial-hydrangea-limelight","title":"Limelight Hydrangea","description":"Limelight brings luscious lime green to a large arching shrub that will add beauty all through summer and fall.  Like all hydrangeas, the plant is tough and carefree. \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAbout Hydrangeas:\u003c\/strong\u003e These popular shrubs, also called Hortensia, all have rounded flower clusters that persist through summer and fall.  There are several types, since there are several species of the plant the hybridizers work with:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eH. macrophylla\u003c\/em\u003e or French Hydrangeas. \u003c\/strong\u003e These, the most popular, form non-rangy, attractive shrubs about 6 to 8 ft. tall, and are famed for their big, colorful ball-like flowers, usually blue or pink.  The popular group here is called Mophead hydrangeas.  Artificially shortened versions are sold in pots on Easter and Mothers Day, and the blooms are florists favorites, always popular for wedding decorations. In addition to the mopheads (solid ball of flowers), there are also lacecap versions of these hydrangeas. (H. macrophylla is native to the Far East.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eH. arborescens,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e a US native, includes the widely-planted, Annabelle.  Much like the Mopheads, Annabelle is a shorter hydrangea with huge rounded flower clusters in pure white. This is the one famous for flowers so large they often weigh down the branches, needing special support.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eH. paniculata,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is a larger species, much taller than the Mopheads.  The flower clusters are more cone-shaped, rather than round. The plant in this group is more rangy than the shorter types, but can be controlled by pruning. The famous Pee Gee hydrangea, often grown as a small tree is in this group, and was imported from Japan in the late 19th century. There are also newer H. paniculata hybrids, including the beautiful greenish-flowered one called Limelight. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Other Types:\u003c\/strong\u003e There are several other important hydrangeas.  The tall native Oakleaf hydrangea (sometimes considered a small tree) is also a variety of the species, \u003cem\u003eH. paniculata.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThere is a great website all about Hydrangeas\u003c\/strong\u003e called Hydrangeas! Hydrangeas! \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com\"\u003e Click here to visit.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 4\" Pot","offer_id":46472247476463,"sku":"AM014131","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/hydrangea-limelight_1.jpg?v=1761078669"},{"product_id":"perennial-russian-sage-lacey-blue","title":"Lacey Blue Russian Sage","description":"\u003cp\u003eDwarf Russian Sage only grows to be about 12-18\" in height and boasts blooms larger than most! This deer-resistant beauty brings extended color to the sun or partial shade garden, blooming from mid-summer until early fall. A must-have in most zones!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472248393967,"sku":"AM014113","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/perovskia-atriplicifolia-russian-sage-lacey-blue-pot-container.jpg?v=1761078669"},{"product_id":"perennial-peony-karl-rosenfield","title":"Karl Rosenfield Peony","description":"\u003cp\u003e24-36\" tall x 24-36\" wide. An old-fashioned hybrid with everlasting appeal, ‘Karl Rosenfield’ produces a dizzying display of vibrant blooms each year. The double flowers open to reveal bright yellow centers for eye-catching contrast. Sturdy stems are excellent for cutting and the fragrant flowers have a long vase life. The buoyant blooms atop broad, deep cut leaves make a stunning early-season accent in mixed borders. After flowering, lush, dark green foliage and a rounded habit provide an architectural backdrop and season-long structure. Foliage often turns a deep burgundy red in autumn. Peonies are robust, cold-hardy plants with low maintenance requirements. Plant them in a sunny location for best flowering and remove spent blooms as they fade. Cut plants back after the foliage dies down in autumn. Peonies are long-lived and do not require dividing. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  If you live where peonies grow, its the same every year in late spring. Certain homes have them in beds, borders, along drives--and anywhere they grow, they create probably the most beautiful clump of flowering of the whole season. Big, usually fluffy flowers in glossy green foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerennial peonies are what experienced gardeners call investment plants. They're some of the most permanent landscaping you can buy.  In fact, many continue blooming beautifully for over 100 years. Once they're established, they're as hardy and dependable as oaks, creating a fantastic season of bloom in your yard year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePlanting Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e Adding peonies to your garden is not difficult.  All you need is full sun and good soil.  (In even partial shade, the bloom will be scant or non-existent--keep them out in the sun!)  As most gardeners know, the roots look like a bunch of carrots--thick long tapering tuber-like masses that increase every year. Feed them, water them, and the clumps will expand rapidly, and more and more blooms will result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTypes of peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  The standard perennial peony species is \u003cem\u003ePaeonia lactiflora\u003c\/em\u003e but within the species, there are thousands of hybrids old and new.  And there are several flower types:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the huge, wide-open ones with just one row of overlapping petals. Like huge poppies, they create dinnerplate-size beauty that's really unmatched in the garden.  The singles are less frequently seen in American gardens because of our passion for petals-people just prefer the doubles. One of the most famous singles is the breathtaking Krinkled White, an old classic and still a big favorite. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e, not to be confused with Tree Peonies which often come from Japan, is a flower form somewhat similar to the singles, but with a more elaborate center.  A great example is the big favorite,  stunning Bowl of Beauty, with glistening cherry red petals petals plus fluffy yellow center, creating spectacular color contrast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSemi-double Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are just that. They have the basic bottom row of large petals seen on the singles (often called the guard petals), but on top, there are more shorter petals, developing from the center.  A great example is the beautiful red Edulis Superba.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBomb Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the ones with the guard petals flat and large, with a pile of petaling sitting upon them-sort of like a fluffly snowball sitting on a plate. Some of the most-loved and dramatic peonies are bombs including the magnificent Laura Dessert and the dramatic Raspberry Sundae  As these two illustrate, there are bombs of various shapes and sizes.  With Raspberry Sundae, the large bomb not only adds size and height, it gives the overall bloom a stunning palette of three colors-white guard petals, a collar of yellow, and then pastel pink making up the center.  In Laura Dessert, the coloring is all white, with a hint of lemon yellow in the bomb. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDouble Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are probably the most popular, and the most widely planted.  Excellent examples are the famous Victorian introduction, Festiva Maxima with its snowy white flowers with red flecks, and Sarah Bernhardt, the all-time popular double pink with huge flowers and great fragrance. Other popular doubles are the red Karl Rosenfield and white Shirley Temple. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's really no end to a gardeners pleasure with peonies.  They're all good for cutting.  The foliage stays glossy and green all summer long, and they attract almost no pests. (Don't confuse the standard perennial peony with the Tree Peony, a separate group. Tree Peonies are more shrub like, and don't die down completely each winter.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaking:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is important, since once a peony is established, the heavy flowers are often too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down in the mud. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring.  With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale.  Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open. Where to find Peony Rings? GardenersSupply.com has great ones which I've used, and I recommend them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472248787183,"sku":"AM014110","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/paeonia-karl-rosenfield-peony-visi34378-cropped.jpg?v=1761078670"},{"product_id":"perennial-hydrangea-incrediball","title":"Incrediball® Snowball Hydrangea","description":"Hydrangea Annabelle has always been the most popular in this group.  But this new entry is gaining.  Incredi-Ball is well named.  The flower heads are huge--up to a full foot across.  They open lime green, then turn snow white, and are on the shrub for months.  But the big news here is the stems--they're strong, so the huge flowers don't weigh down the branches as Annabelle's do.  A great new hybrid. \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAbout Hydrangeas:\u003c\/strong\u003e These popular shrubs, also called Hortensia, all have rounded flower clusters that persist through summer and fall.  There are several types, since there are several species of the plant the hybridizers work with:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eH. macrophylla\u003c\/em\u003e or French Hydrangeas. \u003c\/strong\u003e These, the most popular, form non-rangy, attractive shrubs about 4 to 5 ft. tall, and are famed for their big, colorful ball-like flowers, usually blue or pink.  The popular group here is called Mophead hydrangeas.  Artificially shortened versions are sold in pots on Easter and Mothers Day, and the blooms are florists favorites, always popular for wedding decorations. In addition to the mopheads (solid ball of flowers), there are also lacecap versions of these hydrangeas. (H. macrophylla is native to the Far East.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eH. arborescens,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e a US native, includes the widely-planted, Annabelle.  Much like the Mopheads, Annabelle is a shorter hydrangea with huge rounded flower clusters in pure white. This is the one famous for flowers so large they often weigh down the branches, needing special support.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eH. paniculata,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is a larger species, much taller than the Mopheads.  The flower clusters are more cone-shaped, rather than round. The plant in this group is more rangy than the shorter types, but can be controlled by pruning. The famous Pee Gee hydrangea, often grown as a small tree is in this group, and was imported from Japan in the late 19th century. There are also newer H. paniculata hybrids, including the beautiful greenish-flowered one called Limelight. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Other Types:\u003c\/strong\u003e There are several other important hydrangeas.  The tall native Oakleaf hydrangea (sometimes considered a small tree) is also a variety of the species, \u003cem\u003eH. paniculata.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThere is a great website all about Hydrangeas\u003c\/strong\u003e called Hydrangeas! Hydrangeas! \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com\"\u003e Click here to visit.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 4\" Pot","offer_id":46472249508079,"sku":"AM014106","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/hydrangea-incrediball_1.jpg?v=1761078672"},{"product_id":"perennial-coral-bells-heuchera-georgia-peach","title":"Georgia Peach Coral Bells","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA whole new group for your garden.\u003c\/strong\u003e Coral Bells, or the \u003cem\u003eHeuchera\u003c\/em\u003e are a group of small perennials commonly found as native plants in North American woodlands, and they've been ignored until recently.  During the 1990s, some  enterprising US nurserymen realized the Coral Bells were diamonds in the rough, and went to work. Their efforts have created a mini-sensation in the world of perennials, as more and more gardeners discover these great plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Some of the natives are alpines from the Rockies, others are dwellers in lowland southeastern forests. But all have several wonderful things in common.  They have beautiful foliage, with large leaves in several colors that remind many of grape leaves, and the foliage lasts through the winter.  With hybridization, some of the foliage colors have become truly spectacular, with rich shades and fascinating bi-colors. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow there are new \u003cem\u003eHeuchera\u003c\/em\u003e hybrids almost every year, and the group gains popularity all the time.  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 bell-like blooms.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472250392815,"sku":"AM014066","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/heuchera-georgia-peach-coral-bells-brer03445_1.jpg?v=1761078674"},{"product_id":"perennial-peony-festiva-maxima","title":"Festiva Maxima Peony","description":"\u003cp\u003e34-36\" tall x 24-36\" wide. This world-famous peony was introduced in 1851 and has charmed gardeners ever since. ‘Festiva Maxima’ explodes each summer with an abundance of silky, pure-white petals accented with flecks of crimson. Young flower buds are laced in red and perfect for cutting just as they begin to crack open. After flowering, the deep-cut foliage makes a beautiful backdrop for subsequent blooms. Plant ‘Festiva Maxima’ in display and cutting gardens or anywhere you can enjoy their delightful fragrance. Peonies enjoy spring rains but are also drought tolerant once established. Dependable and long-lived, peonies require little care and experience few pest problems. Peonies thrive in abundant sunshine and rich, well-drained soils. Plants benefit from staking with rings after planting to hold bloom-laden stems upright. ‘Festiva Maxima’ is a dependable double peony for southern gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  If you live where peonies grow, its the same every year in late spring. Certain homes have them in beds, borders, along drives--and anywhere they grow, they create probably the most beautiful clump of flowering of the whole season. Big, usually fluffy flowers in glossy green foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerennial peonies are what experienced gardeners call investment plants. They're some of the most permanent landscaping you can buy.  In fact, many continue blooming beautifully for over 100 years. Once they're established, they're as hardy and dependable as oaks, creating a fantastic season of bloom in your yard year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePlanting Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e Adding peonies to your garden is not difficult.  All you need is full sun and good soil.  (In even partial shade, the bloom will be scant or non-existent--keep them out in the sun!)  As most gardeners know, the roots look like a bunch of carrots--thick long tapering tuber-like masses that increase every year. Feed them, water them, and the clumps will expand rapidly, and more and more blooms will result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTypes of peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  The standard perennial peony species is \u003cem\u003ePaeonia lactiflora\u003c\/em\u003e but within the species, there are thousands of hybrids old and new.  And there are several flower types:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the huge, wide-open ones with just one row of overlapping petals. Like huge poppies, they create dinnerplate-size beauty that's really unmatched in the garden.  The singles are less frequently seen in American gardens because of our passion for petals-people just prefer the doubles. One of the most famous singles is the breathtaking Krinkled White, an old classic and still a big favorite. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e, not to be confused with Tree Peonies which often come from Japan, is a flower form somewhat similar to the singles, but with a more elaborate center.  A great example is the big favorite,  stunning Bowl of Beauty, with glistening cherry red petals petals plus fluffy yellow center, creating spectacular color contrast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSemi-double Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are just that. They have the basic bottom row of large petals seen on the singles (often called the guard petals), but on top, there are more shorter petals, developing from the center.  A great example is the beautiful red Edulis Superba.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBomb Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the ones with the guard petals flat and large, with a pile of petaling sitting upon them-sort of like a fluffly snowball sitting on a plate. Some of the most-loved and dramatic peonies are bombs including the magnificent Laura Dessert and the dramatic Raspberry Sundae  As these two illustrate, there are bombs of various shapes and sizes.  With Raspberry Sundae, the large bomb not only adds size and height, it gives the overall bloom a stunning palette of three colors-white guard petals, a collar of yellow, and then pastel pink making up the center.  In Laura Dessert, the coloring is all white, with a hint of lemon yellow in the bomb. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDouble Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are probably the most popular, and the most widely planted.  Excellent examples are the famous Victorian introduction, Festiva Maxima with its snowy white flowers with red flecks, and Sarah Bernhardt, the all-time popular double pink with huge flowers and great fragrance. Other popular doubles are the red Karl Rosenfield and white Shirley Temple. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's really no end to a gardeners pleasure with peonies.  They're all good for cutting.  The foliage stays glossy and green all summer long, and they attract almost no pests. (Don't confuse the standard perennial peony with the Tree Peony, a separate group. Tree Peonies are more shrub like, and don't die down completely each winter.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaking:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is important, since once a peony is established, the heavy flowers are often too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down in the mud. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring.  With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale.  Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open. Where to find Peony Rings? GardenersSupply.com has great ones which I've used, and I recommend them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472251539695,"sku":"AM014054","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/paeonia-peony-festiva-maxima-close-up_1.jpg?v=1761078677"},{"product_id":"perennial-echinacea-white-swan","title":"White Swan Echinacea","description":"This is the white version of our famous plains native called Purple Coneflower, but better known today by its botanical name: \u003cem\u003eEchinacea.\u003c\/em\u003e  \u003cp\u003eFor years before it was a favorite of the herbal medicine industry, it was always one of the loveliest wildflowers on the plains. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis large pink-to-purple daisy is a mainstay of all well-grown wildflower meadows, and is also a major colormaker in perennial borders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can easily grow the standard version of this great native plant from our seed (See our \u003ca href=\"\/products\/white-coneflower-wildflower-seeds-alba\"\u003eWildflower Seed Department\u003c\/a\u003e) but to save a year or more, and enjoy the hybrid forms,  its really easy to plug in these plants.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472252391663,"sku":"AM014046","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/echinacea-white-swan-coneflower-garden.jpg?v=1761078678"},{"product_id":"perennial-echinacea-hot-coral","title":"Sombrero Poco™ Hot Coral Echinacea","description":"\u003cp\u003eSombrero Poco™ Hot Coral Echinacea is a sturdy, compact coneflower that makes a bold statement with an abundance of bright, non-fading blooms. Beautiful in the garden and as a cut flower. Its' compact growth habit makes it an excellent choice for the front of a border, in containers, or tucked into small spaces throughout your garden. Echinacea is known to be bee friendly, butterfly attracting, and to have attractive seed heads that add winter interest and provide food for migrating birds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSombrero Poco™ Hot Coral was featured as a top performer in a \u003ca tabindex=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/mtcubacenter.org\/research\/trial-garden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eMt Cuba Center Trial Garden\u003c\/a\u003e Research Report. These reports evaluate native plants and related cultivars for horticultural and ecological value, highlighting the ecosystem services they provide.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472252784879,"sku":"AM014045","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/sombrero-poco-hot-coral-echinacea-mtcuba-1.jpg?v=1761078679"},{"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-cardinal-flower-red","title":"Cardinal Flower","description":"The stunning Cardinal Flower is one of our most famous native plants, and usually called Americas most vivid native flower.  Each summer, brilliant red Cardinal Flower lights up the August woods all over the east, and new generations of hikers are always thrilled when they come across it in our forests.  Of course, the fact that it does not bloom in spring, but adds color later, makes it of huge value in a wild garden.\u003cp\u003eThis famous plant is native all the way from Quebec and Minnesota south to Florida and Texas. It is so beautiful it is over picked and now quite rare in some areas.  However, if conditions are right (wet, mostly) it will grow easily, even in full sun, but is usually found as a woodland beauty along streambanks or near ponds where the soil is always moist.  It is even happy growing right in the shallow water of small creeks and brooks. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tells you that you must supply constant moisture for Cardinal Flower, and if you do, the rewards are spectacular.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Lobelia cardinalis\u003c\/strong\u003e  Allen Armitage, the famous perennial expert writes in his Armitages Native Plants that Cardinal Flower is a short lived perennial but if...(conditions are good)... it will return many years.  This is correct.  It is not difficult to grow at all; it is simply difficult to maintain a clump of plants over the years, unless you are attentive.  Armitage tells us he believes the plants do best in full sun.  I found the opposite growing them in Vermont.  But sun or shade, the most important item is the moisture.  The roots should never really dry out.  We had many growing along a small brook in the middle of a wooded garden (See photo above).  All went well, and the plants performed with bigger and bigger flower spikes each year, until.....we had a spring flood one year. The brook raged out of its banks, and the rushing water uprooted all the plants and swept them away.  So that year, we had to start over with new plants.  They have very shallow roots, and come out of the mud easily.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis wild beauty is one that you must watch, and you'll learn to love it.  It grows quickly and easily, but it has two very powerful enemies--people who love to pick it, destroying the display, and either too little or too much (rushing) water.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472255308015,"sku":"AM013990","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/cardinal-flower-lobelia-cardinalis-flowers.jpg?v=1761078684"},{"product_id":"perennial-salvia-caradonna","title":"Caradonna Meadow Sage","description":"Caradonna adds drama to the Salvia group. Its stems are dark purple, appearing jet black in some light, and adding great contrast with the blue flowers. This plant is a head-turner.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472255733999,"sku":"AM013989","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/salvia-caradonna-sage-purple.jpg?v=1761078684"},{"product_id":"perennial-butterfly-bush-hot-raspberry","title":"Buzz® Hot Raspberry Butterfly Bush","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Magic: How the Butterfly Bush works: \u003c\/strong\u003e Buddleia or Butterfly Bush has been a sensation in American gardens for years, and no wonder.  This plant is easy to grow, blooms profusely, and has that magical quality:  Butterflies can’t resist it.   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere's why: It’s not just the pretty flowers that attract the butterflies, like any bright flower.  Buddleias emit a special honey-scented fragrance that lures butterflies like a moth to a light, and then once there, they find the flowers super-rich in nectar.  \u003c\/p\u003e\nA butterfly bush in the garden will often be seen with a mass of butterflies on the flowers, especially during hot sunny afternoons.  Buddleias attract other insects too, like moths, and the reddish ones strongly attract hummingbirds.  So it’s more than a name; it’s actually a botanical phenomenon.","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472256159983,"sku":"AM013983","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/butterfly-bush-buzz-hot-raspberry_phen00252_800x800_1.jpg?v=1761078685"},{"product_id":"perennial-phlox-bright-eyes","title":"Bright Eyes Phlox","description":"\u003cp\u003eLets be honest.  Some of the more unusually colored hybrids seem to come and go, over the years..  But never this one. This time-tested two-tone is permanent, once you get it growing.  And it continues to grow in popularity.  It spreads as easily and vigorously as the solid white or any other tall phlox.  Bright Eyes is a must-have cultivar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy Phlox should be the backbone of your garden.\u003c\/strong\u003e  Theyre beautiful.  Theyre easy. And no matter what else you grow, you cant beat their display. In fact, probably no group of plants adds more color to American perennial gardens than phlox.  They just happen to be the perfect plant--tall enough to show the flowers over the others, heavy bloomers at the right time with big colorful flowerheads, and best of all--a nice long season of bloom. Most every good perennial garden has an extra measure of phlox plants. In yours, plant a few and then notice which do the best, and then get more of those.  Repeated color groups in the garden assure the great colorful display everyone wants.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe one problem: Mildew. Be ready.\u003c\/strong\u003e Theres no escaping it. All Tall Garden Phlox (except the famously mildew-resistant David) are usually attacked by powdery mildew.  Its a sort of grey dust-like blight youll start noticing on the leaves, just as the plants have grown up and are getting ready to bloom.  The minute you see it, go directly to the garden center and buy a container of fungicide for phlox mildew. I know it sounds like trouble, but its really not, and believe me, its worth it.  If you ignore the mildew, your beautiful phlox plants will be an ugly shriveled mess in just a couple of weeks. It doesnt kill the plants, it just ruins them for the year.  Some say good air circulation prevents it, but dont you believe it.  Phlox simply get mildew, and you need to spray, probably just once...then your plants will go right on and bloom all summer for you with beautiful leaves and flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTheyre great for cutting, too.\u003c\/strong\u003e Need a big bouquet?  Just of few of these multi-flowered stems will do the trick, with lovely fragrance and fabulous color. Add a few lilies, and you have a knock-out arrangement anyone can do.  So be sure to grow enough phlox for cutting, too.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAfter bloom, simply cut down the flower stems about halfway,  (Its not botanically correct, but lots of gardeners snap them; the strong stiff stems snap off easily) and your tough, hardy plants will be ready to light up for you again next year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYes, theyre North American Natives.\u003c\/strong\u003e Very few American gardeners know it, but almost all phlox species are North American wildflowers, as native as our goldenrods and black-eyed susans.  But since we ignored them for years, European hybridizers (mostly German) took the wild versions back to Europe and created the fantastic hybrids we all enjoy today.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472256520431,"sku":"AM013978","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/phlox_paniculata_bright_eyes.jpg?v=1761078686"},{"product_id":"perennial-peony-bowl-of-beauty","title":"Bowl of Beauty Peony","description":"\u003cp\u003e24-36\" tall x 24-36\" wide. 'Bowl of Beauty' is a single-flowered peony instantly recognizable by its bright pink outer petals and frilly yellow centers. This deer-resistant, long-lived, easy-care perennial is excellent for foundation plantings, landscape beds, and perennial gardens. Plant once and leave it alone to flourish! Huge blooms open in late spring to be 7-10 inches across. Cut flowers before they open to enjoy indoors for up to two weeks. When flowering is finished, simply cut back the bloom stalks to the ground and enjoy the foliage for the rest of the summer. Leaves stay green all season and make a nice backdrop for other, later-flowering plants. Grow 'Bowl of Beauty' peonies in full sun in well-drained soil. Barely cover the eyes when planting. If they're too deep, they won’t flower. Like other garden peonies, Bowl of Beauty plants are deer resistant, so perfect for adding spring color for areas where deer are a problem.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  If you live where peonies grow, its the same every year in late spring. Certain homes have them in beds, borders, along drives--and anywhere they grow, they create probably the most beautiful clump of flowering of the whole season. Big, usually fluffy flowers in glossy green foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerennial peonies are what experienced gardeners call investment plants. They're some of the most permanent landscaping you can buy.  In fact, many continue blooming beautifully for over 100 years. Once they're established, they're as hardy and dependable as oaks, creating a fantastic season of bloom in your yard year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePlanting Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e Adding peonies to your garden is not difficult.  All you need is full sun and good soil.  (In even partial shade, the bloom will be scant or non-existent--keep them out in the sun!)  As most gardeners know, the roots look like a bunch of carrots--thick long tapering tuber-like masses that increase every year. Feed them, water them, and the clumps will expand rapidly, and more and more blooms will result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTypes of peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  The standard perennial peony species is \u003cem\u003ePaeonia lactiflora\u003c\/em\u003e but within the species, there are thousands of hybrids old and new.  And there are several flower types:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the huge, wide-open ones with just one row of overlapping petals. Like huge poppies, they create dinnerplate-size beauty that's really unmatched in the garden.  The singles are less frequently seen in American gardens because of our passion for petals-people just prefer the doubles. One of the most famous singles is the breathtaking Krinkled White, an old classic and still a big favorite. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e, not to be confused with Tree Peonies which often come from Japan, is a flower form somewhat similar to the singles, but with a more elaborate center.  A great example is the big favorite,  stunning Bowl of Beauty, with glistening cherry red petals petals plus fluffy yellow center, creating spectacular color contrast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSemi-double Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are just that. They have the basic bottom row of large petals seen on the singles (often called the guard petals), but on top, there are more shorter petals, developing from the center.  A great example is the beautiful red Edulis Superba.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBomb Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the ones with the guard petals flat and large, with a pile of petaling sitting upon them-sort of like a fluffly snowball sitting on a plate. Some of the most-loved and dramatic peonies are bombs including the magnificent Laura Dessert and the dramatic Raspberry Sundae  As these two illustrate, there are bombs of various shapes and sizes.  With Raspberry Sundae, the large bomb not only adds size and height, it gives the overall bloom a stunning palette of three colors-white guard petals, a collar of yellow, and then pastel pink making up the center.  In Laura Dessert, the coloring is all white, with a hint of lemon yellow in the bomb. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDouble Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are probably the most popular, and the most widely planted.  Excellent examples are the famous Victorian introduction, Festiva Maxima with its snowy white flowers with red flecks, and Sarah Bernhardt, the all-time popular double pink with huge flowers and great fragrance. Other popular doubles are the red Karl Rosenfield and white Shirley Temple. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's really no end to a gardeners pleasure with peonies.  They're all good for cutting.  The foliage stays glossy and green all summer long, and they attract almost no pests. (Don't confuse the standard perennial peony with the Tree Peony, a separate group. Tree Peonies are more shrub like, and don't die down completely each winter.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaking:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is important, since once a peony is established, the heavy flowers are often too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down in the mud. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring.  With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale.  Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open. Where to find Peony Rings? GardenersSupply.com has great ones which I've used, and I recommend them. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472256848111,"sku":"AM013977","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/paeonia-lactiflora-bowl-of-beauty-flower_1.jpg?v=1761078686"},{"product_id":"perennial-salvia-blue-hill","title":"Blue Hill Meadow Sage","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlue Hill is a shorter Salvia, blooming a lilac blue color and wonderfully fragrant.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472257274095,"sku":"AM013973","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/salvia-hummingbird.jpg?v=1761078687"},{"product_id":"perennial-butterfly-bush-black-knight","title":"Black Knight Butterfly Bush","description":"\u003cp\u003eMany gardeners plant several butterfly bushes together, so they grow into a shrub-like clump with blooms in all the colors--purple, pink and white. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Butterfly Bush is a shrub-like plant that looks sort of like a compact lilac, grows quickly and blooms in mid-summer.  But the name tells you all about it: Butterflies just can’t resist the flowers, and flock to the plants when they're in bloom.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Magic: How the Butterfly Bush works: \u003c\/strong\u003e Buddleia or Butterfly Bush has been a sensation in American gardens for years, and no wonder.  This plant is easy to grow, blooms profusely, and has that magical quality:  Butterflies can’t resist it.   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHere's why: It’s not just the pretty flowers that attract the butterflies, like any bright flower.  Buddleias emit a special honey-scented fragrance that lures butterflies like a moth to a light, and then once there, they find the flowers super-rich in nectar. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e A butterfly bush in the garden will often be seen with a mass of butterflies on the flowers, especially during hot sunny afternoons.  Buddleias attract other insects too, like moths, and the reddish ones strongly attract hummingbirds.  So it’s more than a name; it’s actually a botanical phenomenon. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472257601775,"sku":"AM013970","price":13.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/butterfly-bush-buddleja-black-knight-purple.jpg?v=1761078688"},{"product_id":"perennial-black-cohosh","title":"Black Cohosh","description":"Also called American Bugbane, Fairy Candles, and sometimes Black Snakeroot, this wild perennial is more popular with gardeners all the time. Up to 8 ft tall, it's great in the woodland border garden, where it's towers of flowers will light up the woods.  \u003cp\u003eBlack Cohosh likes wet woods, thickets, and is native all the way from Eastern Canada into Georgia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the way, this is one native that has recently been reclassified.  Most still call it Cimicifuga racemosa, but the official botanical name is now \u003cem\u003eActaea racemosa.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472258027759,"sku":"AM013969","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/black-cohosh-white-blooms.jpg?v=1761078689"},{"product_id":"perennial-joe-pye-weed-baby-joe","title":"Baby Joe Joe Pye Weed","description":"Rising 2-3 ft. tall, 'Baby Joe' Dwarf Joe Pye Weed blooms with big hydrangea-like lavender blooms on the top of every stem in late summer and fall. \u003cp\u003eYou see Joe Pye Weed over most of the east in roadside ditches, since it seeks sunny wet spots.  It usually blooms with the goldenrods.  There are now several hybrids offered for perennial gardens, but most wild gardeners think the wild version is best.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472258322671,"sku":"AM013965","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/eupatorium-joe-pye-weed-baby-joe_3.jpg?v=1761078690"},{"product_id":"perennial-sedum-autumn-joy","title":"Autumn Joy Sedum","description":"\u003cp\u003eSedums, like Hostas and have become staples in American perennial gardens in recent years.  And this one, Autumn Joy, is the one responsible.  This incredible plant is now at or near the top of everyone's list of the best perennial flowers of them all. Nothing beats it for late color in the border. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Sedums add color from midsummer through early fall, when most other flowers are waning.  And Autumn Joy, particularly, lights up with bright pink to orangey flowerheads giving any garden a needed lift for a long period.   Like other valuable mainstays of perennial display, the bloom lasts for weeks and weeks.   \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472258781423,"sku":"AM013964","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/sedum_autumn_joy_1_1.jpg?v=1761078690"},{"product_id":"perennial-astilbe-younique-silvery-pink","title":"Silvery Pink 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  \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":46472259141871,"sku":"AM013961","price":16.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/astilbe_younique_silvery_pink.jpg?v=1761078691"},{"product_id":"perennial-astilbe-key-west","title":"Key West Astilbe","description":"Named after the famous Key West pink (bright, bright pink) that derives from the beautiful hue on the inside of the Queen Conch shell, this plant literally lights up any shady area. (The Queen Conch is the symbol of Floridas Southernmost island city.)  \u003cp\u003eEasy 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 possibilites of moist, shaded American gardens.  Astilbes are companions of ferns and impatiens--some 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, thats 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\u003eThese 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":46472259535087,"sku":"AM013960","price":16.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/astilbekeywest_4.jpg?v=1761078691"},{"product_id":"perennial-astilbe-peach-blossom","title":"Peach Blossom Astilbe","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is really the Astilbe that started it all.  Introduced way back in 1903, Peach Blossom is still one of the top choices for American gardens. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\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":46472260059375,"sku":"AM013958","price":16.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/astilbepeachblossom_1.jpg?v=1761078692"},{"product_id":"perennial-hydrangea-annabelle","title":"Annabelle Snowball Hydrangea","description":"\u003cp\u003eA heavy bloomer with mass appeal, ‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea illuminates the shade garden. Plants bloom for up to two months in June and July, with flower heads remaining attractive all summer and into the fall. Some gardeners even enjoy a small repeat bloom in autumn. ‘Annabelle’ flowers are excellent for fresh-cut or dried arrangements. Large, dark green foliage accents the bright blooms in the garden. Plants flower on the current season’s growth, also called new wood. Pruning stems back to the ground in late winter encourages growth of strong new stems. ‘Annabelle’ grows in a rounded mound, making a shapely accent in the woodland garden. Also great for massing in mixed beds and perennial borders, or naturalizing in native plantings. ‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea has no serious insect or disease problems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Annabelle' was featured as an honorable mention in a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mtcubacenter.org\/research\/trial-garden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eMt Cuba Center Trial Garden\u003c\/a\u003e Research Report. These reports evaluate native plants and related cultivars for horticultural and ecological value, highlighting the ecosystem services they provide. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3.5\" Pot","offer_id":49588503544047,"sku":"AM013942","price":13.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/hydrangea_annabelle__4__800x800_rgb.jpg?v=1761078693"},{"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-hydrangea-all-summer-beauty","title":"All Summer Beauty Mophead Hydrangea","description":"\u003cp\u003e36-48” tall x 36-60” wide. Like other hydrangeas, ‘All Summer Beauty’, puts on a big show in early summer, but doesn’t stop there. Sporadic blooms emerge throughout the summer with a stunning encore late in the season. Flowers are long lasting and hold their color, gradually fading as they dry. The blooms are perfect for fresh and dry bouquets, or can be left on the plant for continued interest through fall and winter. A backdrop of lush green foliage forms a large mound on this deciduous shrub. With season-long color, ‘All Summer Beauty’ makes an ideal specimen or accent plant. Try planting in containers on the patio or massing for big impact in the shrub border. Plants benefit from a shady location in southern gardens, but tolerate more sun farther north. Prune to shape plants after early summer flowering. No serious insect or disease problems. \u003c\/p\u003e \n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Hydrangeas\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHydrangea shrubs are native to the US and Asia and produce showy flowers throughout the summer season. There are many varieties available, each showcasing differing bloom colors, flower shapes, overall heights\/spreads, levels of winter hardiness, and abilities to be grown in containers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does \"Blooms on old\/new wood\" mean and what does that have to do with winter?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome hydrangeas produce buds that will turn into flowers on old wood (also called \"last year's growth\"), while others produce blooms on new wood (aka \"this year's growth\") and still others will flower on both old and new wood. This detail is especially valuable for cold-climate gardeners who may be apt to lose some of their hydrangea branches to breakage from heavy snow and ice, or who may see developing buds killed off by late spring frosts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor these gardeners, losing old growth branches and young buds could mean missing out on hydrangea flowers the following summer. Choosing a variety that blooms on new wood (or both types of growth) is extra insurance; it means that regardless of your winter and late-spring weather, you can still count on your shrub to produce flowers come summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLikewise, warm-climate gardeners who choose varieties that only bloom on new wood, will have to make it a point to prune their hydrangea shrubs in order to encourage new buds to form. A simple task for sure, but one that needs to be remembered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does \"Bloom color depends on soil type\" mean?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe color of most hydrangea blooms are directly tied to the mineral make up of your soil and its overall pH. To really see bold colors, you'll have the best results when planting in containers, which will allow you to create your preferred soil conditions at planting time. Although soil pH can be changed directly in the garden bed, it often takes more than one season to see results. \u003cem\u003eThe color of native Smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) cannot be changed.\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcid soils\u003c\/strong\u003e (with a pH below 7) produce purple-to-blue blooms, with the brightest blue blooms resulting from the most-acidic soils. To coax your hydrangeas into producing blue blooms, you can amend your soil with sulfur, or mulch your plants with a pine and\/or cedar needle mulch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlkaline soils\u003c\/strong\u003e (with a pH above 7) produce pink blooms. The more alakaline (or sweet) your soil is, the deeper pink your blooms will be. This can be achieved by adding lime around your planting area. It is, however, more difficult to turn hydrangea blooms pink because as a general rule, most plants struggle to be healthy in soils with a pH above 7.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHydrangea Types\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany hydrangeas today are available in a range of heights and bloom cycles, regardless of their overall type. For example, you can find Mopheads that bloom on new growth and Panicles that are container-friendly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMopheads:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e(Hydrangea macrophylla)\u003c\/em\u003e The most well-known (yet least cold hardy) hydrangea, Mopheads are known for their oversized blooms that come in two flower types - Lacecaps and Pom-poms. Also known as \"Bigleaf\" hydrangeas, the foliage on Mopheads is quite enormous and delivers a lot of greenery to the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePanicle:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e(Hydrangea paniculata)\u003c\/em\u003e Huge, cone-shaped blooms and excellent cold hardiness are the hallmarks of the Panicle hydrangea. Their arching branches and plentiful blooms also tolerate more sun than other varieties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSmooth\/ Snowball:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e(Hydrangea arborescens)\u003c\/em\u003e Also known as \"Wild\" Hydrangeas, these shrubs are native to the eastern US - and while their color cannot be altered by changing soil pH, their blooms tend to turn a pale green as fall approaches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMountain:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e(Hydrangea serrata)\u003c\/em\u003e More compact than Mopheads and presenting dainty lacecap blooms and smaller leaves, these hydrangeas are native to the mountains of Korea and Japan where they're known as 'Tea of Heaven'. They're known for a slightly weeping shape and a long season of blooms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOakleafs:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e(Hydrangea quercifolia)\u003c\/em\u003e Native to the eastern\/southeastern US, Oakleafs have deeply-lobed foliage that changes color dramatically in autumn. Very cold hardy with showy, elongated blooms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/perennials\/how-to-choose-the-best-hydrangea\"\u003eHow to Choose the Right Hydrangeas\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3.5\" Pot","offer_id":49588501315823,"sku":"AM013934","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/hydrangea-garden-blue-flowers.jpg?v=1761078695"},{"product_id":"perennial-aster-alert","title":"Alert Aster","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Alert' Aster is a member of the famous dwarf aster group. Growing a dwarf aster is one of the very best ways you can assure some fall blooms for your meadow or garden.  They are simple to handle and hardy as oaks. 'Alert' Aster stays short, and will fill it's space with a neat, low green tuft that bursts into bloom in late summer with deep purple to crimson, starry flowers. After about two years, you can dig up two or three plants, and divide them into twenty...and then replant yourself a huge patch, or have yards of edging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dwarf \u003cem\u003eAster dumosis\u003c\/em\u003e (now Symphyotrichum dumosum) hybrids resulted from a cross between wild \u003cem\u003eAster nova novi-belgii,\u003c\/em\u003e the much taller New York Aster,  with another wild aster from the Pacific northwest.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472262222063,"sku":"AM013933","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/aster-alert-purple-garden-flowers.jpg?v=1761078695"},{"product_id":"perennial-red-hot-poker-alcazar","title":"Red Hot Poker Alcazar","description":"\u003cp\u003e40-48\" tall x 24-36\" wide, brilliant 'Alcazar' grows up to 4 feet tall, displaying its signature bright red and yellow flower-spikes. Known as Red Hot Poker or Torch Lily, its flowers are red when freshly-opened and fade to yellow as they age, recalling a candle flame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Alcazar' is an excellent choice for creating focal points at the back of the border or in the center of island beds, where their showy blooms will draw in butterflies and hummingbirds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Tip: \u003c\/strong\u003e An easy to grow plant, Red Hot Poker is from South Africa and requires full sun and sharp-draining soil. While its used to rocky and poor soils, it  won't tolerate wet, mushy sites with standing water.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 3","offer_id":46472262648047,"sku":"AM013932","price":18.65,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/kniphofia-red-hot-poker-hummingbird.jpg?v=1761078696"},{"product_id":"perennial-peony-moon-river","title":"Moon River Peony","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  If you live where peonies grow, its the same every year in late spring. Certain homes have them in beds, borders, along drives--and anywhere they grow, they create probably the most beautiful clump of flowering of the whole season. Big, usually fluffy flowers in glossy green foliage.\u003cp\u003ePerennial peonies are what experienced gardeners call investment plants. They're some of the most permanent landscaping you can buy.  In fact, many continue blooming beautifully for over 100 years. Once they're established, they're as hardy and dependable as oaks, creating a fantastic season of bloom in your yard year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePlanting Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e Adding peonies to your garden is not difficult.  All you need is full sun and good soil.  (In even partial shade, the bloom will be scant or non-existent--keep them out in the sun!)  As most gardeners know, the roots look like a bunch of carrots--thick long tapering tuber-like masses that increase every year. Feed them, water them, and the clumps will expand rapidly, and more and more blooms will result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTypes of peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  The standard perennial peony species is \u003cem\u003ePaeonia lactiflora\u003c\/em\u003e but within the species, there are thousands of hybrids old and new.  And there are several flower types:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the huge, wide-open ones with just one row of overlapping petals. Like huge poppies, they create dinnerplate-size beauty that's really unmatched in the garden.  The singles are less frequently seen in American gardens because of our passion for petals-people just prefer the doubles. One of the most famous singles is the breathtaking Krinkled White, an old classic and still a big favorite. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e, not to be confused with Tree Peonies which often come from Japan, is a flower form somewhat similar to the singles, but with a more elaborate center.  A great example is the big favorite,  stunning Bowl of Beauty, with glistening cherry red petals petals plus fluffy yellow center, creating spectacular color contrast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSemi-double Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are just that. They have the basic bottom row of large petals seen on the singles (often called the guard petals), but on top, there are more shorter petals, developing from the center.  A great example is the beautiful red Edulis Superba.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBomb Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the ones with the guard petals flat and large, with a pile of petaling sitting upon them-sort of like a fluffly snowball sitting on a plate. Some of the most-loved and dramatic peonies are bombs including the magnificent Laura Dessert and the dramatic Raspberry Sundae  As these two illustrate, there are bombs of various shapes and sizes.  With Raspberry Sundae, the large bomb not only adds size and height, it gives the overall bloom a stunning palette of three colors-white guard petals, a collar of yellow, and then pastel pink making up the center.  In Laura Dessert, the coloring is all white, with a hint of lemon yellow in the bomb. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDouble Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are probably the most popular, and the most widely planted.  Excellent examples are the famous Victorian introduction, Festiva Maxima with its snowy white flowers with red flecks, and Sarah Bernhardt, the all-time popular double pink with huge flowers and great fragrance. Other popular doubles are the red Karl Rosenfield and white Shirley Temple. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's really no end to a gardeners pleasure with peonies.  They're all good for cutting.  The foliage stays glossy and green all summer long, and they attract almost no pests. (Don't confuse the standard perennial peony with the Tree Peony, a separate group. Tree Peonies are more shrub like, and don't die down completely each winter.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaking:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is important, since once a peony is established, the heavy flowers are often too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down in the mud. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring.  With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale.  Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472263008495,"sku":"AM014984","price":25.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/peony_paeonia_lactiflora_moon_river.jpg?v=1773865705"},{"product_id":"perennial-itoh-peony-canary-brilliance","title":"Canary Brilliants Itoh Peony","description":"\u003cp\u003eIntersectional Peonies are hybrids between woody Tree Peonies and herbaceous Garden peonies. These hybrids are relatively new creations, with the first successful intersectional crosses being made in 1948. These hybrids are called “Itoh peonies” after Mr. Toichi Itoh, a Japanese hybridizer who created the first intersectional Peony. the result is a disease resistant plant with a longer blooming season, due to their ability to produce preliminary and secondary buds once the plant is established. Its lower compact habit and sturdier stems allows it to support up to 30 flowers per well-established plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntersection, or “Itoh” Peonies are very easy to grow in full sun in well-drained soil. Make sure the crowns are planted 1 to 2 inches deep and no deeper. If peonies are planted too deep, they may not bloom.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472263467247,"sku":"AM014981","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/peony-canary-brillants-paeonia_visi61362_800x800_color-change.jpg?v=1761078698"},{"product_id":"perennial-turtlehead-rosea","title":"Rosea Turtlehead","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe turtleheads are favorite North American wildflowers for moist shaded areas.  They love streambanks and thickets, and add fascinating bloom to the scene with their unusual turtle head-shaped flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":49588511506671,"sku":"AM014980","price":8.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/turtlehead-chelone-obliqua-rosea_223982b7-1050-4f8b-b4c6-b838d08531f0.jpg?v=1761078698"},{"product_id":"perennial-peony-pink-hawaiian-coral","title":"Pink Hawaiian Coral Peony","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  If you live where peonies grow, its the same every year in late spring. Certain homes have them in beds, borders, along drives--and anywhere they grow, they create probably the most beautiful clump of flowering of the whole season. Big, usually fluffy flowers in glossy green foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerennial peonies are what experienced gardeners call investment plants. They're some of the most permanent landscaping you can buy.  In fact, many continue blooming beautifully for over 100 years. Once they're established, they're as hardy and dependable as oaks, creating a fantastic season of bloom in your yard year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePlanting Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e Adding peonies to your garden is not difficult.  All you need is full sun and good soil.  (In even partial shade, the bloom will be scant or non-existent--keep them out in the sun!)  As most gardeners know, the roots look like a bunch of carrots--thick long tapering tuber-like masses that increase every year. Feed them, water them, and the clumps will expand rapidly, and more and more blooms will result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTypes of peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  The standard perennial peony species is \u003cem\u003ePaeonia lactiflora\u003c\/em\u003e but within the species, there are thousands of hybrids old and new.  And there are several flower types:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the huge, wide-open ones with just one row of overlapping petals. Like huge poppies, they create dinnerplate-size beauty that's really unmatched in the garden.  The singles are less frequently seen in American gardens because of our passion for petals-people just prefer the doubles. One of the most famous singles is the breathtaking Krinkled White, an old classic and still a big favorite. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e, not to be confused with Tree Peonies which often come from Japan, is a flower form somewhat similar to the singles, but with a more elaborate center.  A great example is the big favorite,  stunning Bowl of Beauty, with glistening cherry red petals petals plus fluffy yellow center, creating spectacular color contrast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSemi-double Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are just that. They have the basic bottom row of large petals seen on the singles (often called the guard petals), but on top, there are more shorter petals, developing from the center.  A great example is the beautiful red Edulis Superba.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBomb Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the ones with the guard petals flat and large, with a pile of petaling sitting upon them-sort of like a fluffly snowball sitting on a plate. Some of the most-loved and dramatic peonies are bombs including the magnificent Laura Dessert and the dramatic Raspberry Sundae  As these two illustrate, there are bombs of various shapes and sizes.  With Raspberry Sundae, the large bomb not only adds size and height, it gives the overall bloom a stunning palette of three colors-white guard petals, a collar of yellow, and then pastel pink making up the center.  In Laura Dessert, the coloring is all white, with a hint of lemon yellow in the bomb. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDouble Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are probably the most popular, and the most widely planted.  Excellent examples are the famous Victorian introduction, Festiva Maxima with its snowy white flowers with red flecks, and Sarah Bernhardt, the all-time popular double pink with huge flowers and great fragrance. Other popular doubles are the red Karl Rosenfield and white Shirley Temple. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's really no end to a gardeners pleasure with peonies.  They're all good for cutting.  The foliage stays glossy and green all summer long, and they attract almost no pests. (Don't confuse the standard perennial peony with the Tree Peony, a separate group. Tree Peonies are more shrub like, and don't die down completely each winter.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaking:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is important, since once a peony is established, the heavy flowers are often too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down in the mud. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring.  With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale.  Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open. Where to find Peony Rings? GardenersSupply.com has great ones which I've used, and I recommend them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472264614127,"sku":"AM014958","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/peony-pink-hawaiian-coral-visi27849-cropped.jpg?v=1761078700"},{"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-penstemon-red-riding-hood","title":"Red Riding Hood Penstemon","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere are over 250 Penstemon species, mostly native to our western states and Mexico.  Their flowers range from blue to white to red, with several bi-colors.  The common name, Bearded Tongue may surprise wildflower gardeners, since many of the the wild Penstemons are called Beard Tongue.  But according to Allan Armitage and other perennial experts, Bearded Tongue is the correct common name for the perennials.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472265302255,"sku":"AM014953","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/penstemon-red-riding-hood-2.jpg?v=1761078701"},{"product_id":"perennial-peony-coral-charm","title":"Coral Charm Peony","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  If you live where peonies grow, its the same every year in late spring. Certain homes have them in beds, borders, along drives--and anywhere they grow, they create probably the most beautiful clump of flowering of the whole season. Big, usually fluffy flowers in glossy green foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerennial peonies are what experienced gardeners call investment plants. They're some of the most permanent landscaping you can buy.  In fact, many continue blooming beautifully for over 100 years. Once they're established, they're as hardy and dependable as oaks, creating a fantastic season of bloom in your yard year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePlanting Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e Adding peonies to your garden is not difficult.  All you need is full sun and good soil.  (In even partial shade, the bloom will be scant or non-existent--keep them out in the sun!)  As most gardeners know, the roots look like a bunch of carrots--thick long tapering tuber-like masses that increase every year. Feed them, water them, and the clumps will expand rapidly, and more and more blooms will result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTypes of peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  The standard perennial peony species is \u003cem\u003ePaeonia lactiflora\u003c\/em\u003e but within the species, there are thousands of hybrids old and new.  And there are several flower types:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the huge, wide-open ones with just one row of overlapping petals. Like huge poppies, they create dinnerplate-size beauty that's really unmatched in the garden.  The singles are less frequently seen in American gardens because of our passion for petals-people just prefer the doubles. One of the most famous singles is the breathtaking Krinkled White, an old classic and still a big favorite. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e, not to be confused with Tree Peonies which often come from Japan, is a flower form somewhat similar to the singles, but with a more elaborate center.  A great example is the big favorite,  stunning Bowl of Beauty, with glistening cherry red petals petals plus fluffy yellow center, creating spectacular color contrast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSemi-double Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are just that. They have the basic bottom row of large petals seen on the singles (often called the guard petals), but on top, there are more shorter petals, developing from the center.  A great example is the beautiful red Edulis Superba.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBomb Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the ones with the guard petals flat and large, with a pile of petaling sitting upon them-sort of like a fluffly snowball sitting on a plate. Some of the most-loved and dramatic peonies are bombs including the magnificent Laura Dessert and the dramatic Raspberry Sundae  As these two illustrate, there are bombs of various shapes and sizes.  With Raspberry Sundae, the large bomb not only adds size and height, it gives the overall bloom a stunning palette of three colors-white guard petals, a collar of yellow, and then pastel pink making up the center.  In Laura Dessert, the coloring is all white, with a hint of lemon yellow in the bomb. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDouble Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are probably the most popular, and the most widely planted.  Excellent examples are the famous Victorian introduction, Festiva Maxima with its snowy white flowers with red flecks, and Sarah Bernhardt, the all-time popular double pink with huge flowers and great fragrance. Other popular doubles are the red Karl Rosenfield and white Shirley Temple. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's really no end to a gardeners pleasure with peonies.  They're all good for cutting.  The foliage stays glossy and green all summer long, and they attract almost no pests. (Don't confuse the standard perennial peony with the Tree Peony, a separate group. Tree Peonies are more shrub like, and don't die down completely each winter.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaking:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is important, since once a peony is established, the heavy flowers are often too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down in the mud. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring.  With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale.  Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open. Where to find Peony Rings? GardenersSupply.com has great ones which I've used, and I recommend them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472265793775,"sku":"AM014952","price":21.32,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/peony-coral-charm-close-up-flower.jpg?v=1761078702"},{"product_id":"perennial-foxglove-dalmation-rose","title":"Dalmation Rose Foxglove","description":"\u003cp\u003eDalmation Rose is an unusual foxglove because it blooms the first year. We encourage deadheading the first-year flowers by removing the flower stem to the base of the plant. This will help promote overwintering and a second year of flowers. By letting seeds form, new foxgloves will self-sow and produce future generations. These new plants can be moved in their first year when they are still small.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472266154223,"sku":"AM014947","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/dalmation-rose-foxglove-pollinator.jpg?v=1761078703"},{"product_id":"perennial-peony-coral-sunset","title":"Coral Sunset Peony","description":"\u003cp\u003e24-28\" tall x 24\" wide. 'Coral Sunset' peonies have semi-double flowers with coral-pink blooms and golden yellow centers. Pink petals fade a bit as the flowers age, giving a true \"coral sunset\" effect. Flowers are borne atop strong stems that rarely need staking. They're lightly fragrant and make excellent cut flowers. Coral Sunset peonies are some of the earliest blooming peonies to open up in late spring, welcoming a new gardening season with exuberant flowers. They're deer resistant and long lasting in the garden, so plant and enjoy for decades. Once flowers have finished blooming, cut back the stalks and allow the somewhat shrubby, glossy green foliage to fill in the garden or landscape until fall. Peonies should be planted in areas with full sun and moist, well-drained soil. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  If you live where peonies grow, its the same every year in late spring. Certain homes have them in beds, borders, along drives--and anywhere they grow, they create probably the most beautiful clump of flowering of the whole season. Big, usually fluffy flowers in glossy green foliage.\u003cp\u003ePerennial peonies are what experienced gardeners call investment plants. They're some of the most permanent landscaping you can buy.  In fact, many continue blooming beautifully for over 100 years. Once they're established, they're as hardy and dependable as oaks, creating a fantastic season of bloom in your yard year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePlanting Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e Adding peonies to your garden is not difficult.  All you need is full sun and good soil.  (In even partial shade, the bloom will be scant or non-existent--keep them out in the sun!)  As most gardeners know, the roots look like a bunch of carrots--thick long tapering tuber-like masses that increase every year. Feed them, water them, and the clumps will expand rapidly, and more and more blooms will result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTypes of peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  The standard perennial peony species is \u003cem\u003ePaeonia lactiflora\u003c\/em\u003e but within the species, there are thousands of hybrids old and new.  And there are several flower types:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the huge, wide-open ones with just one row of overlapping petals. Like huge poppies, they create dinnerplate-size beauty that's really unmatched in the garden.  The singles are less frequently seen in American gardens because of our passion for petals-people just prefer the doubles. One of the most famous singles is the breathtaking Krinkled White, an old classic and still a big favorite. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e, not to be confused with Tree Peonies which often come from Japan, is a flower form somewhat similar to the singles, but with a more elaborate center.  A great example is the big favorite,  stunning Bowl of Beauty, with glistening cherry red petals petals plus fluffy yellow center, creating spectacular color contrast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSemi-double Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are just that. They have the basic bottom row of large petals seen on the singles (often called the guard petals), but on top, there are more shorter petals, developing from the center.  A great example is the beautiful red Edulis Superba.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBomb Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the ones with the guard petals flat and large, with a pile of petaling sitting upon them-sort of like a fluffly snowball sitting on a plate. Some of the most-loved and dramatic peonies are bombs including the magnificent Laura Dessert and the dramatic Raspberry Sundae  As these two illustrate, there are bombs of various shapes and sizes.  With Raspberry Sundae, the large bomb not only adds size and height, it gives the overall bloom a stunning palette of three colors-white guard petals, a collar of yellow, and then pastel pink making up the center.  In Laura Dessert, the coloring is all white, with a hint of lemon yellow in the bomb. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDouble Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are probably the most popular, and the most widely planted.  Excellent examples are the famous Victorian introduction, Festiva Maxima with its snowy white flowers with red flecks, and Sarah Bernhardt, the all-time popular double pink with huge flowers and great fragrance. Other popular doubles are the red Karl Rosenfield and white Shirley Temple. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's really no end to a gardeners pleasure with peonies.  They're all good for cutting.  The foliage stays glossy and green all summer long, and they attract almost no pests. (Don't confuse the standard perennial peony with the Tree Peony, a separate group. Tree Peonies are more shrub like, and don't die down completely each winter.) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaking:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is important, since once a peony is established, the heavy flowers are often too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down in the mud. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring.  With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale.  Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472266612975,"sku":"AM014943","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/coral-sunset_peony_visi115645_800x800_1.jpg?v=1761078704"},{"product_id":"perennial-foxglove-dalmation-peach","title":"Foxglove Dalmation Peach","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Foxglove Story\u003c\/strong\u003e The very important Wild Foxglove, \u003cem\u003eDigitalis purpurea\u003c\/em\u003e is a native of the UK, naturalized in the US, and famous for being used for Digitalis, the life-saving heart medicine. However, Wild Foxglove is a biennial which often makes it undependable in perennial plantings. But since the twenties, there have been beautiful perennial foxgloves too, a little shorter, but just as beautiful as the towering purpureas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe great breakthrough came when a cross was accomplished in Merton, England in 1928 between the famous biennial wildflower and the perennial species, Digitalis grandiflora. The perennial foxglove has ever since been called \u003cem\u003eDigitalis mertonensis\u003c\/em\u003e, named after the town. However, Mertonensis gives us only one color.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, the Foxy Hybrids take their places in the foxglove line-up, bringing all the colors back with the biennial issue solved.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 2.5\" Pot","offer_id":46472267366639,"sku":"AM014938","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/digitalisdalmationpeach_1.jpg?v=1761078705"},{"product_id":"perennial-bachelors-button-amethyst-in-snow","title":"Amethyst in Snow Centaurea","description":"\u003cp\u003eBachelor Buttons are known for being extremely easy to grow and putting on a colorful, textured show in the summer garden. They also attract wildlife and American goldfinches put on quite a show as they dive into fields of this flower when it is going to seed.  This is the famous flower of many romantic legends, thus the name “Bachelor’s Button”. Young single girls wore the bloom as a signal of availability in Old England. It also always figures prominently in the Victorian \"Language of Flowers\"--of which there are several versions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472267792623,"sku":"AM014937","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/centaurea_-_d-howlett.jpg?v=1761078706"},{"product_id":"perennial-penstemon-dark-towers","title":"Penstemon Dark Towers","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere are over 250 Penstemon species, mostly native to our western states and Mexico.  Their flowers range from blue to white to red, with several bi-colors.  The common name, Bearded Tongue may surprise wildflower gardeners, since many of the the wild Penstemons are called Beard Tongue.  But according to Allan Armitage and other perennial experts, Bearded Tongue is the correct common name for the perennials.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472268611823,"sku":"AM014932","price":11.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/penstemondarktowers.jpg?v=1761078707"},{"product_id":"perennial-itoh-peony-prairie-charm","title":"Itoh Peony Prairie Charm","description":"Intersectional Peonies are hybrids between woody Tree Peonies and herbaceous Garden peonies. These hybrids are relatively new creations, with the first successful intersectional crosses being made in 1948. These hybrids are called “Itoh peonies” after Mr. Toichi Itoh, a Japanese hybridizer who created the first intersectional Peony. the result is a disease resistant plant with a longer blooming season, due to their ability to produce preliminary and secondary buds once the plant is established. Its lower compact habit and sturdier stems allows it to support up to 30 flowers per well-established plant.\u003cp\u003eIntersection, or “Itoh” Peonies are very easy to grow in full to part sun in well-drained soil. Make sure the crowns are planted 1 to 2 inches deep and no deeper. If peonies are planted too deep, they may not bloom.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472268939503,"sku":"AM014931","price":72.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/peonyprairiecharm.jpg?v=1761078708"},{"product_id":"perennial-lavender-grosso","title":"Grosso Lavender","description":"\u003cp\u003e24-30\" tall x 24-30\" wide 'Grosso' lavender is a French hybrid lavender known and loved for its richly fragrant flowers atop long, slender stems. 'Grosso' flowers, sometimes called \"Lavandin,\" are some of the best for use in perfumes, sachets, and culinary projects, including specialty cocktails. This lavender has a somewhat loose, open growing habit. Its clouds of purple-blue blooms add depth and movement to perennial gardens and landscape beds. Pollinators love it, but deer and rabbits avoid it, so it's a good choice if wildlife tends to snack on your flowers. Plant in areas with well-draining (including rocky or poor) soils that receive at least six hours per day. Do not mulch soil and leave room between plants for good air circulation. Cut back in spring once new growth appears. Harvest stems for drying just before flowers open.   \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472269660399,"sku":"AM014930","price":5.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/lavandula-grosso-garden-flowers.jpg?v=1761078709"},{"product_id":"perennial-foxglove-camelot-lavender","title":"Camelot Lavender Foxglove","description":"\u003cp\u003eCamelot Lavender is an unusual foxglove because it blooms the first year. We encourage deadheading the first-year flowers by removing the flower stem to the base of the plant. This will help promote overwintering and a second year of flowers. By letting seeds form, new foxgloves will self-sow and produce future generations. These new plants can be moved in their first year when they are still small.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472270381295,"sku":"AM014926","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/digitalis-camelot-lavender-bloom.jpg?v=1761078710"},{"product_id":"perennial-penstemon-digitalis","title":"Foxglove Penstemon","description":"\u003cp\u003ePenstemon digitalis also known as Foxglove Penstemon or Beardtongue attracts honeybees, bumble bees, mason bees and large leaf-cutting bees. Other pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies will come and feast as well. Due to the height of this perennials it’s large enough to compete against many kinds of weeds and puts on a very pretty show when blooming. Blooms can last up to 4 weeks. Plant this variety along a woodland border or in a habitat.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Plant - 3\" Pot","offer_id":46472272380143,"sku":"AM014882","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/FoxglovePenstemon.jpg?v=1779991070"},{"product_id":"perennial-peony-felix-crousse","title":"Felix Crousse Peony","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  If you live where peonies grow, its the same every year in late spring. Certain homes have them in beds, borders, along drives--and anywhere they grow, they create probably the most beautiful clump of flowering of the whole season. Big, usually fluffy flowers in glossy green foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerennial peonies are what experienced gardeners call investment plants. They're some of the most permanent landscaping you can buy.  In fact, many continue blooming beautifully for over 100 years. Once they're established, they're as hardy and dependable as oaks, creating a fantastic season of bloom in your yard year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePlanting Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e Adding peonies to your garden is not difficult.  All you need is full sun and good soil.  (In even partial shade, the bloom will be scant or non-existent--keep them out in the sun!)  As most gardeners know, the roots look like a bunch of carrots--thick long tapering tuber-like masses that increase every year. Feed them, water them, and the clumps will expand rapidly, and more and more blooms will result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTypes of peonies:\u003c\/strong\u003e  The standard perennial peony species is \u003cem\u003ePaeonia lactiflora\u003c\/em\u003e but within the species, there are thousands of hybrids old and new.  And there are several flower types:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingle Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the huge, wide-open ones with just one row of overlapping petals. Like huge poppies, they create dinnerplate-size beauty that's really unmatched in the garden.  The singles are less frequently seen in American gardens because of our passion for petals-people just prefer the doubles. One of the most famous singles is the breathtaking Krinkled White, an old classic and still a big favorite. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e, not to be confused with Tree Peonies which often come from Japan, is a flower form somewhat similar to the singles, but with a more elaborate center.  A great example is the big favorite,  stunning Bowl of Beauty, with glistening cherry red petals petals plus fluffy yellow center, creating spectacular color contrast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSemi-double Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are just that. They have the basic bottom row of large petals seen on the singles (often called the guard petals), but on top, there are more shorter petals, developing from the center.  A great example is the beautiful red Edulis Superba.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBomb Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the ones with the guard petals flat and large, with a pile of petaling sitting upon them-sort of like a fluffly snowball sitting on a plate. Some of the most-loved and dramatic peonies are bombs including the magnificent Laura Dessert and the dramatic Raspberry Sundae  As these two illustrate, there are bombs of various shapes and sizes.  With Raspberry Sundae, the large bomb not only adds size and height, it gives the overall bloom a stunning palette of three colors-white guard petals, a collar of yellow, and then pastel pink making up the center.  In Laura Dessert, the coloring is all white, with a hint of lemon yellow in the bomb. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDouble Peonies\u003c\/strong\u003e are probably the most popular, and the most widely planted.  Excellent examples are the famous Victorian introduction, Festiva Maxima with its snowy white flowers with red flecks, and Sarah Bernhardt, the all-time popular double pink with huge flowers and great fragrance. Other popular doubles are the red Karl Rosenfield and white Shirley Temple.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere's really no end to a gardeners pleasure with peonies.  They're all good for cutting.  The foliage stays glossy and green all summer long, and they attract almost no pests. (Don't confuse the standard perennial peony with the Tree Peony, a separate group. Tree Peonies are more shrub like, and don't die down completely each winter.)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaking:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is important, since once a peony is established, the heavy flowers are often too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down in the mud. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring.  With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale.  Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open. Where to find Peony Rings? GardenersSupply.com has great ones which I've used, and I recommend them. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AMI Production","offers":[{"title":"Bag of 1","offer_id":46472273330415,"sku":"AM014877","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/files\/peony_felix_crousse.jpg?v=1761078714"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/9535\/6399\/collections\/zinnia-seeds-cut-and-come-again-bouquet_1.jpg?v=1774898883","url":"https:\/\/www.americanmeadows.com\/collections\/perennial-plants-for-cut-flowers.oembed?page=6","provider":"American Meadows","version":"1.0","type":"link"}