perennial plants of the year from ppa

PERENNIAL PLANT ASSOCIATIONPERENNIAL PLANT OF THE YEAR WINNERS

Fifteen Years of PPA Winners!Ann Acheson Landscape Designswww. acornsbecomeoaks.com

Year Botanical Name/Common Name

2011

Amsonia hubrichtii (Thread-leaf blue star or Arkansas blue star) is most stunning in fall, when its foliage turns a bright golden yellow. But it can hold its own during the rest of the season as well, with finely-divided bright green leaves that add an interesting texture and light blue star-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer. Amsonia grows best in sun, and forms a fairly large clump - it should be towards the back of the border. Add it to your ornamental grass garden or sweep it along the back of your perennial garden and then sit back and forget about it until you're knocked out by the fall color. Amsonia is deer-resistant, not attacked by insect or disease pests and hardy in USDA Zones 4-9.

2010

Baptisia australis (Blue false indigo) is a native of the Eastern US that functions in the garden more like a shrub than a perennial. It thrives in sun and is very drought-tolerant once established. It has a tap root and is therefore hard to move or divide successfully - place it in a permanent location! Baptisia produces beautiful violet-blue flowers, reminiscent of lupine, for 3 - 4 weeks in spring. The blue-green foliage is pea-like and adds a unique texture to the garden. Flowers give way to inflated seed pods that ripen to black and are very ornamental. Baptisia is useful as a back-of-the-border anchor plant, it's deer-resistant and is successful in cottage gardens, native plant gardens and xeriscape prairie or meadow gardens.




2009

Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' (Japanese forest grass or golden hakone grass) grows about 12-18" tall with a waterfall-like cascading habit. Individual blades of this ornamental grass are bright gold with a green stripe, and in fall become tinged with shades of pink and red. Hakonechloa does best in part shade; too much shade will reduce its golden leaf color. Hakonechloa doesn't tolerate poorly-drained, heavy clay or very dry soils. It's a slow grower, so will rarely need to be divided. It's at its most striking as an edger or cascading down a hillside or over a wall. It's characteristic chartreuse-gold color works well as a contrast to burgundy or blue foliage.

2008

Geranium 'Rozanne' (Cranesbill). This long-season flowering geranium is a wonderful ground cover, either in the front of the border, as a mass planting for "living mulch" or in a patio container. Foliage turns burgundy-red in fall. Extremely floriferous, 'Rozanne' makes a visual impact! Full sun to part shade.




2007

Nepeta faassennii 'Walkers Low' (Catmint). This deer and rabbit-resistant plant has aromatic silver-green foliage and a billowy, vigorous habit. It will bloom almost continuously throughout the season from May until frost if it is pruned back by two-thirds when the initial flowers fade. Don't be fooled by the cultivar name: 'Walker's Low' will eventually be 2 ft tall with a spread of 30 - 36" . Great for pollinators! Full sun to part shade. Try it as a border along a garden path.

2006

Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Feuerhexe' (Firewitch) (Cheddar Pink). This blue-foliaged plant is an excellent border edger, as well as being at home in the rock garden, in wall crevices or as a ground cover. After flowering in late spring, shear the spent flowers to promote later rebloom. The narrow bluish-gray foliage remains evergreen. Full sun is best.




2005

Helleborus X hybridus (Lenten Rose). This evergreen perennial flowers in late winter/very early spring. Very effective when planted in masses; will naturalize in the woodland garden. After flowering, the foliage can add an interesting texture to the shade garden as a foil for other shade plants. Part shade to full shade and deer-resistant.

2004

Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum' (Japanese Painted Fern) is a low-maintenance fern that provides a nice contrast to other shade-loving perennials. It's fronds are 12-18" long and are a soft metallic silver-grey with hints of red and blue. It flourishes where moisture and humidity abound, and adds color and texture to the landscape. Part shade to full shade. Slow grower.




2003

Leucanthemum X 'Becky' (Shasta Daisy). This cultivar, selected for its reliable winter hardiness, blooms from the end of June - early July until August with 3" bright white flowers and yellow centers on 40" tall stems. The stems are sturdy but the plant may require some staking or corralling anyway, depending on what's planted around it. Attracts butterflies. The stems can be cut back after flowering to tidy the plant. Not tolerant of excess moisture or wet soils in winter. Full sun - part shade.

2002

Phlox paniculata 'David' (Garden Phlox). This old-fashioned favorite blooms from July - Sept with 6-9" long , 6-8" wide panicles of fragrant white flowers on 36-40" tall stems. Deadhead spent blooms to prevent seed set. Although this cultivar is fairly resistant to powdery mildew, it still needs to be thinned (4-6 stems/plant) to increase air circulation and should be watered at the base and not the foliage. It works well in the back of the border & with ornamental grasses and asters. It should be divided regularly to maintain vigor. Full sun to part shade.




2001

Calamagrostis X acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' (Feather Reed Grass) is one of the most versatile, attractive and low-maintenance ornamental grasses. Loose feathery flowers appear in June, and are initially light pink, maturing to golden tan by fall. The growth habit is vertical - the habit narrower and tighter than many other grasses - with the foliage about 3' tall and the flower stems to 5'. Most effective when planted in rows or ribbons. Leave the dried grass as an exclamation point during the winter; cut back to about 6" in late winter/early spring. Full sun to part shade.

2000

Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' (Pincushion Flower) has lacy lavender-blue 2" flowers on slender 12-15" stems over gray-green ground-hugging foliage. It blooms from late spring to early fall if properly deadheaded throughout the season. Excellent front of the border plant. Does not require staking; attracts butterflies! There are also pink ('Pink Mist') and burgundy ('Ace of Spades') cultivars. Prefers well-drained soil, especially to survive the winter. Full sun to part shade.




1999

Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm' (Black-eyed Susan). This native is a durable, reliable star of the early fall garden. It blooms from mid-July to Oct with bright golden-yellow flowers on stiff stems with coarse dark green leaves. Plants mature to 18-30" tall X 24" wide. Spreads by rhizomes. Easy to divide in spring or fall. Attracts butterflies and makes a dramatic visual impact, especially when planted in drifts. Full sun to part shade.

1998

Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' (Purple Coneflower) is the "classic" coneflower - a bold mid-summer bloomer with pink petals and a golden "cone" seed head which persists after the petals have dropped off. 2-4' tall sturdy stems require no staking at all! Can be used as a specimen, as part of the border or massed. The seed heads attract goldfinches in fall. There are now many other color varieties of coneflower, including whites, reds, oranges & yellows, as well as doubles, dwarf forms and so on. Full sun & well-drained soil.




1997

Salvia nemorosa 'Mainacht' (May Night) (Sage). This late spring bloomer bears rigid spikes of dark blue-black flowers over aromatic blue-gray leaves (blooms May & June; 2 - 2.5' tall). Shear spent flowers to tidy the plant and promote rebloom in fall. Dislikes winter wetness. Full sun. You can't beat this tried-and-true deer-resistant plant for purple power when planted in drifts.

1996

Penstemon digitalis 'Husker's Red' (Beardtongue) has it all! Rich burgundy-red foliage accents the 30" tall plants, providing a rich contrast to the striking masses of white airy flower stalks. It's deer-resistant, pest-free and tolerates sun, shade and any kind of soil. It's also semi-evergreen in our climate. What's not to love!




1995

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage) is instantly recognizable with its silver-gray foliage and stiff upright habit. The light bluish-purple flowers are long-lasting (July - Sep), attractive to butterflies and a beautiful complement to ornamental grasses or white-flowered perennials. It's characterized as a sub-shrub with a woody base, so it's best to cut it back to the woody base in spring, It's deer-resistant, fragrant and requires full sun.

perennial plants of the year from ppa

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