Sarah’s Perennial Pick: Daylilies

Daylilies may be beautiful, but they are also the work horses of the garden. They are very easy care and do best in a sunny area. Their thick roots are great at stabilizing a bank that may be prone to erosion. These same roots will quickly uptake excess water in a rain garden.

The graceful mounding foliage looks lush without blooms. Great perennial companions are Echinaceas, Coreopsis, Salvias, Yarrows, and Bee Balms. We sell two types of day lilies, the regular large blooming daylily as well as the smaller return bloom day lilies. The return blooming day lilies keep flowers coming all summer long. The larger day lilies have a season that lasts a month, but what a spectacular month it is!

Sarah’s Perennial Pick: Echinacea

Through Friday, July 26 2019, we’re offering 25% off all Echinacea at the nursery. 

Echinaceas are native to the prairies of North America and their roots are excellent for busting up prairie clay as well as New England clay. Echinacea purpurea is the most common native and most wildly colored and shaped varieties are hybridized from this species. To support pollinators, we grow Echinacea paradoxa, with bright yellow petals, the species ‘purpurea’ known as Purple Coneflower, and Echinacea tenneseeensis with its deep rose pink petals. We also grow the “nativar” ‘White Swan’. A nativar is a cultural variant found growing within a natural grouping of the same species of plants. It is not hybridized and pollinators can derive nectar and pollen from it.

We also grow different colors and shapes of hybridized echinaceas, too. Because many of these hybrids are sterile and do not set seed, they cannot provide nectar and pollen to pollinators. While Full Circle Gardens remains committed to growing pollinator perennials, we also believe a little balance with some of these colorful hybrids is just fine.

Sarah’s Perennial Picks: Veronica & Astilbe

Through Friday, July 19 2019, we’re offering 25% off all Veronica and Astilbe at the nursery. 

Veronica varieties have graceful spikes of white, pale pink, hot pink and blue-purple arising over clumping foliage. They are pollinator friendly and bloom from June to August. They prefer full sun and well-drained soils, growing to 2 feet high. Veronicas are also deer and rabbit resistant.

Astilbes add bright color to shady areas from July to August. Their foliage is finely textured and looks great even when there are no flowers. The foamy flower spikes come in colors of white, pink, red and light purple. Astilbes need average to moist soils especially if they are in part sun. They grow to 2 1/2 feet tall. They are great for rain gardens in shady areas and are rabbit and deer resistant.