Suggestions for Perennials

Shame I didn't know before we travelled to UK as I have so many perennials that need splitting and I could have potted up and brought with me. Got back fro Leics yesterday.

Shysal- yes, saw Jacob's Ladder everywhere in garden centres in uk this year- never before. Near us on French side, we have 2 vast wild water meadows which get covered with those every June - both blue and white. Superb.

Another plant I have here, and which grows wild too- and saw this year for sale in uk, and never before, is Thalictrum. The leaves are a cross between aquelegia and rue, grows to about 50cm tall and has tight little purple balls, like mimosa (yellow) that open into fluffy little pink balls. Is that a Chelsea phenomenon perhaps.

Phlox are great, and peonies very special, tree peonies too. Veronicas, we have white, blue and pink. Iris's.. and the list is endless really. But don't hink of individual plants, but when they flower to have a continuity, rather than all at once.

Easy to grow plants with long seasons (please forgive any mis-spelling!):
Astrantia, shorter autumn flowering "Michaelmas daisies", hellebore, dicentra spectabilis (now has new name), foxgloves, santolina with pale button flowers, Anthemis punctata, herbaceous geraniums especially phaem varieties, phlox, peonies (short flowering season but lovely foliage).
Hayloft plants sell collections of salvia, penstemon, geranium and phlox as plug plants.
I also have a short, healthy, bushy, constantly flowering rose called "White Patio" which is good value. Do steer clear of ground cover roses which spread too much.

I've been reading this with interest as I have, for the first time ever, properly planted my garden borders with perennials this year. Last year I put in some peonies, penstemon and about five other perennials and this year I've really gone to town and put in about a hundred and twenty other plants and summer flowering bulbs - altogether about thirty varieties. I am now watching as my garden comes to life and I'm wondering why (apart from the not inconsiderable cost) I've never thought to do this before. In the past I've simply put in a few dozen annuals from the local garden centre and hoped for the best.

Pudding123 is right.

I can't grow that plant that looks like a forget-me-not, but isn't one, in the ground. But I have it in containers. Flourishes.

Jacob Ladder dies on me.

I would see what grows well in your neighbourghood is is your soil acid alkaline or neutral ,damp or dry shady or sunny.I have had lots of expensive plants just disappear digit me it's right plant right place.

A deer has eaten most of my Golden Wedding rose.

Perennial geraniums. 'Rozanne' is lovely and flowers for ages. Its leaves take on a reddish tinge in autumn. Also Geranium macrorrhizum for spring flowering. Both reliable, tough and very pretty.

In the past I’ve always tried to follow Jekyll’s planting scheme. Worked well, but lately I’ve introduced roses and am loving them?? as mixed border.

I have a variegated Jacob's Ladder but I love the idea of bronzed leaves.

I have recently been given a Jacob's Ladder, which is pretty. It is more purple than the photo, and has partly bronzed leaves.

Please dont worry, tartlet.

We have all those - I told you we all have similar tastes!

Thank you for all your suggestions!

I've just remembered rose campion (lychnis coronaria). Very pretty with silvery foliage and bright pink, long lasting flowers.

And what about Solomon's seal? Crocosmia Lucifer?

(I've just been mentally going round my garden trying to get to sleep)

I had Camp. Glomerata in my last garden - a very handsome plant. I had forgotten about it!

Campanula glomerata and persificolia are both lovely too.

Scabious! I love the pink ones you can get now.

Flowers growing in paving cracks are lovely!

I will make my suggestion when I remember it's name.

We all seem to have similar tastes. And, I know I've been poorly but it's GEUMS that are on my list - not germs!!

I have the brunnera in the bed adjacent so I suspect it will make it's way there Topsy. I have lots of verbenas, a couple of which are in that border. I also have a fair few growing in the patio cracks!

I love penstemon and already have a few but could cope with some more.

Plant of the year at Chelsea last year was Hydrangea Runaway Bride. They flower at every leaf joint rather than just stem tips as ordinary hydrangeas do. I know it is a shrub not a perennial, but possibly worth considering. I don't know how big they grow, all pics I have seen are small, but maybe being a new hybrid there hasn't been time for several years' growth. I hope you enjoy planting up your bed.

Salvias! Okay, I’m going now?!

Sorry! Alygran already suggested verbenas.

I would suggest verbena bonariensis, which does provide a lovely tall backdrop to a border, but it is an awful thug.

My current favourites are Brunnera macrophylla which have a mound of green and silver leaves and taller sprays of forget me not type flowers. You don’t get the mildew problems of forget me nots. Jack Frost, Alexander’s Giant and Hadspen Cream are the three I have.

Germs are on my list, gd. I love them and have a few already. When we opened our garden for the village event, one woman said nothing at all for the whole of her visit except, as she was leaving, announcing 'I really hate geums!'

Just planted up a new border yesterday. Add penstemon, verbenas to the list? I put 4 compact chrysanthemums in too for late colour. Happy planting.

Geums, particularly the lovely red Mrs Bradshaw; echinacea (cone flowers) come in various shades; rudbeckia; bright yellow leopards bane for early spring (a good foil for dark foliage heucheras); coreopsis; and, yes, definitely erysimum, but be stern with it or it will take over!