Happily Announcing the Arrival of Infants

April 3, 2020 Spring Perennials

Many of our favorite Classical Perennial Parents

Gardeners are often at a loss when designing a Perennial bed that is planted in the traditional tall plants in back, medium plants in the middle and short plants across the front for there has been a minimum of short Perennials available. Nurserymen and Gardeners are pleased to announce the birth of new short varieties of many of our classical Perennials.

A favorite example of the value of short Perennial edging plants is in the Shasta Daisy family. Snow Cap grows to about 15-inches and Snow Lady is shorter. Both will be covered with a profusion of golden sunshine centers surrounded by sparkling white petals that last a long time and boast zone-three hardiness.

Snowcap with its shorter height is the perfect touch to complete this perennial bed.

Now meet Alphabetical introductions for many of the classical Perennial’s infants or dwarf varieties: All of the following Perennials grow happily in cold climates, alkaline soils, are wildlife resistant and prefer either full sun or partial shade.

Little Moonshine blooms summer into fall in tight, luscious, pale yellow flowers.

 Achillea, Little Moonshine, is the new dwarf Perennial in the Achillea Family. This Achillea grows to only 12 inches in height and flowers earlier and longer with zone-4 hardiness.

Wood’s Asters – Two shares of pink Wood’s Asters in full bloom.

 Asters: The dwarf Wood’s Asters bloom in the same jeweled tones as their parents do but they grow in a tight clump of luscious dark green foliage that looks attractive along front borders all season. In fall they burst into a mass of small daisy flowers that cover the entire plant. Their height is 8 to 12 inches tall and they are a hardy zone three Perennial.

Delphhina is short, sturdy, and packed with summer blooms including light blue, dark blue, and even pink.

Delphinium: Delphina is a short Delphinium and every Gardener knows that Delphiniums are glorious but they must be staked so here we have a new dwarf variety that only grows to 18 inches but still comes in a variety of the famous blue shades of its parent. Delphina is hardy to zone 4.

Burning Love: The pureness of Burning Love’s red color is the brilliance of a stop light in the garden.

Lychnis, Maltese Cross: Burning Love. is a dwarf infant of the amazingly hardy Maltese Cross. This lovely, zone 3, Perennial only grows to about 15 inches instead of its parents 30 inch height. Burning Love does an outstanding job when planted in a mass planting that moves into the middle section of the flower bed.

Nepeta: Junior Walker is a dwarf version of the famous Perennial Plant of the Year winner, Nepeta, Walker’s Low. Junior Walker grows to about 15 inches, blooms continually and is a hardy zone 4 Perennial.

Phlox paniculata: The traditional dazzling blooms of Phlox are now offered in a short, earlier blooming variety called Phlox Flame. Flame flowers in the same elegant colors as its parent but grows to only 15 inches in height. The hardiness of Flame is  zone-4 and they are mildew resistant.

Phlox Flame’s size and colors give the same effect as if Geraniums were planted along the front of the bed, but Phlox Flame is a hardy perennial and won’t need to be replanted each year.

Rudbeckia fulgida goldstrum: Fulgida goldstrum is the only true Perennial Rudbeckia and won the Perennial Plant of the Year award. Now, “hurrah”, gardeners have a dwarf version called Rudbeckia fulgida, Little Goldstar. Little Goldstar blooms the same season as its parent, late summer, but is only 14 inches tall.  Its compact size will be loaded in golden daisy blooms and it is a hardy zone 4 Perennial.

Little Goldstar fulgida flowers during the August meltdown in gardens so mass plantings give a refreshing dazzle to the garden.

Sedum: Sedum is a must have Perennial for gardens and now a new Variety of Sedum, Sunsparkler is available to gardeners. Sunsparkler Perennials grow to about 6 inches tall and maintain a perfect ball shape always. Their elegant rounded foliage sports blue, grey, lime, burgundy, and cherry red choices and is as attractive as flowers in the garden. Zone 4

Thanks to Walters Gardens for this delightful photo of Sunsparkler.

Veronica: The dwarf version of Veronica, named Veronica Royal Candles, looks just like its parent plant but grows to only 15 inches in height. Royal Candles stays compact and its long season of deep violet-blue spikes is dependable and showy.

Royal Candles starts blooming in early summer to fall and is hardy, zone 3, even in high mountain gardens.

Other traditional Perennials also have short varieties like the Crested Irises that bloom in spring. Hemerocallis has many dwarf, ever blooming. choices of Daylilies. Even the tall elegant Tiger Lilies now has a Baby Tiger. The future of Perennial Gardening is becoming more fun every year!

More about Nedra Secrist

My native roots are Northern Utah and my native naturalized roots are in Idaho around Bear Lake. In other words, I garden in challenging areas of the high valleys of the Rocky Mountains and feel gardeners need a place they can ask questions to help understand and solve the environmental dilemmas that western gardeners face. As a teacher and gardener, my life has centered on kids and flowers, God’s greatest, most perfect triumphs. I feel blessed that both have been the focus of my life.

Related Posts