Tough Perennials That Earn Their Keep

Much of the country got a reprieve from the crazy hot weather, but here in the Midwest, we traded it for a lack of rain. It’s a double whammy on plants that took the heat and are now desperate for a good soaking. A lot of our yards are looking tired. The positive? We find out who’s tough and who withers away, ready to be replaced or pack it in for next year.

One thing I did that made a big difference was to put a small amount of water on my yard. I don’t have a sprinkler system, and I do have trees that provide some reprieve from the sun, but most non-irrigated lawns around here look rough. I understand why people prefer all garden and no lawn, but I love how a patch of grass sets off the beds. It’s personal preference, but I like a well-maintained yard. A yard that requires some work. I appreciate the effort, and I know what the owner put into it.

“That’s a waste of water, you need to go native.” I understand that, but it doesn’t take much water to keep things decent. To be lush and perfect, yes. But to simply hold onto green, a lawn only needs a small amount of water to stay full. Full grass keeps out weeds, and if weeds do show up, they’re easy to pull if you get them early. I put a light coat of water on my lawn a few times a week. My yard is small, so I realize this isn’t practical for everyone, but a little old-man spray on the grass keeps it pretty nice. Perfect? No. But compared to the neighbors, mine looks great. You don’t have to be the prettiest at the dance, just prettier than the other choices.

My perennials hardly get any water because I chose ones that handle summer heat and dry conditions. Every region of the country deals with this at some point. Over the years, I’ve slowly swapped out plants for tough perennials that bloom a lot or keep good foliage all season.

I recently walked through the perennial section at Country Arbors in Urbana. Those plants get more care than ones in the ground, but even there it’s tough to keep them perfect. Today we’re going to look at some of the great plants I saw, many of which I grow myself. And all of them were in bloom.

They were blooming because they’d been trimmed. That’s the big “secret.” To help plants handle summer heat, you need to cut back the old flowers and reduce the plant’s size. Less to take care of means a stronger root system, a bigger plant in less time, and the bonus: most bloom again. These plants have already had several rounds of flowers and are still blooming on and off months later. With the right care, they’ll keep it up for years.

Yes, it takes some work. You don’t have to do it, but if you do, your plants will thrive. Let’s take a look at a few of my favorites. All pics taken this week by me

Stokesia ‘White Caps’

• Botanical: Stokesia laevis

• Size: 12–18" tall × 12–18" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 5–9
  Stokesia or pinwheels, are one of my favorite plants. Most people are familiar with the purple and pink varieties but this white one really stands out in the mulch. Its tough as nails or it wouldn’t be on this list. If you keep trimming the blooms you’ll get these pretty white flowers all summer long

Gaillardia SpinTop Red

• Botanical: Gaillardia

• Size: 12–14" tall × 12–14" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 5–9
  The easiest way to kill a Gaillardia is too much water. That’s right, they want to be dry and left alone. Yet, they do want to be deadheaded. If you do they will bloom essentially spring to summer. Don’t NEVER water them but much less than normal perennials

Veronica Baby Bloomer Blue

• Botanical: Veronica

• Size: 10–12" tall × 10–12" wide

• Sun: Full Sun to Part Sun

• Zone: 4–9
  We all know Salvia and Veronica are one of the easiest plants to grow. Almost can’t kill but I especially love this variety. I call it an Agastache blue but a fluffy light blue flower and the same hardiness as usual. Keep it trimmed and it will look like spring all summer

Heliopsis ‘Bit of Honey’

• Botanical: Heliopsis helianthoides

• Size: 24–30" tall × 18–24" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 4–9
  Hot and Dry are Heliopsis’ friend. The blooms are double petaled and stand out from 20 feet away. The foliage is also variegated as an added bonus. Foliage is important when not in bloom but trimmed right and there will be no such thing

Echinacea ‘Butter Pecan’

• Botanical: Echinacea

• Size: 18–22" tall × 18–24" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 4–9
  People always get nervous buying expensive new cultivars of coneflower because they don’t last too long. That is changing and if you buy a nice, full, plant right now they have the best chance over the winter than any time of year. Its such a unique flower and the white will stand out in the myriad of other perennials colors. This one has been in bloom since June

Coreopsis ‘Paprika’

• Botanical: Coreopsis rosea

• Size: 12–16" tall × 12–18" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 4–9
  Fiery red flowers that keep blooming through summer. What I said about fancy echinacea not living used to be true for red and pink coreopsis. They didn’t show the same hardiness in the past. That’s in the past. Now we have several amazing varieties of red and this is one of the top. Blooms its heart out all summer with trimming and its in full bloom now

Coreopsis Uptick Red

• Botanical: Coreopsis

• Size: 12–14" tall × 12–14" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 5–9
  Compact, with bold red flowers. Great for edging or containers. A staple. If you don’t have this one in your garden then you are semiPro. Of all the perennials I’ll show today this one is the easiest, most consistent plant out there.

Coreopsis Creamy Calico

• Botanical: Coreopsis

• Size: 12–14" tall × 12–14" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 4–9
  A cream base with red accents on each bloom that has all the hardiness and repeat blooming of the above but with a different color palette. Great to mix in with the other coreopsis

Coreopsis ‘Scarlet Ribbons’

• Botanical: Coreopsis

• Size: 12–18" tall × 12–18" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 4–9
  Long, narrow red petals for a different look in the Coreopsis family. This was a recent addition from Proven Winners that is similar to Paprika. I don’t know enough about it to say its better but I would choose whatever is cheaper because they both have been so tough this summer. Like the other perennials here today were in full bloom with a little maintenance

Coreopsis Golden Needles

• Botanical: Coreopsis

• Size: 12–14" tall × 12–18" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 5–9
  Same colors as Uptick but longer petals and threadleaf instead of larger leaf. I wouldn’t plant it next to Uptick and if I could only choose one Uptick wins but worth having in the garden. Reliable and hardy as well.

Dianthus ‘Kahori’

• Botanical: Dianthus

• Size: 8–12" tall × 12–18" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 4–9
  Fragrant pink blooms on a small, neat plant. Excellent edging choice. Every garden needs one of these in the border. Blooms in spring and sporadically all year if trimmed. It won’t be consistently all summer but it will have its moments. Maybe 4 or 5 of them and the fragrance and color are so nice. A must have

Echinacea ‘Apple Green’

• Botanical: Echinacea

• Size: 20–24" tall × 18–20" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 4–9
  Soft green flowers that stand out in a sea of coneflowers. Not really a color like this out there. Incredible amount of petals per bloom and a stand out. Almost like a dahlia or annual because of the petal count.

Buddleia ‘Pugster Blue’

• Botanical: Buddleia

• Size: 24" tall × 24–36" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 5–9
  Dwarf butterfly bush with full-sized blue flowers on a compact frame. Butterflies will thank you and its not a crazy size like some butterfly bushes. Gives you a late summer bloom set when some have faded out. If you are Zone 6 or colder I would cut back and cover with a large pot to ensure it comes back. It doesn’t like fluctuating temperatures in winter and we have more of that than ever.

Hibiscus ‘Cookies and Cream’

• Botanical: Hibiscus

• Size: 3–4' tall × 3–4' wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 5–9
  Large, dramatic blooms with unique coloring. The last perennial to come up in the garden. You will think it died. When it does come up it grows like a weed and this variety has dark rich black, officially dark purple, leaves. The white flower set so nicely against the foliage and while not dinner plate, the are definitely roll plate size. Big enough

Lavandula ‘Sweet Romance’

• Botanical: Lavandula angustifolia

• Size: 12–18" tall × 12–18" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 5–9
  Compact lavender with strong fragrance and mid-summer bloom. Loves dry, needs dry. Appreciates a good trim as well. Summer will take care of the dry. You’ll have to provide the trim.

Chrysanthemum ‘Fonti Pink’

• Botanical: Chrysanthemum

• Size: 12–18" tall × 18–24" wide

• Sun: Full Sun

• Zone: 5–9
  It could be a perennial, and if you plant now, it should. I put it here because it’s one of my favorite garden mums. One of the biggest flowers out there. Pretty early and prolific bloomer. It’s at Country Arbors if you’re an original reader of the newsletter but ask your garden center if they grow it. If they don’t, tell them they should.

A Picture is Worth a Hundred Words

As always, HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND and thanks for reading…..pass this on to a friend if you think they will enjoy it. I used to write for 5000 and now for 300 yet I still love talking plants. I’ll keep at it if you keep reading.



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