From the first crocuses to emerge through the spring’s melting snow, through summer’s warmth and fall’s chill, flowers satisfy our need for beauty (while feeding our allies, the pollinators!).
Aquilegia canadensis 12-24" tall. This eastern North American native features delicate red-spurred sepals with yellow petaled skirts. Blooms late May to early June. Irresistible to hummingbirds! Z3.
Baptisia australis 3-4' x same. Vibrant blue lupine-like flowers in early summer. Bushy habit and shrub-like structure once mature. Good for erosion control. Z3.
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia 24–36" tall. Fine grassy willow-like foliage. Clusters of powder-blue florets in early summer. Best planted en masse. Z3.
Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora 24-36" tall. Midsummer sprays of bright red flowers open from bottom to top on long arching bronze stems. Grows well in pots. Makes a long-lasting cutflower.
Paeonia lactiflora 34-36" tall. Fully double type. Dark sensational burgundy red is unusual and arresting. Pairs well with any color. Great cutflower. Z3.
Paeonia lactiflora 30-34" tall. Single anemone-type with scarlet-red guard petals surrounding fringed red and gold petaloid centers. Rare. Late blooming. Z3.
Paeonia lactiflora 24–36" tall. A symphony of coral, peach, melon and pink shades in semi-double form. Very fragrant and packed with petals. Early. Z3.
Echinops ritro 3–4' tall. Luminous steel-blue spiky spheres on stiff stems with silvery green leaves. Excellent for fresh or dried arrangements. Blooms mid-to-late summer. Z3.
Pulmonaria 9-12" tall and eventually up to 2' wide. Periwinkle-blue buds open to pink flowers in spring. Large slate-green leaves with silver-white splotches. Woodland plant. Z3.
Astrantia 24-28". Clump-forming perennial makes an excellent groundcover when planted en masse. Makes long-lasting cutflowers and is also a great container plant. Z4.
Papaver orientale 20-30" tall. Surely named after one of the three Greek Graces, Aglaea, which means something like ‘festive radiance.’ Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Z3.
Papaver orientale 10-15" tall. Dusky damson-plum–colored blossoms. A short version of the original Patty’s Plum poppy, a compost-pile surprise discovered in the 1990s. Z3.
Eryngium yuccifolium 3-6' tall. Globe-thistle-like 1" greenish-white flowerheads. Subtle honey-like scent. North american native. Great for cutflower production. Z3.
Sempervivum Low-growing rosette-forming succulents produce runners and babies. Drought and heat tolerant. Cold-hardy too! Colorful mix of reds, greens and purples. Z3.
Iris sibirica 32" tall. Bred by legendary Maine hybridizer Currier McEwen in shades of creamy white with accents of yellow-green and buttery yellow. Early midseason to late. Z3.
Chelone glabra 2–4' tall. Native wildflower blooms late along with the asters. A final feast for the bumblebees. Prefers moist soil, dappled light. Z4.
Viola sororia 6-10" tall. North American native with cheery blue-purple flowers and attractive heart-shaped leaves, all edible. Larval host plant for multiple species of butterflies. Z3.
