Perennials for 2008

Rice Road Greenhouses has an amazing selection of perennials from the common to the unusual. Shop our easy sections for Grasses, Groundcovers and Shade Perennials or browse the alphabet from A-Z. You’re sure to find what you’re looking for. And if you don’t, we will try to find it for you. The following perennials represent a small sampling of what’s New and Hot for 2008. Click on the small pictures for a better look!

Rock Stars is a collection of plants which is, as the name implies, suited for use in rock gardens or alpine planters. These are plants which are typically found in higher altitudes growing in rocky alpine meadows. They generally have low water requirements and can be grown in well-drained soil in the garden, as well as in different styles of planters to create miniature gardens.

Click here for a sampling of plants.

Digitalis Spice Island is a terrific new Foxglove that flowered from June to November in my garden. Simply cut back spent stems and it continues to produce new ones.	The 2008 Perennial of the Year is Geranium Rozanne It features huge violet-blue flowers from late-spring to fall. Plants grow about 24" tall and wide
My favourite new Echinacea is Coconut Lime which is the first double white Echinacea on the market.	Echinacea All That Jazz is an unusual new echinacea with quilled petals and fragrant flowers.
Slightly shorter is Sedum Lynda Windsor which has ruby-red flowers in fall.	The dark leaved sedums still enjoying popularity. Sedum Black Jack is a sport of Sedum Matrona that has 24” tall purple black foliage.
Who hasn't heard of Heucheras by now, but gardeners know some varieties tend to flop by mid-summer. Not so with the new villosa hybrids which have increased tolerance for heat and humidity. This one is Heuchera Tiramisu. The young foliage is yellow with red but they mature a silvery green.	Sedum Purple Emperor has been around a few years but it is one of the best upright dark leaved forms, and is readily available. Sedums are great in the garden or in containers.
Foliage plants are gaining in popularity. Grasses are everywhere now and what shady garden is complete without at least one Hosta. The 2008 Hosta of the year is Hosta Blue Mouse Ears. It is a cute miniature Hosta with tiny 2" blue leaves.	Miscanthus Andante is a tall grass growing to 8 feet. Thick, dark green, lustrous foliage make it the best Miscanthus on the market.
Hardy tropicals is a confusing term, but we understand it to mean out of zone plants that, with some protection, will survive a Niagara winter in the garden. The favourite is the hardy banana. Musa basjoo has wintered well in Niagara with an insulating layer of leaves. In our garden they grew to 10 feet in just one season.	A nice new bamboo is Fargesia robusta. Bamboos tend to frighten people because of their reputation for being invasive. This one isn't. Fargesia robusta is a well behaved clump forming plant that will grow to about 12 feet. Less tall varieties are also available.
Most of us dream about palm trees at some point, well now you can have one in the garden. Trachycarpus fortunei, and its hardier cousin Trachycarpus Takil, have survived Niagara winters in local gardens. Hardier still are Needle Palms (Rhapidophyllum hystrix.)	There are many types of trunking Yuccas. Some that are reported to survive here include: Yucca elata (tolerates moisture better than the others) Yucca faxoniana, Yucca rostrata, Yucca baccatta, Yucca Thompsoniana and others will be available in spring. These require well drained soil, and protection from snow in the crown (which causes rot) but will eventually grow a trunk at the astounding rate of about one inch per year.

here are a few simple buying guidlines:

Know the planting site. Is the soil well drained, or clay, how much sun (or shade) does the site get. Is it on a south or west facing wall. Is it under an overhang. These factors are important because some plants will thrive under certain condition while others fail. To avoid disappointment bring this information with you and our staff can help you select the plants that are best suited to that particular location.