Here at the greenhouses we’ve been busy planting and preparing for the upcoming season. Last month we moved out all of our perennials to unheated cold frames to harden them off so you can start planting them in your landscape. We have many new varieties this year, along with many longstanding favorites. I wanted to go over a few early varieties that are great for our region, and all just happen to be groundcovers.
Cerastium tomentosum “Yo Yo” White: We’ve grown this variety for quite a few years now and are very pleased with its garden performance. Three main reasons why this low-growing groundcover is perfect for our region are that it grows in full sun, poor soil, and is deer-resistant. The gray foliage and white flowers add great contrast in the landscape. When planted next to something with dark green or red foliage it really makes everything “pop.”
Saponaria ocymoides: This is a particular favorite of mine because of its prolific pink flowers, which make it a unique looking groundcover. It does well in full-sun to part-sun, but even better is that it is deer-resistant and attracts pollinators.
Arenaria montana “Avalanche:” Like the Cerastium, this is a great plant to add contrast to your landscape. The foliage is gray/green with white flowers. It is also an evergreen and continues to look good even after the blooms have gone. As it grows it develops into a tight, moss-like mat, which does well in full or partial sun. When used between stepping stones or along pathways it looks very tidy and pretty. Although it doesn’t tolerate poorly drained or clay soil it is deer-resistant which is important for many of our customers.
While those are only three of the over 200 varieties of perennials we grow, they are some of our early bloomers which can go fast once they come into color. We’re bringing up more varieties of perennials each week, so be sure to stop by and see the changes.
Happy Gardening,
Kelly Brainard
