blog may 11 spring perennials to buy

New perennials and incredible annuals are everywhere and we’ve all been swarming the nurseries from the look of the action in the nurseries last week and this week is going to be even more buzzy. A couple of words of wisdom: go with a list.

I’ve never seen so many gorgeous plants and it you want them all you’ll find yourself in serious trouble. And have a look at what Loblaws is showing this year. They’ve had a programme of working with Canadian nurseries for the past few years and here’s one of the beauties they’ll have: Hakonochloa macra ‘Aureola’ which has been one of my favourites for many years. When I bought mine it was $34 for a couple of stalks, now you can have a big healthy container for $10. I hope this one is everywhere. It’s a beauty. I have it all over my garden and have never regretted that initial price.

they also have some great ferns, a selection of clematis and the great new Heuchera ‘Georgia Peach’ which has amazing veining and will work with almost any colour.

They also have a new very small version of the Buddlea or butterfly bush which is an exclusive from Sheridan nurseries.

There is one plant they have, no doubt a good one, and that’s Carex ‘Ice Dance’. It’s a lethal spreader and forms a huge mound. We dug it out of here and are donating the whole pile to the big GRASSROOTS ALBANY PLANT SALE  this Saturday 211 Albany Avenue. I may see you there after 10 a.m.

Here’s is the Hak in my garden today: that one has been under water for over a month and it’s looking really good. It combined with an extraordinary strawberrey geranium,Saxifraga ‘Maroon Beauty’ which I bought at Fiesta Gardens 200 Christie Street. Another absolutely wonderful place to find great plants you won’t be seeing everywhere else.

It’s combined with European ginger, Asarum europeum another sneaky little devil that moves around. In this case I like what it does. Great ground cover.

And here’s what I found on my tour this morning: a Trillium grandiflorum. My friend David refers to the garden at this time of year as being “effulgent.” He is so right. And wonderful.