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From the breeding wizardry of North Carolina State University and the team at Darwin Perennials, we offer two stellar grasses that have a unique advantage: They're infertile - functionally sterile - so you won't need to block any pesky pop-ups.Miscanthus sinensis Bandwidth™ PP29460Will Bandwidth™ magically endow the garden with Wi-Fi? Probably not, but the broad bands of bright gold on its stiff, upright blades guarantee great garden and retail reception.No other ornamental grass cra

Our latest “little bluestem” marks our tenth offering in this increasingly-popular group. And every one of them is the 2022 Perennial Plant of the Year: For just the second time in that award’s 32-year history, the Perennial Plant Association has bestowed it upon an entire species including all its cultivars.‘Twilight Zone’ PP27432 lights up the border with a unique, almost glowing, silvery/mauve cast to its mature foliage. As the season progresses, the silver persists even as the mauve tones se

The world’s premier genus of ornamental grasses includes lots of stunning varieties. We offer three that have a unique advantage: They’re infertile. They can’t self-sow and pop up where they’re not welcome.We’re spotlighting them all, one at a time. We’ve seen Scout™, so now let’s look at My Fair Maiden™. This is a large, impressive grass, tall and broad. Vigorous yet graceful upright/arching clumps are composed of broad blades, bright rich green with clean white midribs. In la

That’s right, folks: Perovskia is native to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tibet. It’s not from Russia, with or without love.It’s also not a sage, despite the pungent salvia-like aroma released when the silvery foliage is crushed. It’s actually in the mint family.P. atriplicifoliaThe original! Talc-white stems rise from lacy, blue/pewter foliage, adorned with sprays of lavender flowers. Named Perennial Plant of the Year in 1995, it stands a loose-limbed 3 – 4’ and is hardy in Zones 4 – 9. P. hyb

In the “language of flowers,” which is spoken not by flowers but by people, Coreopsis says “constantly cheerful.” Which fits perfectly: The golden-yellow double flowers of this native American genus are bound to put a smile on your face. Their disposition is as sunny as the sites where they love to grow. ‘Early Sunrise’ lives up to its cultivar name: On your bench or in the garden, it jump-starts your season by blooming earlier than others in the species. And its flowers are borne aloft on stur