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If there’s a garden grass that your average gardener knows by name, it’s ‘Karl Foerster’. This eponymous creation of the legendary plantsman was the first ornamental grass named Perennial Plant of the Year.Naturally, we know (and grow) lots more, but this is the one to know if you know only one. It’s famous worldwide for its beauty, adaptability and ease of culture.Prolific breeder and author Karl Foerster (1874-1970) introduced over 600 plants and wrote two dozen books. His breeding motto was “

Back in 1997, Emerald Coast Growers was just six years old. Bill Clinton was in the White House. A new Honda Civic cost $10,000. The Marlins beat the Indians in the World Series, and the Packers whupped the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.But the big news that year? The Perennial Plant Association chose Salvia May Night as its Perennial Plant of the Year. All other phenomena were just fighting for silver.May Night is a classic best-seller thanks to its long-lasting violet-purple flower spikes in lat

These shady characters grow and glow where the sun don’t shine!Hakonechloa, "Japanese forest grass," is the go-to genus for less-than-sunny sites. This sinuous beauty grows as water flows, welling up and showering down in a supple cascade of pendant bamboo-like leaves.Let’s look at two of our (and our customers’) favorites. Both stand 14 – 20” tall and are hardy in Zones 5 to 9. We’re down to just a few dozen trays, and there won’t be any more until January!Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' This one

Cheerful, sun-loving and easy to grow – what’s not to like? Award-winning British breeder David Tristram (UK) gave the world’s gardeners many lovely varieties in multiple species. These two are probably his best-known and most widely-distributed work.‘Butterfly Blue’ was the Perennial Plant Association’s choice for Perennial Plant of the Year in 2000. ‘Pink Mist’ was bred specifically to keep it company. Both perform best in full sun, and in slightly moist but well-drained soil. Once establ

The word “Low” does not describe the height of this lovely, fragrant perennial. It stands 2½ – 3’, which makes it a good fit mid-border, or even back-of-the-border in smaller settings. It brings a cheerful, informal look to plantings of any size. Rather, the name honors the owner of the Irish garden where ‘Walker’s Low’ originated – where its soft mounds of gray-green foliage and loose spikes of lavender-blue flowers, from late spring well into summer, were first appreciated. ‘Walker’s