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Renowned breeder Hans Hansen selected his Sassy Summer series for several desirable traits: big, big flowers, and lots of ‘em; attractive silvery foliage with a dense, upright habit; and, drum roll please, sturdy stems that stand up to wind and rain.Mind you, these are nicely proportioned plants, not skinny skyscrapers. Sassy Summer varieties hoist cheerful flowers up to three feet over silvery green foliage. Flat topped umbels are perfect landing pads for pollinators. Hardy in Zones 3 – 8. Choo

In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson bought some real estate from France. The Louisiana Purchase involved a staggering 828,000 square miles – over half a billion acres, give or take.But nobody really knew what he had bought. Zillow was no help. So Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to do a two-year walk-through.Among the many marvels they found was a succulent-leaved perennial called “bitter root” by natives. A river and a mountain range bear that name still. The newcomer was named

Energy Efficient Early Perennials – Columbine “And the eagle flies with the dove.” – Stephen StillsYou know “cool crops” as a description of certain annuals that don’t need (or like) lots of heat to finish for spring sales. Well, it’s not just for annuals anymore. Pick the right early flowering perennials, and you can realize significant energy savings. If you like your benches full and your heating bills low, we’ve got the perfect perennials for you. Aquilegia is a prime early bloomer, a t

The “aster disaster” rocked the perennial world over 20 years ago when that venerable genus was torn asunder.Those darned taxonomists shipped all “New World” asters off to tongue-twisting new genera like Eurybia, Doellingeria and, in the case of our two favorites, Symphiotrichum.Many professionals snubbed the neologisms and kept right on calling them “asters.” That’s where you’ll find them in our catalog, with Symphiotrichum second. Because that’s where our customers look for them. By any name,

Remember how huge it looked as it slowly sank, closer and closer to the water? Didn’t it seem twice as big as when it was high overhead?That’s Ocean Sunset™ for you. This series was bred for brilliant blooms that open wide, significantly larger than any other on the market. We’ve grown them all, and they’re all good, but oh, these flowers! They’re not just bigger, the colors are hot hot hot! Orange Glow PPAF Unusual bicolor blooms are pumpkin orange with purple tips.Orange Vibe PPA