With all the different types of perennials, choosing the perfect one can be difficult, especially if you are new to gardening! To simplify matters, we have compiled a list of the top 10 perennials to grow in your Colorado garden!
Salvia ‘May Night’:
This vigorous plant is extremely cold and drought tolerant, and is well situated to handle the high clay content of our Colorado soil. These salvia bloom spires of deep indigo in the late spring, and will re-bloom in the late summer if deadheaded.
Monardella marantha ‘Marian Sampson’:
If you need a plant for a rock garden or an edge, this is a perfect choice. Semi-evergreen aromatic foliage forms low mounds. Clusters of brilliant, orange-scarlet trumpet flowers bloom late spring- early summer. Monardella prefers a part sun location. This was a plant Select winner of 2014.
Lavender ‘Phenomenal’:
Since Phenomenal Lavender is so cold hardy it is one of the best lavenders to grow in Colorado. The silvery foliage sets off the long plentiful blue flowers that bloom all summer long. This lavender is easy to grow, highly disease resistant, drought tolerant, deer proof and attracts butterflies. Need we say more?!?
Poppy ‘Spring Fever Mix’:
Vivid large flowers of red, yellow, orange, white, blooms for an early spring display. This plant loves 5 plus hours of sunlight daily in well-drained soil. Beyond keeping their soil damp to the touch, Spring Fever has no need of fertilizer or insecticides as they have no natural predators.
Viola ‘Corsican Violet’:
This happy wild violet is one the first plants to show itself in the spring. It is very hardy, 6 to 8 inches tall, likes part sun, and is more drought tolerant than most other violas. It will bloom all spring, and naturalizes well.
Sedum ‘Tapestry Carpet’:
A mix of hardy sedums in one. The variety of textures and colors make it a pleasing choice as a ground cover or for rock gardens. They will bloom in the summer to fall, with many different colors. These low growing plants prefer a well-drained location, and can perform well in part-sun, or cool sunny location. Perfect for the water wise, xeroscape garden. We use this exact mix in all of the green roof installations that we do, so we know it is the perfect plant for Colorado!
Perovskia ‘Russian Sage’:
Often, in late summer, the brilliant blue purple flowers of this perennial’s stunning displays will turn heads. There are many varieties of size and shape of this plant that it will fit in just about anywhere. It is a bee & butterfly attractor that is deer and rabbit proof. If you plant these next to your vegetable garden, it will insure that your veggies are pollinated. It is also drought resistant, and prefers the hot sun.
Lupine ‘Gallery Mix’:
With dazzling multi-color flower spikes, this is a great dwarf variety so it is perfect for windy areas. The colorful spires are an unforgettable sight in the late spring, early summer garden. These plants prefer morning sun-afternoon shade and average well drained soil. They attract Humming birds and Butterflies, and can re-bloom if old blooms are cut back. They are also beautiful in cut flower arrangements.
Geranium ‘Rozanne’:
This geranium was the Plant Select winner of 2008 and with reason! A tall hybrid clump forming geranium, this is the longest-blooming and most prolific blue-flowered Geranium on the market. Bred to be low maintenance it boasts large 5-petaled violet-blue flowers, and blooms spring through summer. Tolerates deer and rabbits and can be cut back to rejuvenate, shape, or encourage more blooms.
Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’:
One of our personal favorites, this vibrant mix of hot colors put on their own garden show. Flowers are borne on sturdy, well-branched stems that stand up to sun, wind and rain. They have few insect or disease problems, and are drought tolerant, making them a great choice for sustainable, low-water use garden practices. This is also an excellent plant for your butterfly garden!