PERENNIALS & GROUND COVERS

Hebes and heather and grasses, oh my! If you’re in need of these garden basics (particularly in economical 3.5” pots), now would be a great time to stock up - because our selection is vast! And besides being must-haves in garden beds and borders, this trio of plants makes a great addition to fall containers.

Evergreen hebes add terrific texture to fall displays. Check out tiny-leafed H. anomala ‘Nana’, ‘McKeanii’, and ‘New Zealand Gold’. Also available are deep-green Hebe buxifolia (Boxwood Hebe), blue-tinted H. glaucophylla and ‘Pagei’, popular ‘Patty’s Purple’, unique silver-foliated ‘Clear Skies’ and ‘Quicksilver’, and large-leafed cream and light-green ‘Variegata’.

Heathers and heaths* just now are coloring up nicely, making them a great choice for fall plantings. Calluna vulgaris (heather) ‘Allegro’, ‘Dark Star’, ‘Firefly’, and ‘Flamingo’ have purple flowers. In pink, we have ‘Amethyst’, ‘Eden’s Beauty’, and double-flowering ‘Peter Sparkes’. ‘Dark Beauty’ is a hugely popular magenta bloomer. For white flowers, check out ‘Corita’ and ‘Ruby Slinger’. And finally, we have lavender-blooming ‘Wickwar Flame’, which is sought after for its autumnal orange foliage.

When it comes to heaths, it’s all about the foliage in autumn months - their bloom time comes later. ‘Kramer’s Rote’ and ‘Margaret Porter’ are two varieties with very deep-green foliage, and ‘Mary Helen’ is nearly chartreuse, turning bronze in winter.

There are many choices of evergreen grasses appropriate for containers. Several evergreen sedges will add great color and texture to fall displays, including ‘Amazon Mist’, ‘Cappucino’, ‘Coffee Twist’, ‘Frosty Curls’, and ‘Ice Dance’, plus the popular species C. buchananii and C. testacea. For blue-tinted grasses, try the fescues ‘Elijah Blue’ and ‘Festina’.

Recently, rushes have become popular in pots. The crazy-curled ‘Spiralis’ and elegant ‘Elk’s Blue’ are two distinctive choices. Or, for another unique touch, check out the low-growing mondo grasses: Ophiopogon ‘Nanus’, Nigrescens’ and ‘Variegata’.

We also have some gorgeous purple fountain grass available. While not perennial, these grasses should have a fair bit of “mileage” left in them, adding dramatic color to fall containers. Be sure to check out striking ‘Pink Stripe’, which is new to our shelves this year.

Hebes and heathers and grasses, oh my…goodness! So many choices!

*If you’re not sure which is which, just remember the rhyme “Heathers have feathers, and heaths have teeth,” and then look closely at the foliage: you should be able to discern either feathery foliage or “toothy” leaves.

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