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blauerplanet

What are your favorite perennials?

BlauerPlanet
12 years ago

My husband and I moved to Minnesota from Europe last year. This is our first summer. I love to garden, but I have to say this weather has me a bit puzzled. Pretty short growing season but then such heat in the summer. I don't want to be watering all the time.

So, what are your favorite perennials that do well in this climate? You can also throw in some annuals you love that can stand the heat for good measure.

Thanks so much for your help!

Comments (5)

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is an unusual summer for extreme heat. The only thing normal about our weather in MN is that there is no such thing as normal weather. Which part of Mn are you in?
    I have found lilies to do well for me. Echinacea, rudbeckia, liatris are all backbone plants. If you have the space russian sage does well, as do asters. Find a local garden club, they are a great source of info about what will do well in your area and often a source of plants as well.

  • Ament
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It also depends upon your yard/soil too. If you have shade trees, you can grow some plants that others may not be able to. Because they have too much sun. Or not enough sun due to too much shade, it all depends on your particular situation.

    I truly enjoy purchasing butterfly, hummingbird or wildflower mixes and seeing what will come up in any particular area. :) It's always lots of fun. Hostaholic2 is correct though, local information always good to use.

    Many here could help better if given more specific information on your yard though. *g*

    Tina

  • BlauerPlanet
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the suggestions and of course I should give more information on the yard. I am happy to hear that this year is unusual for extreme heat though! :)

    We live in Saint Paul (so it's a small yard).

    The backyard faces south but there is a shade tree in it and the neighbor has a huge maple tree. I took pictures of the yard at each hour to see how much sun each area gets. No morning sun in my yard. Most places get between 3-5 hours of afternoon sun (between 1-5 PM), but some close to the house or under the tree are full shade with only an hour or so of sunlight.

    Even though the frontyard faces north part of it gets 7 or more hours of sun, starting at 9 AM. But on the boulevard and close to the house it's full shade.

    I've not yet done a soil test. It's on the list...

    Oh and how do I find out about neighborhood gardening clubs?

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The link below will take you to the MN State Horticulture Society website. It looks as though St. Paul would be District 7.
    there is a listing of all state affiliated garden clubs with most of them including contact info. There may also be clubs not affiliated with the state. I would think the chamber of commerce might have a listing for them.

    Here is a link that might be useful: MN State Hort Society

  • janroze
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dear Planet, Welcome to MN. I'm in Mankato, are you near?
    I wish there had been forums for questioning when I started gardening. Asking questions, such as yours, could have saved me many thousands of dollars. I have learned to love what I once thought was common and boring, because they are the plants that work. We have a lot of clay here, but here are MY reliable plants:

    WHITE:
    SHRUB � golden (leaf) mockorange is very fragrant
    VINE CLEMATIS large white - my fav clem Gillian Blades
    CASA BLANCA LILY - my fav flower, soooo fragrant, I have scads of them.
    PERENNIAL GERANIUM-I like my white mounded one, it doesn't flop like some.
    SHASTA DAISY I killed many, but a friend has one that�s hardy and I am trying to find out the hybrid
    HOSTAS � white & lav.: fav plantaginea �Aphrodite.� They need not be boring - vary sz, shape, color & texture. Research & plan. Moving �emsets them way back. To 4'h x 9'w.
    SHADE COMPANIONS: many colored Lilium, yellow Ligularia, Coral bells, pink bleeding hearts, pink Astilbe, blue Brunnera,and foliage plants: European ginger, Soloman�s seal, Pulmonaria,

    YELLOW
    SHRUB - Northern Sun Forsythia - the best for MN; it is almost 35 years old and is still a bloomin' fool.
    DAFFODILS - I have had a lot of trouble with various fancy hybrids, but my annual returnee is the yellow King Alfred.
    SEDUM - yellow flowering edger
    CUSION SPURGE - nice fairly small mound.
    TRUMPET LILIUM
    GOLDEN GLOBE very slow to multiply

    BLUE:
    CLEMATIS VINE - Mrs. Cholmondeley
    RUSSIAN SAGE - SUN Finally growing after four or so tries.
    BALLOON FLOWER - self seeds some and its gorgeous blue doesn't fade.
    FORGET-ME-NOTS - Beautiful sky blue creeper.
    CENTAUREA MONTANA
    BLUE FESCUE GRASS

    PURPLE:
    SHRUB � lilac bicolor
    CLEMATIS VINE - Jackmani my best blooming clem.
    ASTER � NEW ENGLAND
    SALVIA MAY NIGHT - keeps shape fairly well, keeps color, repeats bloom.
    PHLOX like a beautiful fragrant weed, crowds. Shovel pruned all of mine, but David.
    IRIS SIBERIAN
    GLOBE THISTLE
    COMMON VIOLET

    RED:
    SHRUB: WINGED EUONYMOUS � red "burning bush," fall color rosey red
    KNOCK OUT ROSE � only red does well
    LYCHNIS orange/red tall & short
    DAYLILIES CHICAGO APACHE, CHICAGO FIRE
    ASTILBES RED FANAL & unknown pink favs. The pink can be 36+" T, short bloom, pretty leaf, dependable with some sun,spread slowly.

    PINKS:
    RED SPLENDOR, PRAIRIE FIRE ORNAMENTAL CRABAPPLE TREES � for birds
    ROSE TREE � POLAR JOY
    LILIUM - many hybrids of the oriental; Asian; Trumpets and Martagons: yellow, orange, white, pink.
    ORNAMENTAL STRAWBERRY � creeper
    NEW ENGLAND ASTER � 3�x3� fuchsia
    ECHINACEA pink (purple cone flower) is a good plant, I control it's spread, only good fancy one for me is Razzmatazz.
    CLEMATIS bright pink Comtesse de Bouchaud, deep carmine Dr. Ruppell, deep red Niobe, rosey mauve Nelly Moser
    CHELONE � Hot Lips bright pink
    JOE PYE � for the butterflies
    MULTICOLOR:TULIPS - I keep over 400 in the front garden so all can enjoy and hope the critters don't get many

    FAV ANNUALS:
    ANNUAL: Heavenly Blue morning glories; purple ageratum; small Blue Fescue grass;
    begonias Dragon Wing, wax & tuberous; petunias, zinnias, yellow & orange Black Eyed Susan vines, blue/lavendar Fan flower (Scaevola), orange Osterospermum, Gebera Daisies need lots of sun - red, orange, yellow, pink; Supertunia � NO deadheading, lobelia Luguna; Geraniums � Exotic loose flower head - don�t turn to mush in the rain.

    jan

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