Overlooked Hardy Perennials

Blazing Star or Liatris Spicata will bloom all summer, provide food for butterflies, perform great in dry conditions, and naturalize well in sunny to partial sunny areas. The blooms are great in arrangements and the plant is ignored by rodents, rabbits, and deer. This plant will work hard for you without having to work hard for it. A must have in every garden. Blazing star is native to a large area of the U.S prairies and grasslands. The species 'Spicata' is a great nectar and pollen source.  USDA Zones 2-9  Mid-Summer flowering  Bloom Duration: All Summer Cold Hardy Full Sun (some partial sun is ok) Bloom Color: Purple Additional Information Great for Naturalizing, Mass Planting, Borders, or Cut Gardens 29-36” tall Key Planting Tips Plant in full sun to partial shade, 2-3" inches deep with the roots pointing down (sometimes you have to look carefully to find them). Space each bulb 12" apart and plant in the drier parts of your garden. 

Tiger Lilies are the easiest of all lilies and probably of all bulbs to care for. They are dependable bloomers year after year. You will be rewarded with dozens of downward facing blooms on each stem. Our Yellow Bruse' Tiger Lily is great in all environments - They are super hardy from Zone 1 and thrive all the way to Zone 9.  Our bulbs are 5” in circumference ( 14-16 cm) which makes them some of the biggest available.  USDA Zones 1-9 Mid-Summer flowering  Bloom Duration: 3 weeks Cold Hardy Full Sun to Partial Shade Bloom Color: Yellow Additional Information Great for Naturalizing, Mass Planting, Borders, Hummingbirds & Cut Gardens.  40-60” tall Key Planting Tips Plant in full sun to partial shade, 6” inches deep with the tip pointing up. Space each bulb 4-6" apart. Well drained soil is essential.   

The Seed Savers Exchange - Popular cottage garden flower from England. A great choice for mixing into borders, for naturalizing, or for mass planting. This is a superior strain with large, spotted, white and pink flowers borne on 5-6' tall stems. Although frequently visited by hummingbird moths, the plants, seeds, and foliage of this variety are all poisonous—please use caution. Biennial. Organic Biennial plants grow to 5-6 feet tall Bell-shaped white and pink blossoms attract pollinators and birds 250 Seeds Instructions - Sow seeds indoors just beneath the surface of the soil. Transplant outdoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost. Prefers rich, moist, cool soil. May require staking. Alternatively, it can be planted outside right around the last frost to early summer. The plant simply needs time to develop a solid root structure before the winter to be able to bloom the following year.  Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost Germination 14-21 days Plant 6-9" apart Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of availability

Tiger Lilies are the easiest of all lilies and probably of all bulbs to care for. They are dependable bloomers year after year. You will be rewarded with dozens of downward facing blooms on each stem. Our 'White Twinkle' Tiger Lily is great in all environments - They are super hardy from Zone 1 and thrive all the way to Zone 9.  Our bulbs are 5” in circumference ( 14-16 cm) which makes them some of the biggest available.  USDA Zones 1-9 Mid-Summer flowering  Bloom Duration: 3 weeks Cold Hardy Full Sun to Partial Shade Bloom Color: White Additional Information Great for Naturalizing, Mass Planting, Borders, Hummingbirds & Cut Gardens.  40-60” tall Key Planting Tips Plant in full sun to partial shade, 6” inches deep with the tip pointing up. Space each bulb 4-6" apart. Well drained soil is essential.   Photo Credit: Goat Mountain (Flickr Handle)

Anemone Coronaria 'De Caen Mixture' Anemones are very rewarding in the garden for their long blooming period in Spring. They make excellent cut flowers lasting up to 10 days, for this reason they are hit with florists.  USDA Zones 7-11 Starts in mid-spring when established. They will bloom with 90 days of planting their first year. Bloom Duration: up to 10 weeks Cold Hardy Full Sun to Full Shade Bloom Color: Reds, Pinks, Whites, Purples, Blues Additional Information Great for Naturalizing, Mass Planting, Borders, or Cut Gardens 10” tall Key Planting Tips Soak the corns so that they almost double in size.  I like to leave he water on a slight trickle to encourage oxygen in the water. Plant in full sun to full shade, 3" inches deep. Space each bulb 4-6" apart.  Water deeply the first time and then do not water until leaves break the surface. 

Tiger Lilies are the easiest of all lilies and probably of all bulbs to care for. They are dependable bloomers year after year. You will be rewarded with dozens of downward facing blooms on each stem.   Our 'Lancifolium-Splendens' Tiger Lily are great in all environments - They are super hardy from Zone 2 and thrive all the way to Zone 9.  Our bulbs are 5” in circumference ( 14-16 cm) which makes them some of the biggest available.  USDA Zones 2-9 Mid-Summer flowering  Bloom Duration: 3 weeks Cold Hardy Full Sun to Partial Shade Bloom Color: Orange Additional Information Great for Naturalizing, Mass Planting, Borders, Hummingbirds & Cut Gardens.  40-60” tall Key Planting Tips Plant in full sun to partial shade, 6” inches deep with the tip pointing up. Space each bulb 4-6" apart. Well drained soil is essential.   

The Seed Savers Exchange - This stunning bicolor perennial bears deeply lobed, dark-green leaves and, in summer, double lavender flowers with blue outer petals. Its showy flower spikes make it a popular choice for cottage-style gardens and cutting gardens. Plants grow to 5' and should be staked their first year. Note: Entire plant is poisonous. Characteristics:  Open-Pollinated Double-lavender flowers with blue outer petals Plants grow to 5 feet tall Perfect for cottage-style or cutting gardens New for 2021 Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors one week before last frost. Give space to allow airflow, and grow in rich moist soil. Stake tall plants. Direct Seed 1/8" Deep Germination 10-14 days Thin 18-36" Apart Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of the availability

The Seed Savers Exchange - (Liatris pycnostachya) One of the most spectacular and majestic of the prairie plants. Large spikes of tightly bunched magenta flowers bloom from the top to the bottom of the stalk. An excellent cut or dried flower. Grows 3-4' tall. Perennial. Hardy to zone 4.  Characteristics:  Perennial and hardy to zone 4 Plants grow to 3-4 feet tall Spikes of purple-magenta flowers Excellent for dried and cut flower arrangements 150 seeds per packet  Instructions - Germination is increased by a 30- day cold treatment in slightly damp paper towels in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Seed can also be directly sown into a prepared seedbed in fall, or in early- to mid-spring. Requires a rich loam, clay, or slightly moist sandy soil.  Start Indoors: 6-8 weeks before planting out  Germination: 20-25 Days Plant Outdoors: 2-3' Apart Light: Full Sun Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of the availability

Tiger Lilies are the easiest of all lilies and probably of all bulbs to care for. They are dependable bloomers year after year. You will be rewarded with dozens of downward facing blooms on each stem. Our 'Red Velvet' Tiger Lily are great in all environments - They are super hardy from Zone 1 and thrive all the way to Zone 9.  Our bulbs are 5” in circumference ( 14-16 cm) which makes them some of the biggest available.  USDA Zones 1-9 Mid-Summer flowering  Bloom Duration: 3 weeks Cold Hardy Full Sun to Partial Sun Bloom Color: Red Additional Information Great for Naturalizing, Mass Planting, Borders, Hummingbirds & Cut Gardens.  40-60” tall Key Planting Tips Plant in full sun to partial shade, 6” inches deep with the tip pointing up. Space each bulb 4-6" apart. Well drained soil is essential.   

Allium bulbs are splendid for naturalizing if planted in rich, well-drained soil. Miniature Alliums offer a wide array of flower sizes, shapes, and colors.  Planting and Maintenance Information:  Must be planted in the Fall  Soil temperatures must be 55 F or below  The ideal soil pH level for flower bulbs is between 6-7  Require a minimum cold frame of 6 weeks to root properly  Height: 36"  Spread: 2-4"  Spacing: 6-8"  USDA Zone: 4-7  Allium Miniature 'Azureum' Caeruleum:  Partial Shade - Full Sun  Attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies  Deer, Rabbit, and Roden Resistant  Great for Naturalizing, Beds and Borders, and Landscaping  Fragrant