My North Creek Nurseries Wish List

Red flowers with yellow centers hang like drifts of softly illuminated lanterns in April and May. Excellent as a shady rock garden naturalizer, it also is quite content in average garden conditions. Occurs naturally in rich rocky woods, north-facing slopes, cliffs, ledges, pastures, and roadside banks. Native to all states east of the Rockies, but not found in Louisiana.

Calamagrostis brachytricha is a clump-forming grass with bright green leaves reaching about 2 feet. In late summer blooms emerge with a pink tint and reach 3 to 4 feet. The feathery flowers fade to cream in fall and finish in a straw color in winter. A graceful addition to the shade or part shade garden! One of the few flowering grasses that is happy in the shade. Wonderful for cut flowers.

Huge powder-blue leaves make up 2' to 3' of basal foliage that is effective all during the growing season. In June and July, towering flower spikes explode with large, deep gold, drooping ray flowers with a black center. A must-have for the butterfly and bird lover! Reliable and deer proof.

Delightful round blue foliage on low spreading plants with gracefully arching stems. In late summer the foliage is completely hidden behind tiny brilliant pink star flowers. Tough and easy to grow, it loves a hot dry location and thrives in containers and rock walls.

Compact, smoky blue-gray foliage makes an attractive groundcover throughout the season. Raspberry-pink flower heads range in diameter from 6-8” and put on a dazzling display from late summer to fall. A lovely accent to cut flower arrangements. From the breeding program of Chris Hansen.

Soft blue star-shaped flowers with gold centers rise above fine, semievergreen, Iris-like foliage from May to June. Excellent for edging, the 3/4" flowers are very good sized for the genus. A strong floral show without seeding around and a tidier habit with more flower power than the straight species.

Fine-textured linear foliage and golden flat-topped inflorescences in late summer. Cherished by butterflies and preying mantises and well as the wildflower enthusiast.

From our friend Sinclair Adam (The Pharoah of Foamflowers) of Dunvegan Nursery, Tiarella cordifolia 'Brandywine' is rated as one of the most vigorous of the genus. A strong grower with glossy, rugose leaves and excellent bronze fall and winter color. Bold, creamy white flowers persist for 6 to 8 weeks. A robust clump former with some short runners in spring and fall.

The tall, thin spikes of Blue Vervain grace the wet meadows of the US in July and August. Verbena hastata is a short-lived perennial that readily self sows where happy. A great plant for pond's edge where it seeds in between sedges and rushes and cheerfully holds its own.