Plants That Keep On Giving
Staff favorites for a multi-season show
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We love plants that earn their place in the yard more than once a year, giving you something to look at whether it's April or August. Every variety we carry gets tested year after year, both in our own gardens and in yours. Whenever a warranty return comes back, we listen and ask questions to find out what went wrong for you. The plants that can't perform in Central Illinois don't get invited back, so the selection you see on the bench has a proven track record. All of the plants featured in this article are in stock right now. Click the links to learn more about the ones that catch your eye!
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Shrubs and trees that do double duty
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Bryon is pictured above, checking out a redbud tree that we grew here on site. Redbuds, also called 'Forest Pansy,' are native understory trees that flower in mid-spring, but for many of our varieties, that's only the start of the show. The leaves emerge in shifting shades of red, orange, gold, or green through the growing season, and the weeping dwarf types are striking year-round for their unusual form.
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As a standout tree, Ernie favors Red Jewel Crabapple. (If you grew up dodging a minefield of squashed crabapples on the sidewalk every fall, hear us out.) Red Jewel carries its spring flowers into a crop of small, candy red fruit that holds on the branch well into winter, feeding birds and giving you color against the snow long after most trees have gone bare. The fruit shrivels away without making a mess, and the yellow autumn color is a nice bonus.
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Hydrangeas aren't known for fall color, but Jennifer points to a noteworthy exception in Oakleaf Hydrangea. Both the Oakleafs and the Quick Fire series of Panicle Hydrangeas have flowers that start white, shift to pink, then dry to a soft tan that holds through winter if you leave them be. For Oakleaf Hydrangeas, interesting, papery bark is revealed during the winter.
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For anyone who could use a big privacy hedge, Renee always suggests the Chicago Lustre and Autumn Jazz Viburnums. Planted side by side, these two shrubs can span twenty feet on their own. They also cross-pollinate (meaning that each shrub helps the other set fruit) giving you steely blue berries that attract songbirds in fall. Both feature glossy green leaves and white spring flowers, with fiery fall color to finish the season.
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Justyn's picks for the perennial border keep the color coming throughout the season. Pictured above, Amsonia 'Storm Cloud' starts the year with striking, near-black shoots pushing up through the soil, opens into clusters of soft blue star-shaped flowers in late spring, and finishes with orange or golden foliage in fall.
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Penstemon blooms in early summer, followed by seed heads that add texture and movement to the border, before the foliage turns red in fall. Many types also feature striking foliage during the growing season.
We enjoy penstemon so much that we planted a stand of them in front of the store! (pictured right.)
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Stonecrops are among the most colorful of plants, and one of Justyn's favorites is Atlantis Sedum. It emerges with rosy hues in spring, matures with cream and teal leaves, and blooms yellow in late summer.
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Hosta don't usually get credit for fall color, but certain varieties turn a striking gold. Ernesto has a beautiful collection, and his favorite of the bunch is June. Other excellent autumn hosta are Royal Standard (with beautifully fragrant flowers), Blue Angel, Blue Mouse Ears, August Moon, Paul's Glory, Francee, Sum and Substance, Victory, Stained Glass, and Autumn Frost. All feature attractive leaves, flower well, and color nicely as the weather cools. For the best fall color, give them morning sun and consistent water through the season.
Pictured below: autumn hosta in Renee's garden
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Grasses That Carry the Garden Into Winter
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When it comes to ornamental grasses with colorful leaves and long-season interest, there are a few that land on almost everybody's short list:
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Golden Needles Prairie Dropseed opens the year with yellow spring color maturing to chartreuse, then sends up airy plumes of popcorn-scented seed heads that catch the light and move with every breath of wind. It's often still standing in the garden come December.
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Chameleon Little Bluestem lives up to its name! Cream-striped spring leaves take on raspberry tones through the heat of summer, then shift again to purple as fall sets in.
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Blackhawks Big Bluestem emerges green, but it doesn't stay that way for long. The tips of the leaves turn bronze, with the color working its way down the blades until the whole plant is a deep purple, topped with feathery, goosefoot-shaped plumes that dance in the wind.
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Plants like these are always giving you new reasons to walk outside and take a look around, and that's the kind of garden that we love helping people create. These plants have earned their place among our favorites. Stop in and see us, and we'll help you find new favorites of your own.
Happy gardening!
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Sod became part of D.A. Hoerr's family business early on. Believe it or not, the first rolls were cut from local pastures and transplanted straight into Peoria yards. Later we started cutting sod from our own fields using custom "kick blades" that D.A. Hoerr designed himself. We've come a long way since then!
If you're looking for an instant lawn this year, mid-August through mid-September is the ideal window to get new grass started. Visit hoerrnursery.com/sod for details.
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The Perfect Piece of Pottery
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Good pottery sets the tone for everything around it. We've brought in new glazes and shapes this season, from matte terracotta to ground a garden to bright glossy pieces that hold their own on a sunny porch. Whether you're pairing a piece with a single specimen plant or building a full container arrangement, the right pot pulls the whole look together.
If you've been saving up Hardy Bucks, this is a good time to put them toward that piece you've had your eye on. All pottery is marked down 25% through the end of August, with select pieces 50% off, while supplies last.
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