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"Big-Bloomin' Perennials" Perennials with big flowers make quite an impact in the garden. They stand out and really catch the eye. I sometimes refer to them as "55 mph plants" because you're able to see them even speeding by. There are many different big-bloomin' perennials that can be added to the garden. Click on a plant name to order it from Pernell Gerver's Online Store. Some of the largest flowers are borne on perennial hibiscus. Some can reach up to 10 inches across or more, about the size of a dinnerplate! They have crinkly petals and flower color includes red, white, and various shades of pink. The huge, single flowers bloom on tall, shrub-like plants that can reach five feet high or more, although there are shorter varieties. The plants lend a tropical look to the garden, but they are hardy perennials that come back bigger and better every year. They begin growing in late spring and by late summer, they are in full bloom. Perennial hibiscus grow well in a sunny spot in the garden, but they will tolerate partial shade quite well. In my garden they are growing in a spot that gets quite a bit of afternoon shade and they bloom profusely nonetheless. Perennial hibiscus are also magnets for butterflies and hummingbirds and because of their later bloom period, they are a good source of nectar for hummingbirds as they begin their southward migration. There are many different perennial hibiscus. One of the deepest red varieties is 'Robert Fleming.' The enormous flowers are nine inches across or more and they are deep red. The flowers are held on red stems that carry crinkled leaves with red veins. It's a more compact perennial hibiscus, topping out at about three feet high and as wide. In addition to colorful flowers, there are many different perennial hibiscus that have interesting foliage. The variety 'Kopper King' has finely-dissected, coppery-bronze leaves that almost look more like a Japanese maple than a hibiscus. Its foliage is reason enough to grow this variety, but it also produces stunning flowers. Each eye-catching flower is white with a raspberry-red center and pink veins. As the flower matures, it changes to a blush pink. The flowers are huge, up to a foot across and bloom on plants that grow to three and a half feet high and as wide. Tall garden phlox is prized for its large panicles of colorful, and often fragrant, blooms. Flower panicles can often reach nearly a foot high. The flowers begin blooming in midsummer and continue right into autumn, providing a very long season of bloom. For even more blooms, remove faded flowers. Cut the flower panicle just below the bottom flowers and side shoots will develop below the original flower panicle, providing another flush of bloom. Flower color is extensive in summer phlox and includes white, lavender, purple, lilac, pink, rose, and neon pink. Many varieties have contrasting centers, called an "eye," creating a striking, two-tone appearance. In darker-colored varieties, the eye is often white. In white and lighter-colored varieties the eye is often a contrasting, darker color. One of the showiest tall garden phlox is the variety called 'Peppermint Twist.' This tall garden phlox bears large flower clusters that carry stunning bi-colored flowers. Each flower petal is bright pink with a distinct band of white running down the center, giving the flower a striking pinwheel pattern. The flowers bloom in midsummer atop compact, 16-inch stems and are colorful for weeks. Coneflowers are big-bloomin' perennials. Some have big flowers, and others are big plants. They are some of the easiest perennials to grow in the garden. Insects and diseases are not a problem, they are drought tolerant, grow well in hot, sunny spots in the garden, and, probably their best attribute, they begin blooming in very early summer and continue blooming all summer long right into autumn. They attract hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden and their large flowers are very long lasting when cut. The flowers are held on tall, stiff, sturdy stems that seldom need staking. The variety 'Elton Knight' bears very-large, five-inch-wide flowers bloom atop a clump of foliage. The large flowers are pinkish lavender with a large bronze cone. It’s a compact coneflower that grows just two feet tall and it branches freely, producing dozens of flowers from early summer to late summer. Great coneflower is one of the tallest coneflowers, reaching seven feet high or more and its flowers are quite unique. A single row of golden-yellow ray florets surrounds a tall, slender center cone. The center cone is very prominent, standing at least an inch and a half tall or more. Great coneflower has interesting foliage, as well. It has large, silvery-blue leaves and the flowers are held on silver stems. It blooms from early summer to midsummer. Plants with tall spiky flowers provide a big-bloomin' vertical accent in the garden. They carry the eye upward and are great for the middle to back of the flower bed or border. Ligularia 'The Rocket' is a perennial for the darkest corner of the garden. Its heart-shaped foliage is deeply cut along the edges giving an almost prehistoric look. The foliage forms a handsome mound two feet high and wide. Five-foot-tall spikes of yellow flowers rise through the foliage in midsummer. The yellow flowers are held on deep-purple stems for a stunning contrast. Cimnicifuga is another perennial with tall, spiky flowers. The variety 'Brunette' grows four to five feet tall and it's very showy in the garden. It has striking, deep maroon-purple foliage. Wands of white flowers rise above the foliage in late summer and early autumn. The flowers have a wonderful, sweet fruity fragrance that resembles ripe grapes and you'll smell it before you see it. It's a beautiful contrast of flower and foliage color. It grows well in a shady spot in the garden. Although technically not a perennial, Hydrangea 'Annabelle' has some of the largest flowers of any plant. Not only is it easy to grow, it is also a reliable bloomer. It bears enormous flowers, easily a foot across or more on a small plant that is only two to three feet tall. The flowers are creamy white and have a sweet fragrance - something I discovered quite by accident one day when I happened to be planting some plants nearby and smelled a sweet smell in the air. What I was planting wasn't even in bloom so I stuck my nose in the 'Annabelle' flowers to see if it was them and sure enough, it was! As the flowers fade, they change to a really beautiful chartreuse color. If picked and dried at this stage, they'll retain that color when dry. 'Annabelle' is very adaptable, growing and blooming well in sun or shade and because of its small size, it's ideal for a perennial bed.

by Pernell Gerver

"Last Call to Plant Fall Vegetables" Q. What are some vegetables that are good late-summer "quickies," if any? Any suggestions? Thanks in advance. A. I always like to keep my vegetable garden productive and that includes succession planting throughout the season, replanting any areas that become available when a crop is done, and what you asked about which is getting in a quick fall crop. Here in western Massachusetts our fall growing season is similar to our spring growing season, except in fall the weather gets progressively colder, instead of warmer like in spring, so that limits what you can plant at this time of year in the vegetable garden. Whatever you plant needs to be not only quick maturing, but also cold hardy. It's the last call for planting a fall crop of vegetables. In my garden I can expect a killing frost on or around October 7 each year, but we usually have Indian summer after that, so if you can protect your plantings from the first frost you would gain more time and extend the growing season a couple of weeks. You could plant transplants of cold-hardy crops like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and lettuce. Transplants already have a head start as far as time is concerned. You could also plant seeds of some cold-hardy crops that mature quickly. These include lettuce, spinach, radish, beets, and peas. Check the seed packet for the number of days to maturity and choose the ones with the quickest maturity dates. One of the quickest vegetables is radish. Depending on variety, you could be picking radishes as early as 25 days after sowing the seeds. Lettuce is also quick. If you grow leaf lettuce you can pick the outer leaves at any stage. That's true of some other leafy greens, also. So, if you still have tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and other warm-season vegetables coming in, you can combine them with the cool-season vegetables like lettuce, spinach, and radishes to make yourself a tasty salad at the end of the season. Click here to submit gardening questions for Pernell Gerver's online Q & A column. Click here to read previous online columns in the archives.

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