A reliable perennial I would recommend to any gardener with sun and space is Thalictrum rochebruneanum, also called Meadow Rue. This statuesque plant gets to be over 7 feet tall and it topped with a plethora of purple flowers that the bees love! It is a bit of a self-seeder, but so worth it for its beauty! These plants can be found in the Great Lawn North Bed (across from the Burpee Kitchen Garden) and the Cleaver Event Lawn. – Syretha, horticulturist
Rosa ‘Yellow Submarine’ looking great in the Lerner Garden this week. – Will, horticulturist
Thought of as a weed in some parts of the world and food in others, these two varieties of Amaranthus caudatus (‘Coral Fountain’ and ‘Green Tails’) near the Cleaver Event Lawn are already over 4 feet high! The word Amaranth comes from the Greek ‘amaranton,’ or “unwilting,” because the flowers last so long and were a symbol of immortality. – Anna, horticulturist
Allium sphaerocephalon (drumstick allium) is a pollinator favorite in the Burpee Kitchen Garden. – Diane, horticulturist
A real show-stopper right now are the hydrangeas. As I worked in one section of the gardens yesterday I heard visitor after visitor remark in amazement over the size of the Hydrangea arborescens ‘A. G. Annabelle.’ This truly huge variety is quite reliable here in Maine, and dies back to the ground completely every year. It will have more blooms in full sun but also tolerates partial shade. These can be found in front of the cafe windows, along the terrace loop, and in the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden. – Syretha, horticulturist
Nothing specific in bloom right here, but if you want a cool, quiet spot, search out Maggie’s Bench in the Vayo Meditation Garden. – Patty, horticulturist
‘Becky’ daisies look lovely right now in the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses. – Will, horticulturist
One new perennial I’m particularly excited about at the moment is a new pot lily I planted this spring. This diminutive variety only grows to about a foot, so is better planted at the front of a bed. Lilium ‘Tango Passion Ladylike’ is an impossibly beautiful combination of orange and pink, my photo doesn’t do the color justice. Come see it for yourself on the inside of the Great Lawn North Bed. – Syretha, horticulturist
Very juicy Cosmos ‘Double Click Cranberry’ in the Burpee Kitchen Garden. – Diane, horticulturist
It’s Echinacea time! Always a crowd favorite this time of year, come by to check these beauties out! We have many varieties all through the gardens, below are just three you can find in the Great Lawn Ledge Bed. – Syretha, horticulturist
