Planting in the Midwest and Northeast

Cold winters with harsh weather in the Midwest and Northeast can make planning, planting and nurturing a perennial garden difficult. However, there are a number of beautiful long-lived perennials that will bloom reliable once spring descends in our volatile northern climates. Planting a small flower garden or a walkway border is simple when you take the needs of the plants and your climate into account. The wonderful thing about planting hardy perennials is that you can start small, planting a border or flower garden in sections, spreading the overall coast over a few years. As the perennial spread, you can dig up and divide the bounty as well as adding new plants as you see fit. Just remember to leave enough room for good root system growth and the spreading of the plants as the years go by. I do suggest edging any garden areas with stone or other garden borders, or you risk losing plants to overzealous mowers, as I lost three bleeding hearts to my husbands repeated assaults. Here are some of my favorite plants, all of which are suitable in hardiness zones 3 through 5.

Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) can grow between two and three feet tall. It has fernlike foliage that lasts all summer long in the cool, northern climates. The flowers appear as strings of pink heart shaped flowers on tall, arching stems in the spring. These should be planted with around three feet of available space around them.

Cransbill (Geranium or 'Johnson's Blue') grows between one to two feet tall. They tend to have a mounded growth with two-inch wide blue summer blooms. The blooms can last all summer long. When planting, give them around two feet of growth room. In order to promote new leaves in late summer it is best to trim the plants to the ground after blooming.

Daylilies (Henerocallis spp.) usually grow between two and three feet tall. These lily shaped flowers bloom on tall stems above strap like foliage. You can chose from orange, gold and yellow cultivators, all of which appear in midsummer. Plant daylilies between two and three feet apart.

Golden marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria or 'Moonlight') grows to one to two feet tall. This plant features yellow flowers similar to daisies, which bloom all summer and finely cut scented foliage. The blooms are long lasting and work well as cut flowers for brightening your home.

Heartleaf bergenia (Bergenia cord folia) reaches between eight and twelve inches tall. In the spring bright pink flowers bloom on stout stalks. The bold, evergreen foliage turns to a bronze shade in the fall. The plants should be given around one foot of space for growth when planting.

Peony (paeonia lactiflora) grows to around four feet tall and three feet wide. The plants feature large open flowers that typically bloom between three and four inches wide in the late spring. Pink, white, red and rose hybrid cultivators are available. Give each plant around three feet of space for growth when planting. Cages or other support for the bushy plants is suggested. I also suggest planting the peony away from anywhere you do not want ants, because ants love these beauties.

Persian nepeta (Nepeta mussinii 'Blue Wonder') reaches around one and a half feet tall and up to two feet wide. This mounded plant features clusters of blue flower spikes in the spring and early summer. Give these plants around one foot of growth room.

Russell hybrid lupine (Lupinus 'Russell' hybrid) can grow between two an a half and three and a half feet tall. It features deeply cut foliage and long steamed spikes topped with pea like flowers. The flowers bloom in early summer. Cultivators are available in blue, purple, red, pink and maroon as well as bi-color and mix. Be sure to leave around thee feet of growth space around each plant. For best results, I suggest staking flower spikes before they bloom and cutting spent flowers after blooming.

Siberian iris (Iris sibirica) grow to around three feet tall, in tidy clusters of grass-like leaves that look nice all season. In the spring, two to three inch wide blue-purple or white flowers bloom. They should be planted between three to four feet apart since the clumps will spread. It is best to leave the seed heads on the plants for continued visual interest in the summer.

Yarrow (Achilles 'Appleblossom' and 'Hope') can grow between two and three feet tall. It has finely cut foliage with flat multi-floret gold flowers heads that bloom in late summer. Yarrow can be used as cut flowers to decorate your home, it is also easy to dry for use a decoration or ingredient in home remedies.