Skillin's Perennial Additions for 2010! E-J

Following is a list of Skillin's perennial plant additions for 2010. This list is compiled by Becky and Elaine from our Skillin's production facility. It is a long list but it makes for some practical and interesting reading! I will add some of my own comments (in black italics) to some individual plants as we go along but what follows is a good plant by plant description of what will be new in Skillin's perennial yard in 2010!


Plants with common names beginning with A-D are listed at Skillin's Perennial Additions for 2010! A-D  right here at the Skillin's Garden Log and is easily found in the February archive. Just email us at skillins@maine.rr.com and we will send you the entire list as a Word Document. Or we will have K-P available here at the Skillin's Garden Log in just a few days!


ENGLISH DAISY – Bellis


‘Strawberries and Cream’ 6” tall. Creamy pink outer petals with deep pink inner petals. Blooms early spring. Sun to part shade. Zones 4-10. English daisies are hardy as can be; they don't flower for long but there is no plant more bright and cheery! Truly a good friend to have!

FALSE SPIREA –Astilbe

Astilbe are generally hardy; any perennial garden needs 2 to 3 varieties both consistency yet color contrast. Astilbe is definitely a Mike Must Have!

Pink to Peach Flowers

‘Country and Western’ 16”-20” tall. Dark green foliage. Very full and ‘fluffy’plumes of salmon-pink flowers. Very compact habit and increased flower production resulting in longer bloom time. Deer resistant. Blooms mid-summer. Zones 3-8.

‘Rheinland’ 24” tall. Dense, diamond shaped panicles of rose-pink flowers. Leaves are large and medium green. Blooms early summer. Deer resistant. Zones 4-9.

‘Younique Silvery Pink’ – 12”-16” tall. Ver thick plumes of silvery pink flowers and very compact foliage. Deer resistant. Blooms early summer. Zones 3-8.

Dark Pink to Red Flowers

‘Radius’ 20”-26” tall. Fine foliage with a copper-red tinge in the spring. Buds are burgundy red and open to bright red flowers in early to mid summer. Deer resistant. Zones 4-9.  My favorite astilbe are the rich red ones! Striking indeed

‘Red Charm’ 40” tall. Arching red flower plumes. Blooms early to mid summer. Deer resistant. Zones 4-9. This is a taller than usual astilbe and the height and red color have me interested!

FEATHERLEAF – Rodgersia

‘Firework’ 34” tall. Pink flowers on dark stems. Dark green foliage which is edged with maroon later in the season. Needs moist soil. Shade to part shade. Blooms summer. Zones 4-7.

FOAM FLOWER – Tiarella

‘Black Snowflake’ 8” tall. Green leaves are deeply dissected with prominent purple-black centers.12” spikes of white star shaped flowers in early spring to early summer. Flowers are slightly fragrant.Deer resistant. Part shade to shade. Zones 3-8.

FOXGLOVE –Digitalis

‘Camelot White’ 36”-48” tall. Large pure white flowers with purple-red speckles. Cutting back spent flower stalks will encourage re-bloom. Deer resistant. Blooms early summer. Sun to part shade. Zones 4-8.
Foxglove of course is an old timer and if you have never tried it you will fall in love with the flowers of any of the varieties!
GENTIAN –Gentiana

‘True Blue’ 16”-20” tall. Smooth, lance shaped leaves on upright plants. Clump forming with ‘large 2” tubular blue flowers’. Flowers are produced along stem nodes. Requires moist well-drained soil. Deer resistant. Blooms summer thru fall. Zones 4-7.

HARDY GARDEN MUM – Chrysanthemum

‘Samba’ 18” tall. Flowers start out light peach and turn pink as they mature. Yellow centers. Mound forming. Blooms late summer to late fall. Full sun. Zones 5-9. Still only marginally hardy; the hardier mums are usually on the short side. But they do bring good color at a great time of year for color!

HELEN’S FLOWER – Helenium

‘Double Trouble’ 30” tall. Double yellow flowers with prominent gold centers. Petals are ‘frilly’. Compact plants with study stems. Flowers are sterile and plants bloom all summer. Deer resistant. Blooms summer. Zones 4-8. Good long-term color here. I recommend it!

HOSTA –Hosta

See the nice post by Paul Parent about hosta!
Blue Varieties

‘Love Pat’ 14”/15”. Blue leaves are thick an puckered and deeply cupped. White flowers in mid to late summer. Good sub for ‘Blue Cadet’. Blooms mid to late summer. Part-shade to shade.

Variegated Varieties

‘Dream Queen’ 24”/26”. Medium, nearly round leaves. Blue green with a nearly white to slightly yellow center. Foliage is slightly corrugated. White flowers. Part shade to shade. This color combo sounds nice!

‘Fireworks’ 10”/8”. A dwarf hosta. Leaves are narrow, stiff and upright with deep green margins bleeding into creamy centers. 12” scapes with light lavender flowers bloom in mid summer. Part shade to shade.

‘Hanky Panky’ 13”/33”. A sport of ‘Striptease’. Young leaves are green with a lime green edge with a narrow white line separating the middle from the margin. As the leaves mature the edges lighten with a ‘pale green overlay’. 23” scapes with lavender flowers in mid summer. Part-shade to shade. I thnk the lime green edge adds a nice touch of class to the hosta. Class? With a name like Hanky Panky? But it is true!

‘June’ 15”/20”.Leaves have chartreuse centers with blue green margins. Center turn gold in summer. Lavender blue flowers in mid to late summer. Blooms mid to late summer. Part-shade to full shade.

‘Stained Glass’ 15”/48”. A sport of ‘Guacamole’. Very large gold leaves with green margins that bleed into the gold center. Prominent veining. 30” scapes with large, fragrant, lavender flowers in late summer. Has some sun tolerance.

‘Sugar Daddy’ 20”/24”. A sport of ‘Big Daddy’. Large blue-green leaves with white margins that ‘streak’ toward the center. 20” scapes of white flowers. Slug resistant. 'Big Daddy' is a tough old hosta and I bet 'Sugar Daddy' takes after his 'Daddy'!

‘Thunderbolt’ 18”/40”. A sport of ‘Elegans’. Dark blue-green leaves are thick and corrugated with a light yellow ‘thunderbolt’ down the center. The ‘thunderbolt’ turns a creamy white by mid summer. 26” scapes with white flower in mid summer.

Hosta varieties that are slug resistant (but NOT slug proof)

Hosta ‘Sugar Daddy’

IRIS-Iris

Japanese Iris

‘Caprician Butterfly’ 30” tall. Petals are light lavender streaked with purple and slightly ruffled. Throat is prurple with yellow markings. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Crystal Halo’ 32” tall Large dark purple flowers with a white picotee edge and deeper purple veins. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Fortune’ 32” tall. White falls with slight purple veining and purple standards. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Freckled Geisha’ 36” tall. White flowers are speckled with violet with violet ruffled edges. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Mt. Fujiyama’ 32” tall. Large pure white flowers. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Pink Lady’ 32” tall. Soft pink flowers. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Royal Robes’ 32”tall. Dark purple flowers with a yellow eye. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Variegata’ 28” tall. Very dark purple flowers with wonderful green and white striped foliage. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

Tall Bearded German Iris

‘Again and Again’ 36” tall. Bright yellow flowers. Fragrant. May re-bloom. Deer resistant. Blooms early summer. Zones 3-9.

‘Avalon Sunset’ 36” tall. Bright orange flowers with ‘Tangerine beards. Petals are nicely ruffled. Strong stems.

‘Baltic Star’ 34” tall. Purple-black flowers. Falls have white centers leading to violet and then purple-black edges. Deer resistant. Blooms early summer. Zones 3-9.

‘Best Bet’ 36” tall. Flowers have light blue standards with darker blue falls. Possible re-bloomer. Deer resistant. Blooms early summer. Zones 3-9.

'Dusky Challenger’ 39” tall. Huge dark purple flowers. Petals are ruffled and have a silky appearance. Stems are well branched. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 3-9.

‘Edith Wolford’ 35” tall. Bi-colored flowers with light yellow standards and violet blue falls. Petals are slightly ruffled. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 3-9.

‘Oronico Flow’ 34” tall. White flowers with purple specks. Petals are ruffled with light purple edges, light purple centers with darker veining. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 3-9.

‘Rock Star’ 30” tall. Flowers are a‘Raspberry-Rose’ color with apricot colored standards speckled and edged with raspberry rose. Ruffled petals. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 3-9.

‘Violet Turner’ 30” tall. Flowers have light purple standards with darker purple falls. Possible re-bloomer. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 3-9.

‘War Chief’ 37” tall. Red flowers. Long bloom time. Deer resistant. Blooms early summer. Zones 3-9.

Iris Pumila –Dwarf German Iris

‘What Again’ 10”12” tall. Standard are light lavender-blue with ‘apricot-yellow’ falls. May re-bloom.
Deer resistant. Zones 3-9.

‘Boo’ 10”12” tall. Bi-color white with light purple falls.
Deer resistant. Zones 3-9.

Siberian Iris

‘Blue Moon’ 36” tall. Large violet blue flowers with light blue styles. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Butter and Sugar’ 28” tall. Creamy white standards with butter yellow falls. May re-bloom. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Contrast in Styles’ 28” tall. Center petals are red-purple and light blue. Falls are purple-red. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

‘Sky Wings’ 28” tall. Light sky-blue flowers. Deer resistant. Blooms early summer. Zones 3-9.

‘White Swirl’ 32” tall. Large white flowers. Deer resistant. Blooms late spring to early summer. Zones 4-9.

JOE PYE WEED – Eupatorium  (This one is dedicated to my good friend Joe!)

‘Phantom’ 30”-36” tall. A short variety. Large cluster of bright fuchsia flowers on purple stems. Well branched and long bloom time. Fragrant. Blooms late summer to fall. Deer resistant. Sun to part shade. Zones 4-8. The tall variety of Joe Pye Weed is a Mike's Must Have; I have not seen this one in action yet but put me down as very interested.

Thanks for reading this post! "K-P" will be available in a few days OR email us at skillins@maine.rr.com and we will send you the whole list of Skillin's 2010 Perennial Additions as a Word Document!

Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
February 22, 2010