Late Spring Power Perennials

As June settles in and summer approaches, there are several stellar perennials that shine in our late spring gardens! To qualify as “power” perennials, these plants are hardy, reliable and easy to care for.

In my opinion, herbaceous Peonies are the backbone of the June border. These tough and long-lived perennials bloom individually for only a couple of weeks each year but by staggering early, mid and late varieties you can create weeks of bounteous peony blooms in your garden. And the blooms are just spectacular! The flowers can be single, double, white, pink, red, purple, coral, yellow and everything in between. Then, there’s the intoxicating fragrance which rivals that of lilacs and roses.

Peonies make fabulous cut flowers, too, and a vase full of blooms will scent an entire room! To help the blooms last, cut the flowers when they are still in the round “ball” stage, just before they open. Typically on the tall side at 3 to 4 feet, peonies look best when grown through a support which will keep the heavy blooms off the ground.

Peonies are so lovely that it’s easy to create a whole flower garden theme around them. Romantic and old-fashioned, they look stunning with Allium, Hardy Geranium, Iris, Foxglove and Lady’s Mantle. Even after the flowers fade, the foliage remains healthy and green well into fall, enhancing your garden with its beauty all season long. Peonies can live 50 or more years and grow best in hardiness zone 3 to 8 as they require a good winter chill to bring on their blooms.

Alchemilla Mollis, commonly known as Lady’s Mantle, is another spring perennial that keeps its good looks all season long. The rounded, gray-green leaves catch water droplets which make the plants magically sparkle in the early morning light, but it’s the tiny chartreuse blooms on 14 to 18″ flower sprays that make this perennial a stand-out in the June garden.

These sunny sprays complement other late spring bloomers and make an outstanding filler when used in bouquets. Left on the plants, the flower sprays will dry, creating late-season interest; they can also be used as decorative accents in dried fall arrangements. Lady’s Mantle grows into large clumps that can be easily divided and shared in early spring. They grow best in hardiness zones 3 to 8.

My third power perennial for late spring is the stately Iris. There are so many varieties available that selection can be a little overwhelming. The bearded types make a big statement with large, ruffled blooms, while Siberian Iris with their smaller flowers and slender strappy foliage are lovely vertical garden accents. Many Iris are multi-hued and fragrant; some even rebloom in the fall! My suggestion is to pick a blooming time and type you prefer and then settle on some dazzling colors, for Iris come in a virtual rainbow of blooms from white to almost black! In fact, “Iris” was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow who also served as a messenger to the Gods. Iris do best in hardiness zones 3 to 9.

These classic late spring perennials should be a part of everyone’s June garden!

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