Campanula Lake Michigan Blue

Feather grass flowers capture attention in beds and bouquets with their lightness and delicacy. All feather grasses love full sun and dry, stony, well-drained soil. To look most natural in beds, it is good to plant them in loose groups of several pieces together with other drought-loving perennials and bulbs. Only then do their stems and inflorescences, set in motion by the slightest breath of wind, truly stand out. Stipa 'Ponny Tails' is a species native to the steppes of Mexico, Texas, and Patagonia. Airy, dense clumps of hair-like delicate leaves resemble horsehair. The leaves are green, turning up to straw-colored towards the flowers. In a suitable location, it also self-seeds.

A verbena species originally from South America. In our country, it is often used as an annual, but in mild winters it can overwinter and reproduce by self-seeding. The firm, airy stems beautifully soften perennial beds and make them special with their purple color. It beautifully complements steppe plantings with grasses and rose beds.

Eucalyptus 'Silver Dollar' has round, silvery grey-green young leaves. With us, it is most often used as a portable potted plant that benefits from spending the summer on sunny terraces and balconies. Before the first frosts, it is moved to a frost-free, bright space.

Meadow sage occurs here primarily in warmer regions, especially in southern Moravia and northern and central Bohemia. It grows on sunny meadows and hillsides and along paths. Fragrant leaves form a basal rosette, from which several less leafy branched stems grow. The inflorescences are composed of striking bilabiate flowers, which are a great attraction for bees and bumblebees. Rose Rhapsody has light pink flowers.

Larkspurs are a classic and dominant feature among bedding perennials. We often see them accompanying roses and peonies. To stand out, they require plenty of space and regular fertilizing. You can enjoy their beauty in flower beds, bouquets, and even try drying them; the flowers retain their rich color well. They last 7 days in a vase but are sensitive to ethylene released from ripening fruit.

Lady's mantle naturally grows on mountain pastures and meadows and in mixed forests. It is ornamental in both leaf and flower. The leaves have fine hairs giving the plant a velvety character. It is a perennial sought after by ancient alchemists for the drops of dew that appear in the pleated leaves. Valuable for florists for its multitude of tiny greenish-yellow flowers. Important in flower beds for its ground-covering character. Lasts 10 days in a vase.

Garden cultivars of goldenrod are attractive and low-maintenance perennials bred from native North American wild species. Unlike them, however, they are not invasive and do not spread uncontrollably in flower beds. They are specially bred for cutting, which is why they are relatively tall, grow upright, and bloom profusely. For bouquets, we can harvest both freshly bloomed plants and stems with buds. They last 10 days in a vase. In flower beds, they are an essential food source for bees. Moonlight Glory is our lightest milky-white goldenrod. Its elegant shade combines well with other perennials.

Nettle-leaved Mullein is a native European perennial. It grows on sunny rocky slopes. The cultivar Wedding Candles has white flowers with purple fuzzy stamens. The leaves are grey-green and felted. Like all Mulleins, it is a huge attraction for bees and bumblebees.

A versatile perennial suitable for both cottage and modern flower beds. It also works well in wild, naturalistic plantings. While its main charm lies in the cute flowers that appear in late spring, it is also valuable in beds for its early-emerging leaves. Columbines add airiness and lightness to perennial beds and bouquets. They last 7 days in a vase. This variety was discovered in Cambridge in the 1980s by Nora Barlow, the granddaughter of Charles Darwin. The flower color transitions from pink and white to green.

Geums are cute spring perennials with adorable cup-shaped flowers in warm color shades. Flowers grow on long branched stems. Petals are usually ruffled, flowers semi-double. Their clump-forming foliage is also interesting, eventually creating good ground cover. Flowering Geums are a great attraction for insects, especially butterflies. For bouquets, we harvest as soon as a quarter or half of the flowers on the stem are open. They last 7 days in a vase. Mai Tai begins to bloom in peach tones with a pink tinge and later transitions to more muted pastel tones. It blooms very vigorously with a large set of flowers. Mai Tai was bred in the USA in 2005.

Requires a sunny location, but tolerates slight partial shade. Once established, it handles drought well. Ordinary, well-drained garden soil is ideal. Iceland poppy flowers are single, slightly larger than annual common poppies, and also last longer in a vase. They appear throughout spring, sometimes even into September. The leaves are a fresh green colour and arranged in a basal rosette. The whole plant exudes a milky sap. Like all Poppies, harvest for bouquets as soon as the buds show colour and "crack". Additionally, sear the stem ends briefly (for about 20 seconds) with a flame and immediately place in cold water. They will then last 4 days in a vase.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms abundantly flowering small clumps with straight upright stems. In beds, it looks best in groups. Traditionally, it is planted as a companion to roses due to the matching flowering time. However, it will look equally good in mixed drought-loving steppe plantings with grasses. It is an excellent food source for bees. It lasts 7 days in a vase. The cultivar Ostfriesland blooms with a strikingly dark violet-blue color.