Switchgrass

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. The spiky flower centers are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. They last 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central disks can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element. White Swan blooms with milky white flowers and brownish-orange centers. The petals are not spread entirely horizontally; they bend slightly downwards.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. It blooms in summer with dark purple-pink flowers. The spiky flower centers are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. They last 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central disks can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element. Magnus features distinctive deep pink flowers with an orange-brown center.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. The spiky central discs are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. They last 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central discs can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting feature. Flowers in shades of yellow.

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.

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.

Perovskia are sparsely branched subshrubs, originating from areas ranging from Afghanistan to Tibet. They grow on open, sunny, rocky, and stony sites. Their white-felted shoots and grayish aromatic leaves are striking. They are suitable for sunny flowerbeds alongside other drought-loving perennials, where they create interesting structures even in the winter months. Blue Spire is an aromatic variety with fine gray-green foliage and striking airy medium-blue flowers.

These autumn asters were bred specifically for florist use. They are characterized by strong, straight, and upright stems and an exceptionally abundant set of flowers. Pearla is a white variety with a tiny flower about fifteen millimeters in size. Vase life is 10 days.

An original wild perennial with a large distribution area from Europe to Siberia. Suitable for natural and wild plantings. It grows in meadows and dry grassy places. A very adaptable and undemanding plant, it grows in clumps and spreads by runners. By cutting back after the first flowering, we encourage a set of new flowers. For bouquets, we harvest when the florets are fully open. It lasts 10 days in a vase. Summer Pastels is characterized by a changeable and soft range of colors from white and vanilla to salmon, brick red, and bronze.

Knautia macedonica is a profusely and long-blooming undemanding perennial. Its wild form originates from the Balkans, where it grows on meadows and in scrublands. In flower beds, it charms with slender high stems that carry pastel wine and pink flowers. It is suitable for naturally designed sunny to semi-shady beds and meadow bouquets.

Brunnera is a long-lived perennial originating from mountain meadows and forests of the Caucasus. It is interesting not only when in bloom. The leaves are large, heart-shaped, light green. They form a contrasting background for delicate and tiny flowers that appear above the carpet of leaves from April. It sprouts early and goes dormant late, which makes it a valuable groundcover perennial. The cultivar Betty Bowring has pure white flowers.

An impressive solitary perennial with a massive, sparsely branched growth type. It produces light yellow-green flowers on long stems resembling Scabious flowers. The contrast between the relatively massive mass of leaves and the airy wire-like stems with small flower heads is very effective. It lasts about 5 days in a vase. Spent inflorescences are also interesting in beds and bouquets.

A perennial that finds its place in naturalistic steppe and gravel beds. It attracts bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. It is floristically valuable for its flowers with striking bracts, which are also perfect for drying. The roots of some species were formerly eaten candied as sweets in England and France and added to pastries and jellies. In herbal medicine, it was used as an aphrodisiac, among other things, hence its folk name "male fidelity".

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, originally from North America. It blooms in summer with dark purple-pink flowers. The spiky flower discs are an irresistible lure for butterflies. Lasts 7–10 days in a vase. After plucking the petals, the stems with the central discs can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element. Rubinstern is very similar to the Magnus cultivar; the petals are darker and firmer. As they fade, they gradually pale and droop downwards.

A very hardy and long-lived perennial with an almost year-round effect. It forms upright clumps, and the flowers attract bees and butterflies. The cultivar Brilliant is characterized by shrubby growth and a distinct pink color.

A relatively short-lived, biennial to perennial plant with a charming scent and a long flowering period. A beautiful addition to rose beds, also suitable for country-style plantings. We can use it as undergrowth under taller shrubs and trees. It smells noticeably more in the evening and at night, attracting moths. For cutting, we harvest as soon as the first few florets open. The stems can still grow a bit even after cutting, we take this into account when creating arrangements. It lasts 5 to 7 days in a vase.

A relatively short-lived, biennial to perennial plant with a charming scent and a long flowering period. A beautiful addition to rose beds, also suitable for country-style plantings. We can use it as undergrowth under taller shrubs and trees. It smells noticeably more in the evening and at night, attracting moths. For cutting, we harvest as soon as the first few florets open. The stems can still grow a bit even after cutting, we take this into account when creating arrangements. It lasts 5 to 7 days in a vase. A beautiful elegant white variant of the original species.

A classic perennial for early summer bouquets and cottage gardens. For bouquets, we harvest flowers with firm, smooth central disks. Then they last 7–10 days in a vase. Maikönigin is an exceptionally abundantly flowering garden form.

A classic perennial for early summer bouquets and cottage gardens. For bouquets, harvest flowers with firm, smooth central disks. They then last 7–10 days in a vase. Polaris is a more vigorous garden form. It can be propagated by sowing.

These autumn asters were bred specifically for florist use. They are characterized by strong, straight, and upright stems and an exceptionally abundant set of flowers. Primavera blooms with larger (about 40 mm) pink-purple flowers. Vase life is 10 days.

Delicate decorative, long-lived shade-loving perennials with pinnate leaves and magnificent feathery inflorescences. They originate primarily from East Asia, but also from eastern North America. They look best in large-scale plantings. Due to relatively late sprouting, it is good to combine them with early-flowering bulbs. They last 4–10 days in a vase. We harvest as soon as half of the inflorescence is in bloom. They are very sensitive to ethylene released from ripening fruit. Europa blooms light pink.

An undemanding native grass that creates a dense green growth. As early as May, long stems sprout with delicate, heart-shaped spikelets in the shape of small hearts. Their movement in the slightest breath of wind is very effective. It tends to be beautiful until August or September. It is good to trim it after flowering. It is perfectly usable for drying.

The Oriental poppy originates from the Caucasus, Turkey, and Iran, where it grows on rocky slopes and dry meadows. It blooms with large bowl-shaped flowers on tall stems. Like all poppies, for use in bouquets, we harvest them as soon as the buds color up and "crack". Additionally, we briefly (for about 20 seconds) sear the ends of the stems with a flame and immediately place them in cold water. Then they last in a vase for 4 days. The strikingly hairy and large leaves die back shortly after flowering, and the plant must rest until spring to gather strength. A portion of the leaves sprouts again in late summer. Therefore, it is advisable to plant other perennials in close proximity that sprout later and can draw attention to themselves during the poppy's pause. Royal Wedding flowers have white petals with a dark burgundy spot in the center of the flower.

Série Feathers, do které patří i kultivar Flamingo, představuje malý průlom ve šlechtění šalvějí, především díky svým unikátním, hluboce stříhaným listům. Tato šalvěj tak v záhonech působí dekorativně svou strukturou ještě předtím, než se objeví první poupata. Jak napovídá název Flamingo, květy mají nádherný růžový odstín a na rostlině vykvétají ve velkém množství během celého léta. Původní botanické druhy šalvějí pocházejí ze suchých a slunných stepních oblastí, a i tato zahradní krasavice si zachovává lásku k slunci a propustným půdám. Nesnáší přemokření, zato výborně zvládá letní přísušky a chudší stanoviště. V zahradní kompozici vynikne ve skupinové výsadbě na předním okraji trvalkových rabat nebo v moderních štěrkových záhonech. Její aromatické listy a květy plné nektaru přitahují užitečný hmyz, takže zahrada s ní doslova ožije. Pokud odkvetlá květenství sestřihnete, podpoříte hustotu trsu a rostlina často remontuje a vykvete znovu koncem léta. Díky své odolnosti a mrazuvzdornosti až do -28 °C je spolehlivou součástí českých zahrad. Květy lze použít i do vázy, kde tvoří jemný, romantický prvek.

Catmints are ideal companions for roses, suitable for naturalistic gardens, and lower species also for boxes and pots. Some of them are an irresistible attraction for cats, caused by the hallucinogen nepetalactone. This should be present in the highest amount in the species Nepeta cataria. Conversely, lemon-scented catmints reportedly do not attract cats. The botanical name Nepeta likely comes from the name of the ancient Etruscan city Nepet - Nepi in the territory of today's Italian province of Viterbo, where the plant was once cultivated. Nepeta racemosa naturally grows on dry meadows and rocky, stony slopes from the Caucasus to Central Asia. It has aromatic grey-green leaves and forms a tufted semi-spherical bush. Walker’s Low got its name after an Irish estate where it was bred in 1970. It has the most intense blue-violet flower coloration.

Gaura is a clump-forming perennial native to Texas and Louisiana. Here, it behaves more like a short-lived perennial. It combines beautifully with grasses and adds lightness and airiness to flower beds. It is an excellent food source for insects. Tiny flowers resembling small butterflies bloom tirelessly from June until the first frosts. For bouquets, harvest as soon as the first two or three flowers open on the stem. Siskiyou Pink is a beautiful variety with pink-red flowers on slightly arching stems. It is less hardy than the white-flowering varieties. The red-spotted leaves are also interesting.

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.

An undemanding and modest perennial that blooms with a large number of tiny flowers. It blooms for a record-breaking length of time throughout late summer and autumn. It forms smaller, compact, airy bushes that release a minty-spicy scent. The thyme-like flowers attract bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. It will look good among roses as well as in naturalistic steppe beds, perhaps with lower grasses. This calamint is generally more vigorous. It differs from other calamints with felted leaves by its record flowering length, stiff and shiny leaves, and also a larger number of flowers that do not form seeds and are therefore maximally durable. Sometimes sold under the cultivar name 'Triumphator'.

Cupid's dart is a medium-tall short-lived perennial. It originates from the Mediterranean and is therefore suitable for areas with milder winters. Attractive with blue flowers that resemble chicory. The unopened flower buds and silvery spent inflorescences are also nice. It is also suitable for drying. Fresh, it lasts 7 days in a vase.

Small shrubs with fragrant gray-silver shoots and leaves. Strikingly colored flowers are clustered in dense panicles. In the garden, it can evoke a summer atmosphere well into autumn. It tolerates drought very well and loves heat. It fits perfectly into Mediterranean-style plantings. It is popular with bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. Pagoda Dark pink is an interspecific hybrid appreciated by florists for its perfectly long and straight stems, striking rich pink flower color.