Patrinia scabiosifolia

A long-lived and medicinal perennial originally from the Himalayas and Nepal. An exceptionally decorative plant with fresh green, finely pinnate leaves resembling ferns. The reddish stems contrast gently with fluffy, up to 20 cm wide, white umbels. An elegant and effective element of perennial beds from spring to autumn. An attraction for insects. It adds a meadow character to bouquets and lasts 7–10 days in a vase.

A native wild perennial with a large distribution range 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 via runners. Cutting back after the first bloom encourages a new set of flowers. Harvest for bouquets when the tiny flowers are fully open. It lasts 10 days in a vase. Terracotta features ochre, shades of orange and yellow, and gray-green foliage.

An interesting perennial originally from the Himalayas, where it grows on dry grassy and stony slopes. The white button-like flowers resemble small Strawflowers. It is also effective due to its silver-grey foliage.

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. The pastel yellow flowers of Romantic Glory combine well with other colors.

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.

It is a robust, long-lived, and drought-tolerant herb, native to North American prairies. The white flowers combine well with other perennials and last well in the flower bed and in a vase. The leaves with serrated edges emit a menthol scent.

Rudbeckia, also known as coneflowers, originates from North America; they are robust and abundantly blooming perennials of late summer and autumn. They are suitable for prairie plantings with tall grasses as well as for cottage gardens. The central disks look very effective even after flowering and decorate perennial beds throughout the winter. Harvest for the vase as soon as they bloom. Vase life is 7 to 10 days. We can also use the dry central disks. Goldsturm is a reliable and long-proven cultivar. It has bright golden-yellow flowers with dark centers.

A tall medicinal perennial with decorative, finely divided leaves and a sweet taste and scent similar to anise. It does not form tubers. The delicate, aromatic leaves add an attractive veil and smoke effect to a perennial bed. Its flowers are a magnet for beneficial insects. It lasts 7–10 days in a vase. Matured umbels with seeds can be dried.

Sidalcea is a beautiful long-flowering perennial. Its inflorescence resembles miniature hollyhocks or mallow. It fits well into classic combinations with roses as well as into wilder beds with grasses.

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'.

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.

Hellebores are evergreen perennials that form slowly spreading clumps of leathery, dark green leaves. The stems usually bear four to five flowers. They bloom very early, as early as late winter and early spring. They are usable for vases only after conspicuous seed pods form in the center of the flower and the flower matures. Earlier, they tend to wilt and the stems cannot hold the flower in an upright position. All parts of the plant are poisonous. The semi-double flowers of the hellebore Double Ellen Picotee color into white and light pink with purple-burgundy edging.

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.

Coneflowers originate from North America and are robust, abundantly flowering perennials for late summer and autumn. They are suitable for prairie plantings with tall grasses as well as country cottage gardens. The central disks look very striking after the seeds ripen and decorate perennial beds throughout the winter. Harvest for vases as soon as they bloom. Vase life is 7 to 10 days. The dry central disks can also be used. Henry Eilers is a natural variety named after its discoverer. It features interestingly shaped flowers with striking brown centers. Yellow ray florets grow from them, rolled into narrow quills.

In nature, we find it in steppes on dry pastures and stony slopes of Central and Southern Europe. It is a well-known plant used in floristry. Excellently usable in both fresh and dried states. For drying, we select only stems with fully opened flowers. We hang them flowers-down in a dry, airy, and dark place.

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 excellent pasture 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 on the stem open. The pure white blooming Cool Breeze has no hint of pink like other varieties. The flowers have greenish-white stamens, and the buds are also greenish-white. It grows more compactly than other Gauras.

Cupid's dart is a medium-tall short-lived perennial. It originates from the Mediterranean and is therefore suitable for regions with milder winters. Its flowers are white and shaped like chicory. The undeveloped flower buds are also attractive, as are the silvery spent flower heads. It is also suitable for drying. Fresh stems last 7 days in a vase. Alba has white flowers.

A short-lived perennial with silvery, softly felted stems and leaves. It blooms for a very long time; a new flower opens every day to replace the previous one. An elegant white variant of the standard species.

Originally a North American prairie perennial. It belongs to the group of medium-tall tickseeds, growing in upright clumps. It has interestingly shaped leaves with three long, narrow lobes. Both leaves and stems turn red in autumn. The flowers are about 5 centimeters large and a lighter yellow than most tickseeds. They last about a week 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.

Lemon Queen is a perennial and fully frost-hardy Sunflower cultivar. It grows vigorously but not invasively. It creates firm dense clumps. It blooms from July with pastel sulphur-yellow flowers, which usually have a diameter of 5-8 cm. It looks good in cottage gardens as well as in prairie beds with grasses. Due to its long flowering time, it is very significant for pollinators. It lasts up to 10 days in a vase.

Solidaster is a perennial created by crossing goldenrods and asters. It is attractive for its color-changing flowers. They bloom bright yellow and change through cream to milky white. The florets are slightly larger than those of goldenrod. It is suitable for cutting and lasts 10 days in a vase.

Cosmos Eclipse is a garden cultivar of the original wild species native to Mexico. Due to its striking scent, it is also called chocolate cosmos. Besides the fragrance and unusual coloring, its great advantage is the long flowering period. In our conditions, it will thrive best in a pot on the terrace; we can also sink it, pot and all, into perennial beds and remove it for winter. The cultivar Eclipse has velvety dark burgundy flowers, 3-4 cm large.

A lesser-known species of Yarrow has dark green glossy serrated leaves that remain attractive throughout the growing season, and a sweet pink color of flowers that are larger than the flowers of common Yarrow. It lasts 10 days in a vase.

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 native wild perennial with a large distribution range 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 via runners. Cutting back after the first bloom encourages a new set of flowers. Harvest for bouquets when the tiny flowers are fully open. It lasts 10 days in a vase. Cerise Queen has deep pink to purple-pink flowers that gradually fade to light pink.

Round seed pods formed by flax after flowering are used for drying. It requires catching the right time when they are already mature and the stem below the pod is firm. Do not wait too long, however, so you achieve a nice golden color after drying. Just hang them upside down in a dry and ventilated place, out of direct sunlight.

Fine tiny leaves and well-branched long stems with a large number of tiny star-shaped flowers make this Aster an ideal autumn cut flower. In beds, it serves as a fluffy delicate filler and brightens up the garden after summer perennials have finished blooming. It will look good in combination with roses and in wild plantings with grasses. It is important for bees and butterflies as the last pasture before winter. It lasts 7 to 10 days in a vase. 'Lovely' is characterized by countless small, delicate pink flowers in loose panicles on firm, wiry stems.

Orlaya is a floral variety somewhere between Ammi and ornamental carrot. However, it also has outer flowers with large petals, creating the impression of lace or embroidery. The stems are strong and straight, fitting beautifully into bouquets. And after flowering, tiny seed heads form which are also beautifully decorative and do not wilt; we love harvesting those too.