Leadwort

Fountain grasses originate from East Asia, where they grow in meadows and light forests. They form hemispherical clumps of narrow leaves which, like the flowers, color up in the autumn. They are suitable for the vase and for drying. The 'Hameln' cultivar is one of the most reliable bloomers in cooler regions. The inflorescences initially have a soft pink tinge, then change color to yellow-brown or reddish-brown.

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.

Perovskia are sparsely branched subshrubs, originating from areas ranging from Afghanistan to Tibet. They grow in open, sunny, rocky, and stony habitats. Their white-felted shoots and grayish aromatic leaves are striking. They fit well in sunny flower beds with other drought-loving perennials, where they create interesting structures even in the winter months. Little Spire is a smaller cultivar suitable even for pots with a soil volume of 7 liters or more.

Like Lavender, Hyssop is considered a low woody subshrub. It works well in similar planting schemes, with roses or even in steppe-style gravel beds. It can be used in the kitchen and as a medicinal plant. A huge attraction for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. Sweet pink flowers.

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.

A fast-growing ornamental grass with strikingly colored dark burgundy foliage. It blooms from July to October with pink to burgundy spikes that gradually fade to beige. It is interesting not only for its flowers but also for its overall habit and striking color contrast.

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'.

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.

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.

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.

The Twizzle series includes several color varieties, all characterized by upright growth and an overall finer appearance of stems and flowers. The florets are about 3–4 cm large. They last 5–7 days in a vase.

These asters are perfectly suitable for low-maintenance plantings as undergrowth between shrubs and trees. After establishing, they cope very well with drought and root pressure. They are therefore also recommended for large-scale plantings in public greenery. The cultivar 'Starshine' blooms with tiny, pure white flowers with bright yellow centers. Its advantage is a very long flowering period and resistance to powdery mildew. It tolerates even drier soil and has no problem blooming in light partial shade. It lasts 7 to 10 days in a vase.

Hellebores are evergreen perennials that form slowly spreading clumps of leathery, dark green leaves. 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. Before that, they tend to wilt and the stems cannot hold the flower in an upright position. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Hellebore Pretty Ellen Spotted is a beautiful variety with simple white flowers with wine-red spotting. The center with creamy stamens is further highlighted by lime yellow-green coloration.

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 bushes with fragrant silvery-gray shoots and leaves. Strikingly colored flowers are clustered in dense panicles. In the garden, it can evoke a summer atmosphere long into the autumn. It tolerates drought very well and loves heat. It fits perfectly into Mediterranean-style plantings. It is popular with bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. The cultivar Sterling Silver is striking for its silvery-gray leaves. Ornamental even after flowering thanks to decorative seed heads.

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.

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.

Wand loosestrife is more elegant and slender than the better-known purple loosestrife. It also has much airier inflorescences. The leaves are smooth and narrower and turn dark red in autumn. Swirl is a profusely flowering cultivar. Pink color with a purple tinge. It copes well with slightly less moisture and can be planted in ordinary beds as well as at the edges of ponds.

Omphalodes is a ground-covering woodland perennial native to southern Europe. However, it has been grown in our gardens since the 16th century. In suitable places, it can create dense carpets of fresh green leaves and is thus suitable as underplanting beneath shrubs and trees. Sky-blue flowers similar to forget-me-nots appear from March to May.

A beautiful delicate perennial originating from North America. Striking, relatively large but delicate flowers harmonize beautifully with a rich fluffy cloud of tiny leaves. They form compact bushes and are ideal for the foreground of flower beds. Coreopsis are classified as naturally short-lived perennials. We can partially influence their lifespan by choosing a suitable location and care during the season. The cultivar 'Zagreb' blooms with a large number of golden-yellow flowers. Their fine foliage is also decorative. It lasts about a week in a vase.

Originally a native perennial from wet meadows. The delicate ragged flowers of the ragged robin add lightness and airiness to plantings. It fits perfectly into plantings around ponds and in damper places in the garden. It is suitable for naturalistic gardens and compositions. We can also use it well for cutting for vases.

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.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms profusely flowering small clumps with straight, upright stems. In flower 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 excellent pasture for bees. It lasts 7 days in a vase. 'Schwellenburg' is a very special variety with a richly branched inflorescence. The little flowers have purple bracts and a wine-colored calyx.

A tirelessly blooming variety related to the well-known medicinal vervain, it is ideal for perennial plantings as a softening accent. It creates airy, transparent clumps with intensely purple-colored stems and tiny leaves. Soft pink flowers bloom throughout the summer until autumn. They look stunning in beds and containers. In England, where this variety was discovered near the town of Bampton, it overwinters well. Here, it needs the best possible site conditions. Also popular with bees and butterflies.

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.

Hellebores are evergreen perennials that form slowly spreading clumps of leathery, dark green leaves. Stems usually bear four to five flowers. They bloom very early, as early as late winter and the beginning of spring. They are suitable for vases only after conspicuous seed pods form in the center of the flower and the flower matures. Before that, they tend to wilt and the stems cannot hold the flower in an upright position. All parts of the plant are poisonous. The flowers of Hellebore Double Ellen Purple are semi-double to double, deep purple in color with contrasting white stamens. As the flowers mature, the dark color fades and the edges of the petals remain distinctly colored.

A perennial of delicate appearance with upright thin stems. It blooms repeatedly throughout the summer until autumn. The florets are purple, tiny, and delicate. The leaves are also delicate and linear. It lasts 14 days in a vase.

Broad-leaved statice, also known as sea lavender, is a plant originally from the steppe regions of southern Europe. Leathery leaves form a basal rosette. From these, veil-like panicles formed by tiny light lavender flowers grow. Perfect for bouquets; for drying, harvest when the flowers are fully colored.