This time of year there are so many wonderful perennials blooming it’s hard to pick some to highlight.  The perennial hibiscus (Rose Mallow) is a great addition to your perennial garden.  It provides the height needed for the middle of the garden or the back – depending on how your garden is arranged but once it starts to bloom – it will definitely be a show stopper – stealing the limelight.

Pictured here is the ‘Lord Baltimore’ Hibiscus.  They will grow to 4′-5′ tall and in part sun to full sun.  Hardy to zone 4 – they are one of the latest perennials to wake up in the spring.  The picture isn’t deceiving – the flowers are almost dinner plate sized.  If you see all of your other perennials starting to emerge in May – be patient.  My hibiscus (planted in part sun) doesn’t start to show up until late May – early June.  This is one perennial that you want to make sure that you mulch in each fall / early winter once we have had an inch or two of frost.  On my hibiscus, I wait until typically after Thanksgiving, then I will put on approximately 4″ of mulch over the top of it.  In the early spring, I spread the mulch from the top of  the hibiscus out over the perennial bed and wait for the plant to emerge for the season.

Russian Sage (Perovskia) – a “shrub like” perennial.   Growing from attractive e gray-white stems that arch outward from the base of the plant.  The stems then become somewhat upright and then the show begins.  The blossoms start and you will soon have a haze of tiny, tubular blossoms of a beautiful lavender-blue color mass!   A great perennial because you can get almost 3 months of bloom time.  Growing to 3′-4′ in height and 2′-3′ in width – pair this with Rudbeckia Goldsturm, Coreopsis or Heliopsis (False Sunflower) and you will have a dynamite combination.  Hardy in Zone 4 – this full sun perennial is sure to please!

Pruning tip – to keep your Russian Sage from becoming to tall and leggy (i.e. floppy) in early June, prune them down to about half their size.  They’ll continue to grow and be more compact and tight in the mid-summer/late summer time period when they start their blooming!

Now – for an added bonus – at the bottom of this post – you can print it.  Print this post off, and bring it in (a coupon)  and you will receive a 20% discount on the purchase of  Hibiscus or Russian Sage through the month of August, 2013.  (If you can’t print it – bring in your phone or I-pad and show us the post and we’ll give you the credit!)