PERENNIALS '09 Achillea Yarrow Aquilegia Columbine Astilbe Campanula Clematis Delphinium Dianthus Echinacea Gaillardia Geranium Gypsophila Helenium Heliopsis Heuchera Hosta Lupine Papaver Poppy Penstemon Polemonium Sedum Tanacetum Thymus Veronica

Home About Us Marvel's Corner Availability List Shrubs In the Greenhouse In the Gardens Welcome to our website! The greenhouse and nursery are open for the season through to Saturday August 1st. Summer Hours are: 10-3 Monday-Saturday. Our Availability List Pages are updated Monday mornings. You can also email us with any questions or comments you have about our plants, this website, or gardening in general. Wondering about the 5 day forecast? Check out The National Weather Service Click the "Back" button to return to Colorscapes. We offer perennials for zones 3-4 with a 80/20 mix; 80% are "tried and true perennials" that I have grown in my gardens and have been happy with the results, and 20% are cultivars of proven plants that are available in a new color or foliage variation that we want to try. Unfortunately, there is no standardization in the industry, so you may notice the same variety listed in one catalog as a zone 3, and in another as zone 4, or even 5. That's why I think it is important to trial the plants here in our display gardens. We watch for overall garden performance including bloom and foliage through the changing seasons. Indicates a new offering for us When considering perennials for gardens that have a mix of trees, shrubs, and perennials, note the Full Sun, Part-Shade, Full Shade, and Water Wise symbols so plants with the same requirements can be grouped together; a key element to water wise gardening and landscape success. Full Sun Part-Shade Full ShadeWater Wise It is my experience that plants that thrive in full sun are also water wise, preferring xeric conditions, and will do poorly when planted in shady areas and/or are overwatered. Likewise, perennials for part-full shade do best when planted in amended soils that hold water and are topdressed with a layer of organic mulch. Part-shade includes filtered, rather than direct light or, morning sun, rather than the hot, afternoon sun. You will see this symbol used frequently on this page, and it's no coincidence. Deer-resistant perennials are sought after in this area since deer move freely through Ruby Mountain landscapes during the growing season. We use the symbol for plants that are listed with government agencies and add plants that we notice deer passing over in our own gardens through the summer months. We also note when plants are highly deer-resistant if deer continue to pass over the plants through fall. Once the snow flies, they are much less particular. The plant's mature height (HT) and spread (SP) information is provided so that the shorter plants don't get lost amongst taller varieties. A plant's growth is dependent on its own genetic characteristics as well as the growing environment. For example: Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' Upright; HT:30" SP:24" Late Summer The description includes information that this plant is slow growing so customers realize it will take take several years to achieve that spread. Gaillardia grandiflora 'Arizona Sun', on the other hand, grows to 12" in height with a mounding habit growing as wide as it is tall. For this reason, we have described plants as: Upright; the plant will be taller than it is wide, Mounding; the plant will be as wide, or slightly wider, than it is tall, Sprawling; like a groundcover, but spreading outward from a basal stem, or Groundcover; spreading to infinity and beyond. After the height and spread, you'll find the plant's regional bloom time for designs that provide all season color. Towards the end of this page are a few garden designs that gardeners can use to select perennials and shrubs. The examples include various garden shapes with notes on the numbers of plants needed to fill the area. Picture Gallery Please click the "Refresh" button if pictures do not come on screen. Achillea 'Coronation Gold' HT:36" SP:30" Late Summer-Fall Upright plant with aromatic gray-green foliage and stiff/stocky stems that are topped by clusters of 4" wide golden flowers. Best in larger, naturalized gardens with xeric conditions. Naturalized areas of the landscape are not left unattended, but they often get less attention and include gardens/areas on large lots (acre+) that need perennials and shrubs to fill big areas quickly. Aquilegia 'Music' Blue with White HT:14" SP:24" Mounding, Spring Columbines are among the easiest of perennials to grow with spring blooms and attractive foliage throughout the season when grown in afternoon shade. The flowers attract butterflies and ladybugs. Avoid pesticides so ladybugs have an opportunity to keep aphids in check. Ladybug eggs to larvae; will thrive in healthy gardens. Astilbe chinensis 'Milk and Honey' HT:30" SP:20" Upright, Summer to White plumes change to light pink as they age. Bushy foliage with vigorous, prolific blooms. I plan to plant in with Columbine later this summer hoping the pastel shades will look nice together. Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Beauty' HT:30" SP:30", Summer Dense, matted foliage stays low while the bell-shaped flowers on wiry stocks rise above the foliage. True blue color is lovely with white Shasta Daisies and/or Campanula 'Takion White'. Campanulas, bellflowers, come in a wide range of colors and and vary in habit and form. We have trialed dozens and this variety has proven to be long-lived, pest-free, with dependable flowering from early-late summer. Campanula persicifolia 'Takion White' HT:20" SP:20", Summer Dense, matted foliage with bell-shaped flowers on wiry stocks that rise above the foliage. Lovely planted with Campanula p. blue and in front of Delphinium 'King Arthur' since it brings out the white eye. Campanula 'Blue Waterfall' 6" Groundcover, Summer Charming blue blooms on cascading foliage. Prefers amended soil to maintain lush foliage and blooms. Beautiful in container gardens. Large Flowering Clematis 6' - 8' Vine, Summer Remaining Varieties Include: Cardinal Wyszynski, Carmen Hagley Hybrid, Light Pink Jackmani Superba, Purple Rhapsody, Purple The large, single flowered Clematis we offer are hardy to this area. A reliable vine when given the right growing conditions. Plant in well-drained, amended soil with the foliage in full sun and the roots shaded by groundcovers or mulch. Provide ample water and prune to dieback in late spring. Buds often break late, so we suggest waiting until late spring before pruning. Clematis take 3-5 years to mature. Small flowering Clematis varieties grow taller on more vigorous vines. Clematis Viticella Royal Velours, Purple Clematis Texensis Princess Diana, Pink We have not pruned our small flowering Clematis, even those that have been in the gardens for over a decade. Delphinium Pacific Giants 'King Arthur' HT:60" SP:24" Upright, Early Summer The 2' flower stocks rise a full 5-6' above the foliage on this perennial favorite. The blooms last a full two weeks in a vase and the shade of blue is outstanding. The stocks can and do break in the wind, another reason to enjoy them as cuts. Delphiniums are short-lived so I plant every 2-3 years. Dianthus 'Firewitch' Forms a dense mat of blue-green foliage that spreads quickly and stays nice through the season.The flowers are wonderfully fragrant and will continue to bloom through 2-3 cycles if sheared after each cycle. Plant of the Year for 2006. Dianthus Star 8" Groundcover, Spring-Summer-Fall Forms a dense mat of blue-green foliage with bi-color shades of dark and light pink flowers. Very fragrant. Shear to promote continued bloom cycles. Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' HT:30" SP:24", Late Summer Coneflowers are slow growing but reliable. Shown here with Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'. Plant of the Year for 1998. Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' Long lasting as a cut flower and a welcome addition to the late summer-fall garden. 'Magnus' and 'White Swan' both attract butterflies . Gaillardia 'Burgundy' HT:30" SP:24" Upright, Summer First offered in '08, the plants sold quickly as gardeners were glad to find this easy to grow plant in a new color and with a taller habit than 'Arizona Sun'. Geranium 'Rozanne' HT:12" Sprawling, Summer-Fall Perennial Geraniums are a must have for the perennial gardens. The flowers alone are enough to make this plant worth growing, but the foliage is great too. 'Rozanne' has a sprawling habit, so it looks best planted up front. PPA Plant of the Year for 2008. Gypsophila repens 'Rosea' HT:6" Groundcover, Summer Hardy groundcover with delicate, pale pink flowers. Thrives in hot, sunny, well drained locations; avoid overwatering. Perfect for edging, between pavers, and rock gardens with gravel, rather than bark, mulch. Mulching is an important element to any xeriscape, but using organic vs gravel mulch depends upon the plant being mulched. Succlent plants, like this Gypsophila and other rock garden plants, prefer the warming, quick-draining properties that gravel provides. Helenium 'Mardi Gras' HT:30" SP:24" Upright, Late Summer-Fall Once established, this unusual perennial is a welcome addition to the fall garden. The flowers are a blend of reds, yellows, and orange, with a complement of chocolate brown centers. Heliopsis 'Summer Sun' HT:48" SP:36" Upright, Summer-Fall Morning Sun A beautiful plant with clear, yellow flowers on stiff, multibranched stems. Excellent, long-lasting cut flowers. Prefers bright, morning-early afternoon sun, otherwise the foliage tends to wilt down through the heat if summer. Matures to a full 36" across as well, so give this plant plenty of room to grow. Heuchera 'Melting Fire' HT:30" SP:20" Summer Part to Full Shade Mounding plant with ruffled, redish purple leaves with those classic 12" stems of bell-shaped flowers that start as dark red buds opening to creamy white. The dark foliage coloration show up best when planted near contrasting foliage plants including Hostas, Lamium, and other shady spot perennials. Hosta Regal Splendor', 'Diamond Tiara', and 'Gold Standard' Hostas are a wonderful structural addition to any shaded garden and their diverse foliage brightens otherwise dark areas of the landscape. Lupine 'Gallery Mix' HT:30" SP:24" Late spring - early summer Flower stocks rise above mounding, palmate foliage. Popular as cut flowers. By mid-summer, I cut back the spent flowers and the foliage if it needs it. Best when planted towards the center or back of the garden surrounded by later blooming perennials. Papaver nudicaule 'Garden Gnome' HT:10" SP:15" Early-Late Summer Charming tissuepaper like flowers in bright summer colors. Similar to the 'Champagne Bubbles' offered last year, but with shorter stems and smaller flowers. Penstemon barbatus 'Violet Dusk' HT:20" SP:15" Early-Late Summer Penstemons are well known for attracting hummingbirds and bees into the gardens. The upright habit and long bloom time allows them to fit nicely into the xeric landscape. A personal favorite and with so many to choose from, I can try new ones every year. Perovskia atriplicifolia Russian Sage 'Little Spire' HT:20" SP:24" Late Summer-Fall A shorter variety with compact, upright habit. Masses of small flowers form on multibranched stems from August-frost. Prefers xeric landscape conditions so avoid overwatering through summer and waterlogged soil in winter. Pervoskia, like Caryopteris, forms woody branches through the summer months and then flowers late in the season. We prune these woody perennials back to green in April. This is in contrast to herbaceous perennials, whose foliage and flowers die back through the winter months and are pruned to just above ground level in the fall. Groundcover Sedum 'Blaze of Fulda' Sedum's succulent foliage is perfect for our hot, dry summers; avoid overwatering. Distinct foliage texture and color is a great addition to the xeric landscape. Spreads quickly over berms and softens straight edges. Tanacetum 'Robinson's Dark Crimson' to HT:24" SP:18", Early-Mid Summer Daisies continue to be a favorite with gardeners and 'Dark Crimson' is in that highly sought after shade of red. Plant towards the middle of the garden behind mid-late summer bloomers since the blooms and foliage are at their best early. Groundcover Thymus 'Pink Chintz' and Veronica These two share common growing conditions, but have different bloom times. The Veronica blooms super early and is short at less that 1". The Thymus, we have three this season; serpyllum Mother of Thyme and 'Pink Chintz', and pseudolanuginosus Woolly Thyme, all bloom later in the season. Woolly and 'Pink Chintz' are also short at less than 1" while Mother of Thyme has a mounding habit and grows to about 4" with viable seeds that spread "little ones" throughout the landscape. I think that's why it's call Mother of Thyme. The Veronica and other Thymes keep to themselves, but spread quickly over berms and at the garden's edge. Thyme has fragrant foliage so they all make great plants for between pavers since they are durable and release their wonderful fragrance with light foot traffic. The blooms attract honeybees; a characteristic to consider if you're allergic or just don't like bees. Colorscapes is committed to demystifying the garden design process by providing designs so gardeners can match up the information provided about our plants with the numbers needed to fill the garden area. Notes on Garden1:ht=height sp=spread 2-Trees, 25'htx12'sp; 24', 5-Shrubs, 6'htx6'sp; 30' 19-Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp; 11-Perennials, 3'htx3'sp; 8-Vines, 8'htx6.5'sp; 16-Groundcovers, 8"htx3'sp; Total Garden Area=Aprox. 54' Wide x 30' Deep 2.5' Perennials bloom; spring-early summer, interplanted w/bulbs. 3' Perennials bloom; mid-late summer and some into fall. Notes on Garden2:ht=height sp=spread 2-Trees, 25'htx12'sp; 24', 1-Shrub, 3.5'htx3.5'sp (Front Corner); 1-Shrub, 6'htx6'sp (Mid-Point); 1-Shrub, 8'htx8'sp (Back Corner); 18' 15-Perennials, 3'htx3'sp; 19-Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp Total Garden Area=Aprox. 42' Wide x 30' Deep 2.5' Perennials (Forefront) bloom; spring-early summer. 3' Perennials (Towards Back) bloom; mid-late summer and some into fall, interplanted with spring flowering bulbs. Notes on Garden3:ht=height sp=spread 2-Trees, 25'htx12'sp; 5-Shrubs, 5'htx5'sp; 14- Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp; 7-Groundcovers, 8"htx3'sp Total Garden Area=Aprox. 30' Wide x 14' Deep 10-Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp (Foundation Planting) Notes on Garden3a:ht=height sp=spread 1-Tree, 25'htx12'sp; 5-Shrubs, 6'htx6'sp; 14- Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp; 7-Groundcovers, 8"htx3'sp Total Garden Area=Aprox. 30' Wide x 14' Deep 10-Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp; 1-Shrub, 6'htx6'sp (Foundation Planting) Notes on Garden4:ht=height sp=spread 3-Trees, 40'htx12'sp; 3-Shrubs, 10'htx10'sp; 17-Perennials, 3'htx3'sp; 17-Groundcovers, 8"htx3'sp Total Garden Area=Aprox. 60' Wide x 42' Deep Notes on Garden5:ht=height sp=spread 6-Shrubs, 8'htx8'sp; 50' 14-Perennials, 3'htx3'sp; 10-Perennials, 2.5'htx2'sp; 4-Perennials, 3'htx3'sp; 14-Groundcovers, 8"htx3'sp Total Garden Area=Aprox. 50' Wide x 28' Deep 14-Perennials (Towards Center) bloom; mid-late summer and into fall, interplanted with spring flowering bulbs. Notes on Garden6:ht=height sp=spread SE Garden: 5-Shrubs, 5'htx5'sp; 13-Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp; Total Garden Area=Aprox. 28' Wide x 18' Deep SW Garden: 7-Shrubs, 6'x6'; 6-Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp; 12-Groundcovers, 8"htx3'sp; Total Garden Area=Aprox. Same Size Notes on Garden7: Raised Beds for Vegetable Gardening Beds are Aprox. 4' Wide x 12' Long Herb Garden includes 3-Shrubs Notes on Garden8:ht=height sp=spread 2-Trees, 25'htx12'sp; 5-Shrubs, 8'htx8'sp; 4-Shrubs, 4'htx4'sp; 18-Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5sp; 8-Perennials, 6"htx2'sp Total Garden Area=Aprox. 36' x 12' + 18' x 18'; 750 sq. ft. 8-Shrubs, 4'htx4'sp; 34-Perennials, 6"htx2'sp; Interplanted w/annuals Total Garden Area=Aprox. 24' Wide x 14' Deep 6" Perennials can include Dianthus, Nepeta, Sedum, or Saponaria. Notes on Garden9:ht=height sp=spread 3-Trees, 25'htx12'sp, 3-Evergreens, 60'htx30'sp; 7-Shrubs, 10'htx10'sp; 24-Groundcovers, 8"htx3'sp; 4-Vines Total Garden Area=Aprox. 120' x 60' + 40' x 40'; 8,800 sq. ft. Skirted Evergreens have a natural shape and cover a wider area than limbed/pruned up Evergreens. Notes on Garden10:ht=height sp=spread 11-Shrubs, 6'htx6'sp; 1-Shrub 10'htx10'sp (Corner); 11-Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp; 11-Groundcovers, 8"htx3'sp Total Garden Area=Aprox. 48' x 30' /2 = 720 sq. ft. Vegetable Garden Area=Aprox. 30' x 30' /1.5 = 600 sq. ft. 5-Shrubs, 8'htx8'sp; 17-Perennials, 2.5'htx2.5'sp; 8-Groundcovers, 8"htx2'sp Total Garden Area Aprox. 36' Wide x 20' Deep 775-753-5000 Mailing Address: 167 Pleasant Valley Road #5 Spring Creek, NV 89815 Home About Us Marvel's Corner Availability List Shrubs In the Greenhouse In the Gardens