Best Perennial in a Leading Role
Salvia Greggii 'Dark Dancer'
Evergreen, long-blooming and very dramatic.
Best Perennial in a Supporting Role
Creeping Perennial Heliotrope 'Azure Skies'
At the feet of taller perennials and always blooming.
Best Makeup
Gaillardia
Brightly painted face appearing throughout the summer.
Best Costume
Agastache 'Salmon and Pink'
In "goes with everything" attire, appears in almost every garden scene.
Best Visual Effects
Echinacea 'Ruby Star'
Spotlight of the garden, shining for months on end.
Best Foreign Perennial
Iris ensata 'Mount Fujiyama'
Exotic and pure, stands gloriously over the rain garden.
Best Sound Effects
Miscanthus 'Little Zebra'
Rustles in the wind with friendly tones.
Best Short Subject
Scutellaria suffrutescens (Skullcaps)
A season-spanning little perennial.
Best Cinematography
Team of Lavender & Dianthus
This dynamic duo dominates the cottage garden in technicolor.
All of these plants were grown in full sun, zone 7b in North Carolina. All are deer-resistant except for the dianthus and iris ensata. The dianthus has been pulled out by the deer when planted outside the cottage garden fence. The iris ensata blooms have been nibbled occasionally in the past.
What are the 2008 best performers in your garden?
Photos and story by Freda Cameron