MAY Perennial of the Month

It's too cold out there for planting annuals, but stop by the market this weekend (our displays will be complete by Saturday, May 7th) and find a gorgeous spring blooming perennial for your garden! These hardy plants will survive a WNY winter so you know they won't mind a little Spring chill in the air.

Perennial Manager Jaime Brennan tells us about Amsonia hubrichtii, Thread-leaf Blue Star, the perennial of the month here at Kirby's:

"The Perennial Plant Association has chosen Amsonia hubrichtii, Thread-leaf Blue Star to be recognized  for 2011. This beautiful and graceful perennial is also a native plant. Long lived, bug and pest free, it's flowers emerge in May and June with clusters of steel blue. The long narrow leaves give the plant a look of a bottle brush that turns to a golden yellow in the fall.

Amsonia is a beautiful addition to any garden. It keeps a nice bush shape and I have seen many early butterflies enjoying it's blooms in our garden along the east side of the greenhouse. Stop by to meet Amsonia today!"

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Some examples of perennials that are blooming in our displays right now:

(Mouseover for the name of each plant. Click for a larger image)

Marsh Marigold - a native plant that loves wet areas.Helleborus - one of the very first perennials to bloom. This plant comes in many colors, including a rich purple-red.Crested Iris - a short iris with great flowers in a gorgeous blue.Dicentra (Bleeding Heart) - a unique flower with fern-like foliage.Lewisia - a hardy alpine plant that is great for walls and rock gardens!Pulsatilla - large purple flowers appear in early Spring among soft, fernlike foliage. Cimmicifuga (chocolate colored foliage), white Bleeding Heart, and a Hosta in the background create a unique Spring arrangement.Virgina Bluebells! A medium-tall plant with large clusters of blue flowersColumbine - comes in a wide variety of colors, some short and some tall. We have a very prretty double pink this year, along with classic colored single blooms.