Perennial Flowers

These plants are all over three feet tall and flower in the fall. They are ideal for the back row of the perennial border.

• Hardy Aster.
• Blue Sage. This three- to four-foot tall plant has slender spikes of sky-blue flowers. They make excellent cut flowers. Blue Sage grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. It can be grown from seeds to flower the next year. Clumps should remain undisturbed indefinitely.
• False Dragonhead. This snapdragon lookalike flower has 8- to 10-inch long spikes that are made up of 4 widely spaced vertical rows of small flowers. The plant grows two to four feet and has dark-green, willowlike leaves. Some varieties are Vivid (deep pink), Summer Glow (pale pink) and Summer Snow (white). False Dragonhead can be grown in sun or shade in almost any type of soil. New plants are started from division of clumps. Divide clumps every second year to prevent overcrowding.
• Japanese Anemone. These have handsome pink or white flowers from late summer to mid-fall. The leaves of this two- to three-foot tall plant are lobed and dark green. Varieties of Japanese Anemone are Alba (single white flowers), Kriemhilde (pink), Margarette (double rose pink) and Profusion (rose pink). They grow best in light shade and a well-drained soil liberally supplemented with peat moss. New plants, obtained from root cuttings or clump division in early spring, bloom the same year. Do not disturb the roots except for propagation.