I have put together a list of some of my favorite perennials for the garden. These work very well in zone 9 and I am sure they do well all the way up to zone 5. We planning to plant perennials, make sure to use a piece of paper and lay them out so you have change is height as well as size variation. Good luck and enjoy the blooms to come.

Cosmos ‘Cosmic Mixed’

NEW!! A colourful mixture of dwarf Cosmos. Large flowers bloom over attractive foliage creating a lovely and bright display. Wonderful in bedding, borders and containers.
· Height: 30cm (12in)
· Flowers: June onward
Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise’ (Perennial)

Uniform and compact, this variety produces masses of weather resistant semi-double flowers in golden yellow. Flowers in the first year.
· Height: 24 inches
· Flowers: June onwards
Delphinium ‘Fountains Mixed’

Caution: Toxic If Eaten.
· Height: 2.5 - 3 ft
· Sow: February to April
· Flowers: June to August
Dianthus ‘Baby Doll Mixed’

Good dwarf mixture of large flowers in shades of red, rose, white and some bicolours. For borders, edging and containers.
· Height: 6 - 8 inches
· Sow: February and March
· Flowers: June onwards
Echinacea purpurea ‘Purple Coneflower’

An excellent perennial with large daisy-like purple flowers with a raised ‘cone’ center. Grown commercially as a cut flower and medicinal herb, often used with the petals removed.
· Height: 3 ft
· Flowers: June onwards

Foxglove ‘Foxy ‘

Flowers from the first year if you sow it early enough with strong upright flower stems. Shades of white, yellow, cream, lavender, rose and red, all with the gorgeous spotted flowers that are so distinctive.
· Height: 3 ft
· Sow: February to June
· Flowers: June to August
Gaura lindheimera ‘The Bride’

An excellent variety for growing towards the back of the border or in a container as a feature plant. The dainty stems paint a really pretty picture as they sway in the breeze and they make a lovely cut flower as well.
· Height: 3 - 4 ft
· Sow: January to March indoors and July outdoors
· Flowers: May to October
Lagurus ovatus ‘Bunny’s Tails’

A dwarf compact grass which makes an excellent container display. Forms neat mounds of green foliage from which the fluffy ‘tails’ emerge.
· Height: 8 inches
· Sow: March to May
· Flowers: June onwards
Pennisteum setaceum ‘Fountain Grass’

A tough and stately perennial with long, softly bristled spikes of purple tinged flower heads. Great for warm and dry positions and easily grown from divisions. Cut plants back at the end of summer.
· Height: 3 ft
· Sow: March to May
· Flowers: June onwards
Salvia x sylvestris ‘Blue Queen’

A vigorous, clump-forming perennial variety that has branching, deep blue/violet flower spikes above hairy lance-shaped leaves. An excellent garden performer from the original hybrid arising between S. pratensis and S. nemorosa.
· Height: 12 - 18 inches
· Sow: January to May
· Flowers: June to September
Iris Germanica

NEW!! These are some of the most popular irises. They are ideal border plants with large falls and standards and prominent beards. Flowering in May and June, they prefer full sun and well drained soil.
This collection contains:
· Autumn Encore - Blue tinged pink and a white beard.
· Desert Echo - A mix of tangerine and yellow
· Elizabeth of England - A delicate shade of lavender
· Night Owl - Deep purple, almost black
· I. pallida Variegata - Variegated leaves and blue flowers
Nemesia ‘Sundrops Mixed’ Ref: 10303

Plants form neat dwarf mounds that are smothered with large flowers all summer long. Use as bedding, or add to containers and baskets. An easy to grow and reliable variety. A Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner.
Diascia ‘Pink Queen’

An extremely popular and beautiful plant for hanging baskets and containers. Trailing pen habit with a mass of long spurred pink flowers.
· Height: 10 inch
· Flowers: May to October

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Coleus ‘Choice Hybrids Superb Mixed’

A special mixture which combines the best characteristics of available Coleus.
· Height: 14 inches
· Color from May to December
Cosmos ‘Sonata Mixed’

Compact plants with long lasting large flowers, a good choice for smaller gardens. In shades of rose, pink, red and white.
· Height: 24 inches
· Flowers: May to September
Zinnia

Huge showy double blooms in a wide selection of bold bright colours. A good bedding plant and cut flower.
· Height: 2.5 ft
· Halfhardy annual
Salvia splendens ‘Salsa Mixture’

Maximum impact, with ten colours including bicolours with incredible flower power. This variety is day length neutral and will flower quickly irrespective of sowing date.
· Height: 12 - 14 inches
· Halfhardy annual
Vinca Pacificas Mix

Heat tolerate and require less water than most summer plants.
Water as little as 3 times per week
PACIFICAS have extra large 2 in./5 cm blooms

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Impatiens

The plants are compact and vigorous and flower profusely in a wide range of distinctive colours. Good all round garden performers making this one of the finest varieties available.
·  Height: 8 inches
·  Halfhardy perennial
Begonia

Formula mixture of colours with green or dark bronze foliage. Excellent for bedding schemes and containers.
·  Height: 8 inches
·  Halfhardy annual
Lobelia

A versatile variety that gives showy displays all summer in containers or the garden. When cut the blooms last and continue to open in the vase. Harmful if eaten.
·  Height: 30 inches
·  Halfhardy perennial
Lobelia ‘Regatta Mixture’ 

Early and incredibly free flowering all season in shades of rose, lilac, white, blue and blue splashed white. Harmful if eaten.
·  Halfhardy annual
Petunia ‘Mix’

NEW!! Very large, open trumpets in a wide range of vibrant colours. Excellent in baskets, beds, borders and tubs.
·  Flowers: February to June
Caladium

A versatile variety that gives showy displays all summer in containers or the garden.
·  Height: 30 inches
·  Colors– Red Flash, Christmas White, Carolyn Wharton, Rosebud

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Hummingbird Plants 

Pineapple Sage, Salvia elegans  Giant Blue Sage, Salvia guaranitica Cypress Vine, Ipomoea quamoclit Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeana  Mimosa, or Silktree, Albizia julibrissin Shrub Verbena, Lantana camara Butterfly Bush, Buddleja davidii. also spelled Buddleia 

Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus Common Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea  Cigar Plant, Cuphea ignea  

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So, it finally happened, a cool front that looks like it may stay for awhile. I can tell you it is time to plant the pansies.  I am a firm believer that you plant pansies in the New Orleans area when it cold enough to turn on the heat in your home. 

What pansies should I buy and is there anything special I should do? 

I am a big fan of the Majestic Giant series which are large flower plants with bright colors with a blotch of color in the center.  These plants do very well and for great results, you should remove the old  flowers every week for the best flowering results.  Also, you should plant the pansies and apply blood meal at 1 lbs. per 1000 sq. feet to make the flowers spectacular.

 

  

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