Perennials at Digging Dog
Anthericum to Athyrium
Including Aquilegia, Aruncus, Aster, & Astilbe
Anthericum
St. Bernard's Lily"Among the most beautiful of hardy flowers," William Robinson once proclaimed in reference to this easily grown, quick-to-establish European member of the Lily family. And we fully agree. Enchanting, starlike white flowers embellish slender leafless stems arising from a base of narrow grassy foliage. The seed spikes are equally lovely. Naturalize in a warm, sunny spot with fertile, well drained soil, and don't forget to cut a few of its flowers for your next bouquet.
Blooms May-June. Size: 2' high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 6.
Anthericum liliago (P-0919)
Each $6.50
Add to Cart Anthriscus
Cow Parsley
Esteemed for its dark coloring, Cow Parsley offers
a layered 18 in. mound of luscious, plum-colored, fernlike foliage. In early summer, branched stems produce airy umbels defined by small white flowers and pink bracts. A rich blend of opulent purple leaves can be achieved when you associate
this beauty with Aster ‘Lady in Black’
and Berberis ‘Golden Ring’. Keep
the blooms trimmed back to ensure an attractive habit.
Blooms July. Size: 2'–2-1/2' high x 18"–2' wide; hardy to zone 8.
Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’ (P-1201)
Each $6.00
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Antirrhinum
Perennial Snapdragon
Awash with pastel charm, droves of soft pink flowers pose all summer long atop a silvery blue, low growing mound that can take the heat. Perfect for the rockery, a wall or along a pathway, this carefree perennial easily links stronger colored plants, while its thin curvy stems clad in glaucous, round fuzzy leaves crave a bright, sheltered well draining niche.
Blooms June to mid-September. Size: 12"–15" high x 8" wide; hardy to zone 5.
Antirrhinum hispanicum ‘Roseum’ (P-1435)
Each $6.75
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Silver Snapdragon
A soft, evergreen palette of silky-haired, gray-green leaves and trailing, fuzzy silver stems set off the glistening, uplifted racemes of creamy blooms. Each two-lipped blossom is accented with a pale yellow throat striped in lilac.
Exhibiting a fortitude for dry conditions and a small mounding presence, this pretty bushlet is ideally suited to the rockery or along a path where it soothes rough edges, and
can be accompanied by Diascia ‘Coral
Canyon’ and Nepeta ‘Select
Blue’.
Blooms June–July. Size: 6"–8" high x 12"–18" wide; hardy to zone 7.
AVAILABLE SUMMER 2012
Antirrhinum sempervirens (P-1169)
Each $6.50
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Columbine
This genus deserves its lofty names, which mean
“eagle” and “dove,”
because its intricate flowers have been said to
resemble birds in flight. Beyond the symbolism of the
flowers, the finely textured, widely varied species possess
a gracefulness that is likely to carry you to heights
of enjoyment. Whether delicate dwarfs or bold,
long-spurred varieties, Columbines are characterized
by fernlike three-lobed leaves. They are best suited
for naturalizing in a semishaded woodland, but the smaller species will thrive in a rock garden with
some shade.
Dangling like delicate Japanese lanterns, the
plum and soft yellow blossoms are topped with wispy,
tapered spurs that curve inward. Like an ideal
small-space ornament, this compact Aquilegia offers a
demure mound of foliage and arresting colors.
Blooms May–mid-June. Size: 8" high x 8"–10" wide; hardy to zone 6.
Aquilegia buergeriana ‘Calimero’ (P-0918)
Each $6.75
Add to Cart As if in flight, ‘Yellow Queen’s
long outward-curving spurs trail behind its
cheerful, bright yellow flowers. Soaring on tall slender
stems above bushy and bluish green, fernlike foliage,
the upfacing, fragrant blooms are good-sized and
abundant. Owing its vigor and floriferous nature to
its wild southwestern cousin, Aquilegia
chrysantha, this cultivar makes a sunny partner for the lush purple leaves of Anthriscus ‘Ravenswing’.
Blooms April–May. Size: 2-1/2' high x 15" wide; hardy to zone 4.
Aquilegia chrysantha ‘Yellow Queen’ (p-1168)
Each $6.75
Add to Cart Promising plenty of nodding vivid blue-violet flowers brightened by white centers, this sturdy Columbine forms a tidy, low growing mound of deep green foliage. Nestled along a stone wall or garden path, ‘Blue Angel’ will bestow
enchanting detail.
Blooms April–early June. Size: 8" high x 10" wide; hardy to zone 4.
Aquilegia flabellata ‘Blue Angel’ (p-1057)
Each $6.75
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In the woodland garden, its lengthy stems display large, pure white long-spurred flowers. For a spirited combination of blue and white, try planting this elegant cultivar with Brunnera ‘Dawson’s White’.
Blooms April–May. Size: 2' high x 15" wide; hardy to zone 4.
Aquilegia ‘Kristall’ (P-0020)
Each $6.75
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Some 75 years ago, Joseph Rock gathered seed from this elegant beauty in China’s Szechwan kingdom. Elevated on stems that mimic a dancer’s grace, the pendant flowers are richly colored in deep lilac shades. White-edged
corollas enhance the large, short-spurred blooms above a pleasing foliar mound.
Blooms May–June. Size: 15"–20" high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 6.
Aquilegia rockii (p-1246)
Each $6.75
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Highly ornamental, this sturdy perennial’s dark purple blossoms skirt white-white corollas.
The dramatic contrast injects an element of surprise
in the garden. Deeply incurved spurs stand sentinel over each nodding bloom, which rises 2 ft. on strong and lean stems from a leafy bluish green mound. Set this dark knight near the gilt foliage of Campanula ‘Dickson’s Gold’ for a captivating union.
Blooms May–June. Size: 2' high x 15" wide; hardy to zone 4.
Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guiness’ (P-1098)
Each $6.75
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We grew this unusual cultivar from seed, and its
intensely golden springtime foliage gradually
transmutes into light yellow summer garb, imparting
a bright glow to darker garden corners. Gorgeous
bicolored blue and rose blooms heighten the
display while the deep greens of Pulmonaria
‘Benediction’ and Omphalodes ‘Joy Skies’ furnish an invigorating contrast.
Blooms April–May. Size: 18"–2' high x 12"–15" wide; hardy to zone 4.
Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Woodside Gold’ (p-0917)
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Aralia
Life-of-ManGracing the shade garden with a quiet textural beauty, this slowly colonizing North American perennial inhabits wooded areas, from New Brunswick to North Carolina and west to Utah and New Mexico.
Large, stout aromatic rhizomes sprout a multitude of abundantly branched glabrous stems and shrubby dark green compound foliage. The lush heart-shaped leaflets are toothed and unfurl in bronzy shades. Numerous round airy starbursts, defined by tiny cream-colored flowers, light up long terminal panicles like 4th of July sparklers. Glistening dark purple berries add additional appeal, while the spicy roots flavor root beer and yield medicinal remedies for broken bones, inflammation and asthma.
Surprisingly adaptable and easily maintained, Life-of-Man relishes bright shade, average moisture and fertile locales.
Blooms August– September. Size: 3'–5' high x 3'–5' wide; hardy to zone 3.
Aralia racemosa (P-1688)
Each $7.00
Add to Cart Arisaema
Cobra Lily
Himalayan Cobra LilyJewel of the woodland garden, this elegant, easy-to-grow species is found throughout southwestern China. A whorl of numerous narrow leaflets with slender drip-tips and undulating edges crowns each tall stately stem. Conjuring mysterious images of a cobra poised to strike, the otherworldly inflorescence is borne from a petiole beneath the foliage. It is defined by a purplish brown and greenish white-streaked spathe with an elongated hood that tapers to a pendulous, very long, threadlike tip. Clustered, bright scarlet berries create a colorful grand finale. Fertile, humus-rich and evenly moist soil will keep the Cobra Lily charmed.
This plant will be shipped from fall through mid-spring. Most of the plants will be shipped dormant and bare-root unless we have potted ones which have sprouted.
Dormant Arisaemas in containers must not be kept wet. Water them in their pots only when the soil gets bone dry—about twice a month.
Blooms June. Size: 3'–4' high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 6.
Arisaema consanguineum (P-1608)
Each $7.00
Add to Cart Armeria
Sea Thrift
A plethora of pretty pink pom poms garnish short neddlelike green leaves, which sculpt a tidy tigthtset mound. Bobbing on tough, wiry leafless stems well above the grassy evergreen cushions, dense flower heads are described by minute spiky blooms and papery bracts.
This cute little European gem maintains a well-groomed guise in spite of seaside conditions and poor soil. It appreciates free drainage, benefits from deadheading and makes an undemanding addition to small scale plantings, the rockery or a pot.
Blooms May–June. Size: 6" high x 8" wide; hardy to zone 6.
Armeria ‘Victor Reiter’ (P-1728)
Each $6.75
Add to Cart Artemisia
White MugwortIts upright growth habit and unaromatic green
leaves are similar to Artemisia lactiflora, but the
purple-red stems of this Chinese species make it otherwise
quite unique. The strong, upright stalks reach 4 ft. in
the first season and hold large branched panicles
of white flowers. In the company of other tall perennials such as Aster turbinellus, this plant will create a striking fall border. To highlight its reddish stems, plant Panicum virgatum ‘Warrior’ nearby.
Blooms August–September. Size: 5' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 4.
Artemisia lactiflora ‘Guizhou’ (P-0180)
Each $6.50
Add to Cart Western Mugwort‘Valerie Finnis’ dons silvery white leaves so soft and showy you’d think they were felt. Lobed near the tips, the wide aromatic foliage lines stout, generally erect gray stems, forming a compact, noninvasive clump that makes a luminous counterpoint to lush greens or bronzes.
This prized perfect-for-drying Mugwort can be pinched to maintain its textural form and lightly sheared when dense yellowish gray flower panicles appear. Thwarting deer and tolerant of both poor or dry soil, the Western Mugwort demands excellent drainage and mopes in high humidity.
Blooms August. Size: 15"–18" high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 4.
Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’ (P-1505)
Each $6.50
Add to Cart Plentiful small round buds and fluffy, pastel pink blooms populate gracefully tapered sheaves, and set against the deep purple branching stems they seem to sparkle. The elegant, airy flowers reign over an impressive textural foil of jagged-edged dark green leaves.
Blooms August – September. Size: 5' high x 18"–2' wide; hardy to zone 5.
Artemisia ‘Rosenschleier’ (p-1433)
Each $6.50
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Brimming with texture, ‘Sea Foam’ hosts a frothy display of incandescent silver-gray foliage. Swirling, curly, filigreed leaves are draped like finely cut lace along vigorous firm woody stems. Not intrusive and tight-set, this low mounding shrubby perennial can take it hot but not humid, needs well drained soil, makes a good winter statement and occasionally yields cute, little yellow buttons on downy white flower spikes. Zone 4/5.
Blooms August. Size: 8"–12" high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 5.
AVAILABLE SPRING 2012
Artemisia versicolor ‘Sea Foam’ (P-1507)
Each $7.00
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Goat's Beard
When you think of a woodland setting, think
Aruncus. With elegant, feathery ivory
plumes, Goat’s Beard is similar to and combines
well with Astilbe, although it is airier in form. A
terrific understory for tall canopies of Styrax japonicus
or Maples, it thrives in moist soil, and is a natural
beside a pool or stream. Place Aruncus where you
can view it from the south, to take advantage of its
tendency to lean toward the sun. It’s a popular cut flower.
The fine, delicate foliage and small stature of
this tidy dwarf lends itself as a ground cover around
flat stones and rocks. It’s well suited for the
front of the border with broad-leafed Epimediums.
Blooms late May–mid-June. Size: 8" high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 5.
Aruncus aethusifolius (P-0995)
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Shorter and sturdier than the species, this
German hybrid does well in windy areas. Dispelling all
images of a stocky work plant, its name means “child of two worlds,” and it is indeed otherworldly.
Blooms June–July. Size: 2-1/2' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 5.
Aruncus dioicus ‘Zweiweltenkind’ (P-0021)
Each $7.00
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Steeped in elegance, yet remarkably steadfast, this exquisite perennial was bred by noted German nurseryman, Ernest Pagels. ‘Horatio’ is a meticulously crafted cross between Aruncus aethusifolius and Aruncus dioicus, prized for its unique sparkling plumes of tiny cream-colored blooms, which splay out in a horizontal fashion from bronze-tinted upright stems. Fresh green fernlike foliage forms a bushy base beneath the airy star-shaped flowers.
Blooms June–July. Size: 3'–3-1/2' high x 2-1/2' wide; hardy to zone 4.
Aruncus ‘Horatio’ (P-1690)
Each $7.00
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Wild Ginger
Stretching out by underground rhizomes, the Wild Gingers are handsome woodland dwellers whose large-leafed, low growing colonies flourish in moist, shady niches. Long petioles elevate their polished, usually heart-shaped foliage while darkly
colored, three-lobed blooms add intrigue.
White-flowered Western Wild GingerA lover of loose, leafy soil, this native of western North America grows in the deep shade of redwood forests and pine woods, spreading its rhizomes to form wide evergreen patches of foliage that can endure some drought. The 3 petals of the creamy white flowers end in long tapering wisps under the embossed, heart-shaped leaves. Combine with Alchemilla ellenbeckii and Dicentra ‘Margery Fish’ for an enchanting mélange.
Blooms April – June. Size: 4"–6" high & spreading; hardy to zone 7.
Asarum caudatum f. album (P-1548)
Each $6.75
Add to Cart Chinense Wild Ginger“Splendid” seems like too modest a word to proclaim the elegance of this ginger's foliage! glistening, broadly arrow-shaped, deep green leaves flaunt dramatic silver marbling and come spring, 2 in. wide dark purple blossoms with white throats. Situated among Podophyllum hexandrum, easy-to-grow Asarum splendens sculpts a show stealing, illustriously patterned ground cover in just a few years that appreciates warm, humid summers while resenting cool ones.
Blooms April – May Size: 8" high & spreading; hardy to zone 6.
Asarum splendens (p-1247)
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Milkweed
Swamp MilkweedThis easily grown floriferous cultivar hosts large, deep rosy pink umbels packed with petite white flowers set in dark red bracts. Sprouting from a sizable taproot, the late-to-emerge-clump of numerous, erect branching stems celebrates vibrant-looking, mildly fragrant blooms.
Selected from the wild species that inhabits Missouri’s swamps and wet meadows, ‘Soulmate’ thrives surprisingly well in drier sites and can escort
Baptisia ‘Solar Flare’ or ornamental grasses like Molinia or Panicum.
Blooms July – August. Size: 3'–3-1/2' high x 18"–2' wide; hardy to zone 3.
Asclepias incarnata ‘SoulMate’ (P-1639)
Each $7.00
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