6 Best Perennial Flowers To Grow In Chicago
If you’re looking for a plant that will grow year after year without the need for a lot of care, consider one of the many perennials native to Chicago.
These hearty, low-maintenance plants bloom continuously from Spring to Fall. They come in every color, shape, and size, and can be divided once they’ve reached maturity. Our team consulted with the Farmer’s Market Garden Center to choose a selection of local plants for our gardens.
Butterfly weed is a hardy perennial that produces bright orange flower clusters and stiff green leaves. This plant is drought-tolerant and grows best in full sun.
It blooms from May to September and requires very little water. It grows quickly and thrives in moist soil. Monarch butterflies and honey bees also enjoy these plants, so you can’t go wrong with them. And while they are tough, they are quite attractive, and a great addition to a Chicago garden.
‘Blue Wonder’ dwarf catnip is a hardy perennial for zones three to eight. It is easy to grow and requires very little care. Its blue flowers bloom from May to September, and its fragrant foliage is sure to please.
‘Blue Wonder’ grows well in full sun and is hardy in zones 3-8. Rabbits and deer don’t like it either. It’s a good choice for those with low-maintenance yards.
Swamp Milkweed Flower
You can transform your plain landscape into an attractive habitat for butterflies. The swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) makes it easy to grow.
A water-loving selection, this variety becomes a uniquely valuable “must-have” for your Butterfly Garden.
Its fragrant, bright pink and white blooms are composed of many small flowers.
With its nutrient-rich nectar, this native plant supports beneficial pollinators and butterflies for several months during midsummer.
Garden visitors will experience a rich experience as the garden dances with them, and every minute will bring a rewarding experience.
Kids and visitors to our garden will enjoy a delightful tour of our natural environment. Among many other native wildflowers, Nature Hills offers this special clump-forming perennial.
A very important host plant for Monarch caterpillars is swamp milkweed. Keep an eye out for the chrysalis of the monarch butterfly hanging from the underside of the long, lance-shaped leaves.
Jersey Knight Asparagus Plant
New Jersey Knight was born on the East Coast, but has proven itself throughout the nation.
The plant is extremely vigorous and has no trouble growing in just about any soil, even heavy clay soils.
Early in the spring, large succulent spears appear on the plant. In many years, it is the first vegetable that will be harvested.
This meat has a mouthwatering taste and a firm, yet tender bite. There may be a small harvest the first and second years, but it really takes off after the third year.)
Once you have harvested the delicious shoots, it grows 3′-4′ tall frothy fern-like foliage that is an excellent filler for bouquets.
Jersey Knight is disease resistant and does not suffer from problems such as rust, crown rot, or fusarium as other asparagus varieties may.
Thriller Ladys Mantle
Alchemilla ‘Lady’s Mantle’, Alchemilla mollis, is a captivating bloom with tiny, star-like flowers and velvet-soft leaves that turn only just before it blooms.
A good variety of flower colors are available including yellow, green, red, purple and purple, and bloom in late spring to early summer.
While the foliage reflects the sun’s rays, water drops are caught by the leaves and held there.
In a rich, moist, well-drained environment, ‘Lady’s Mantle’ will grow well in full sun or partial shade.
You should grow your plants in partial to full shade if you live in a climate where summer temperatures are too high.
Generally, it is best used edging the edges of a tree or shrub with Coral Bells, Geraniums or Hostas, or to cover bare stems around the base of a tree or shrub.
Mary Washington Asparagus
For gardeners of all ages and abilities, growing asparagus is an enjoyable experience, and with Mary Washington Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ‘Mary Washington’), this pleasure is enhanced.
Mary Washington Asparagus is a matriarch of the asparagus industry.
As you grow this heirloom asparagus, you will enjoy both gardening success and delicious dishes year after year.
Choose this classic American spear if you are looking for a delicious spear with a heavier yield.
In the garden, Mary Washington Asparagus is a semi-hardy perennial favorite, prized for its buttery flavor and fern-like foliage.
There are enough asparagus crowns in this variety for your family to eat nutritious greens from spring through early summer.
As a result, Mary Washington has thick stalks that bunch closely together for a better harvest as compared to other varieties.
Additionally, they maintain a straight, attractive shape, providing a delightfully attractive plating preparation.
Summer Pollinator Pocket Garden
If you choose plants that will pair well with each other, you won’t have to guess what will work.
You can be confident that these stunning native plants will grow together to form a perfect whole…with just enough contrast to make your garden look beautiful year after year.
The 12-pack pocket gardens come with four different kinds of plants, and you’ll get three of each kind of plant.
Our package includes four different plants, the Mountain Mint, Sweet Black Eyed Susan, Purple Coneflower, and Smooth Blue Aster, so you can find the perfect flowers to nourish your garden with.
It is possible to achieve the look you desire using these sustainable native plants, ranging from contemporary casual to bohemian to classic country. There are even ways to incorporate them into the cutting edge design of a modern Xeriscape landscape.
Summer Rain Garden Pocket Garden
Installing a rain garden is an excellent solution for flooding caused by storm water from your neighbour hood streets, gutters or nearby paved areas.
The native plants in this kit will aid in stabilizing bioretention berms by providing a deep root system for the plants.
The good rain gardens drain within a day or two of being installed. They are so effective at reducing water runoff, you might even be eligible for a tax credit for using them!
You can also add a Summer Rain Garden Pocket Garden from Nature Hills to any low-lying dip or depression in your yard if you simply want to make it look nicer.
This 12-pack of native plants contains a collection of four different species of wildflowers. The following four plants will be included in your package Blue Vervain, Black Eyed Susan, Cardinal Flower, and Prairie Blazing Star (Verbena hastata, Rudbeckia hirta, Lobelia cardinalis, Liatris pyconstachya).
Create valuable habitat for our important beneficial pollinators so that you can reduce your lawn maintenance time. Oh yeah, and you may also be able to create a beautiful traffic-stopping garden feature at the same time.
