Coneflowers (Echinacea) have earned their place in perennial borders, pollinator gardens, and meadow-style landscapes—and for good reason. These hardy, vibrant perennials reliably return each spring in our Ontario Zone 6 climate, adding long-lasting colour and texture to any garden.

The classic Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) begins with soft, pink-tinged petals that deepen into rich purple hues as the season progresses. At its peak, the familiar domed centre cone emerges—an eye-catching structure that dries beautifully and provides winter interest in the garden. 

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Choose From The Rainbow

While the purple coneflower is the most iconic, hybrids now come in nearly every colour of the rainbow. You'll find stunning varieties in pink, white, green, orange, and fiery reds.

No matter your garden’s colour scheme, there’s likely a coneflower to match. Even better, their bold blooms attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, while the seed heads feed songbirds in fall and winter.

Low Maintenance, Long-Blooming Beauty

Coneflowers are both showy and easy to care for—ideal for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike. Here’s what you need to know:

Growth habit:

• Height: 24–60 inches, depending on the variety

• Spread: 12–24 inches

• Bloom time: Mid-summer to fall

Growing conditions:

• Sun: Full sun is best, though light shade is tolerated

• Soil: Well-drained soil is key

• Water: Drought-tolerant once established, but thrives with consistent watering

• Fertilizer: Not necessary

Pro tips for success:

• Pinch back in early summer to encourage bushier, sturdier plants and decrease the chance of powdery mildew forming

• Deadhead spent blooms early in the season to prolong flowering

• Leave seed heads in late summer and fall for winter beauty and bird food

• Optional self-seeding: Let them go to seed for a naturalized look, or remove blooms to prevent self-seeding

Coneflower Companions

Coneflowers mix beautifully with a variety of other perennials. For vibrant, complementary plantings, try pairing them with:

• Salvia

• Crocosmia

• Hyssop (Agastache)

• Catmint (Nepeta)

• Phlox

• Ornamental grasses

These companions share similar growing requirements and will enhance the colour and texture of your garden throughout the growing season.

Visit Us for More Ideas

Want help choosing the perfect Coneflower variety or finding the right garden companions? Stop by Eising Garden Centre and chat with our perennial expert, Mary. She’ll help you create stunning combinations that bloom beautifully from summer into fall.

What’s the best way to brighten up your garden? Add lots of annual flowers in the Spring! Here in Southern Ontario, the May holiday weekend is usually safe from frost - and go time for planting tender annuals!

At Eising Garden Centre, you’ll find a wide array of beautiful annual blooms. Here are ten of our sun-loving favourites to try.

Cosmos

Zinnia

Calendula

Marigold

Amaranth

Portulaca

Salvia

Geranium

Petunia

Dahlia

Sunshine + Food + Hydration = Success

All of these annuals thrive in full sun and will reward you with even more blooms when given consistent water and fertilizer.

Adding a continuous-release fertilizer to your soil at planting time—or feeding weekly with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer—makes it easy to keep your garden thriving all summer long!

*TIP: Check our handy Plant Finder for more details! https://plants.eising.ca/11110015/

If you think a small space and a small garden are limiting when it comes to shrub choices, think again! Colour and texture, structure and seasonal interest are all available in many small shrubs. Whether you’re looking for beautiful blooms or evergreen foliage, you’ll love what our favourite small shrubs have to offer!

Follow the 5 links for more on our 5 favourites!

My Monet Purple Effect Weigela - Weigela florida

A deciduous shrub that’s deer resistant, colourful and low growing. This plant checks lots of boxes!! Variegated mint green and cream foliage with purple tones and pink blossoms, it makes a great companion to perennials, and as an edging plant. My Monet Purple Effect Weigela grows 18” to 2 ½ feet tall and wide in partial or full sun.

Little Gem Spruce - Picea abies ‘Little Gem’

This compact evergreen has dark green needles, making it attractive all year round. Its pyramidal shape makes it a great choice as an accent feature or in a border. It’s drought-tolerant and requires little care, making it a very appealing low-maintenance choice! Little Gem reaches a mature height of 10” to 1’ and a spread of 1’ to 2’. Plant this shrub in full sun.

Blue Star Juniper - Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’

Sun-loving and slow-growing, Blue Star Juniper graces the garden with steel blue evergreen foliage that’s a beautiful contrast to many plants. It’s also drought-tolerant and requires very little pruning, making it an easy to care for naturally small shrub. Growing 1 to 3’ tall and 1 ½ to 3’ wide, its shape makes it great as ground cover or as an edging plant.

Bluebeard - Caryopteris

Classified as a shrub or as a woody perennial, either way, it deserves to be on this list. Bluebeard loves full sun and grows anywhere from 2 to 4’ in a compact mound. Sweetly scented and long blooming, it attracts all the pollinators: bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Bluebeard foliage and blooms come in various colours depending on the variety, so it’s easy to fit into your landscape plans.

Inkberry Holly - IIlex glabra

Native to North America, Inkberry has lots to love. It looks similar to Boxwood and can be trimmed to shape, but this slow-growing evergreen also forms a tidy mound, and it blooms in the Spring! It will grow in full to part sun, and smaller varieties reach 3 to 4’ high.

While this list contains 5 of our favourites, we have lots more to offer in the garden centre. Come by and take a look! Discover how growing small shrubs in containers or small spaces adds beauty and texture, enhancing your garden bed, patio or balcony.

TIP: April and May are the best months to plant shrubs in Southern Ontario.

If you’re looking for blooms that come back each Spring with a burst of colour, here are ten of our favourite flowering perennials and ground covers.

Plant These for a Spring Show!

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)  

Height: 30-120 cm, Spread: 45-90 cm

Flower Colour: white, pink, red, purple

Blooms: spring, summer

Growing: While Bleeding Hearts will tolerate full sun or full shade, they prefer the protection of light shade. This perennial is fairly drought tolerant, but it will thrive in evenly moist soil, and blooms will last much longer if the soil is moist.

Hellebore Christmas Rose (Helleborus)  

Height: 30-45 cm, Spread: 30-45 cm

Flower Colour: white, green, pink, purple, yellow

Blooms: late winter to mid-spring

Growing: Moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil in lightly dappled shade is where hellebores do best.

Primrose (Primula)

Height: 15-60 cm, Spread: 15-45 cm

Flower Colour: blue, red, orange, white, pink, purple, yellow

Blooms: spring, early summer

Growing: Full sun or partial shade and moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil.

Anemone Windflower (Anemone) 

Height: 8-150 cm, Spread: 15-60 cm

Flower Colour: white, yellow, pink, blue

Blooms: spring, summer or fall

Growing: Anemone does best in moist soil and partial or light shade, but they will tolerate full sun. While Anemone can take a while to become established, they’re worth the wait!

Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) 

Height: 45-90 cm, Spread: 30-60 cm

Flower Colour: white, red, yellow, pink, blue, purple (The colour of the spurs is often different than the petals)

Blooms: spring, summer

Growing: Columbines love full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil. This plant will self-seed and seedlings can be transplanted.

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) 

Height: 30-60 cm, Spread: forms groupings

Flower Colour: blue, pink, purple

Blooms: spring

Growing: Plant in partial to full shade with humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. This woodland plant has blooms that are attractive to Hummingbirds and pollinators. Foliage dies back right after it blooms.

Moss Phlox or Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)

Height: 10-15 cm, Spread: 60 cm

Flower Colour: white, red, lavender, pink, bluish purple 

Blooms: early spring

Growing: Plant in sun to partial shade with humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Spreads horizontally as it grows and creates new roots where the stems touch the ground. Do not prune in the fall as Spring’s flowers will already be forming on these plants.

Lungwort (Pulmonaria)

Height: 20-60 cm, Spread: 20-90 cm

Flower Colour: white, red, pink, blue

Blooms: spring

Growing: To avoid root rot, grow Lungwort in moist, humus-rich soil that’s well drained. They prefer partial shade to full shade.

Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla)  

Height: 10-30 cm, Spread: 20-30 cm

Flower Colour: white, red, purple, blue

Blooms: early to mid-spring

Growing: Very well drained soil is important for Pasque Flower, which does not like to sit in wet soil. It will grow well in full sun or partial shade.  

Peony (Paeonia)

Height: 60-80 cm, Spread: 60-80 cm

Flower Colour: yellow, pink, red, purple, and shades of white

Blooms: spring, early summer

Growing: Humus-rich, moist and well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade is where peonies do best. Adding lots of compost and planting at the proper depth is very important for peonies to bloom. Be sure to plant potted peonies at the same level as the soil around them, not higher.

Looking for something that blooms in the garden when everything else is fading? Bluebeard (aka Caryopteris or Blue Mist) blooms from late summer until frost sets in!

This shrub-like perennial thrives in full sun and sandy soil with good drainage. In exchange for these conditions, it provides an abundance of blooms in vivid, genuine blue (a colour that’s very difficult to find in the garden) or it can have pink or blueish-purple flowers depending on the hybrid variety. Foliage can range from soft grey to golden yellow to dark and glossy green, depending on the variety. Intrigued?

Bluebeard is a great perennial shrub for almost any size of garden and does well here in Norfolk County. Plants grow in a range from two to four feet in height and width and in a well-behaved, compact mound.

Beautiful Blooms

Such a unique flower! Bluebeards form fluffy clusters of flowers, like clouds or mist and can bloom from July until there’s a frost. Like most flowering plants, deadheading spent flowers will promote continued blooming.

Bluebeard flowers have a mildly sweet scent and are full of nectar for pollinator friends like bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. The features don’t stop there! Birds love the seeds that form in the Fall too.

Planting & Care

Find a nice, sunny spot with ample space for the plant to grow. Bluebeard aren’t heavy feeders and don’t need fertilizer. Some compost in the planting hole is all that’s needed. After that, top dress with some compost each Spring. 

Water in new plants thoroughly after planting them. Once established, they don’t need watering unless it’s an extremely dry season. 

Crown rot from consistently over-watering, or from being planted in wet, heavy soil is the only disease to be concerned about. Branches will begin to die, one by one, if this plant has crown rot.

While Bluebeard will tolerate drought and shade, the amount of flowers will be greatly reduced.

Pruning

Bluebeard’s foliage and flowers form on new branches or new growth. So, early each Spring, cut the stems down by at least half. Cutting them down to 12-18” does not harm the plant. It will send up new shoots, and it’s those new shoots that produce leaves and blooms!

You may find that established plants have some dead wood in the centre. If this happens, prune out any dead wood, and that will ensure that your shrub stays looking full and happy.

One final note. Sometimes Bluebeard is called “blue mist spirea”. However, Bluebeard or Caryopteris is not related to spirea.

Sunny, fresh fashion trends are brightening the 2024 wardrobe landscape right now, and it is inspiring! Dreamy colours and bold florals are blooming inside Sassyfras Boutique at Eising Garden Centre. Take a look at what’s new for May and June 2024!

Bloom Boom

While there are plenty of natural colours and fabulous flowers in the greenhouses, the bold flower and foliage patterns in intense shades in Sassyfras are blooming gorgeous. Sassy floral patterns and colours are hot, hot, hot!

Flattering Frocks

Looking for a dress that you’ll want to wear all summer long? Let’s face it, nothing is cooler or more carefree on a hot day than a great dress. Check out the cheerful patterns, and a range of fabrics and fits for every occasion.

Harmonious Hues

If you've been wearing monochromatic outfits in black-on-black, try switching to pastels or the very popular primary blues available now. Pick a tone or two you love and wear it from head to toe.

Sandy Shades

For a more classic look, choose staples in neutral shades like sand, white, caramel and coffee. Layer similar colours for a polished and subdued palette that conjures images of the beach…and the coffee shop!

Keep Your Cool

Comfortable, casual and timeless, linen fabric is a popular choice for warm weather clothing. A natural fibre that’s derived from the flax plant, it’s been manufactured for thousands of years. Come in and check out the effortlessly chic brand new linen styles in store. These durable, breathable and lightweight linen creations will soon become your favourites on the hottest days of the summer.

Tropical Hibiscus evokes all of the best descriptions imaginable when you see one. Showy, stunning, exotic, vibrant, impressive, large, lush, colourful and flamboyant flowers grace branches of dark, glossy, green leaves. It just seems unreal! This plant conjures up images of the tropics, but it will grow in a pot on your sunny patio or inside your home!

Tropical Paradise

If you’re looking to create your own tropical paradise, this surprisingly low-maintenance plant is a great addition. Its showy trumpet-shaped blooms make it a great focal plant and the wide variety of shapes and colours available is astounding!

Tropical Hibiscus flowers are rich in nectar, attracting hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and other beneficial pollinators to your garden.

Planting tropical Hibiscus in a pot makes it easier to move the plant to a sunny, warm location, which provides the conditions for it to thrive. Be sure to ease your plant outside by hardening it off though. If it’s been indoors or in a greenhouse, give it time to acclimate, or it will become scorched or worse, die. Hardening off is a simple process of slowly easing your plants into life outdoors.

Blooming Good

Tropical Hibiscus will bloom all summer long here in southern Ontario when provided with sun, warmth, ample water and nutrients. During the growing season, water the soil regularly to keep it evenly moist. While it loves full sun, the sun’s rays can be dehydrating. Hibiscus is a thirsty plant when it’s in bloom so don’t let the soil completely dry out. Of course, there’s a limit to how much water you use. Too much water will cause the roots to rot. The key word is “moist”  - not monsoon wet! Using mulch will help to retain moisture in the pot.

To provide your plant with proper nutrition, use a time-release fertilizer in May or a balanced, diluted water-soluble fertilizer like fish emulsion about once a week over the summer months.

Each blossom lasts one day. They are short-lived, but don’t worry - Tropical Hibiscus will produce a succession of flowers during the growing season with ample light, water, and fertilizer. Once a faded bloom wilts, remove it from the plant to make way for the next one.

Looking Ahead

If you’re planning to keep your Hibiscus over the winter, here are a few tips to help.

Before the first frost, inspect the plant thoroughly for any bug hitchhikers or pests like aphids or spider mites. Give the entire plant a thorough shower and then bring it indoors. If you’ve found that your plant needs constant watering and has outgrown its pot, this is a great time for repotting before it comes indoors. Find a pot that is only 1-2” bigger than the pot it’s currently in and transplant it with some fresh, tropical potting mix.

This is another big transition for your plant, and you may find it loses some leaves unless you slowly migrate it from outdoor to indoor conditions. Place your Tropical Hibiscus in a warm, sunny window. Don’t move it to a cold basement right away, even if that will ultimately be its winter home. Just as you hardened it off in the Spring, slowly move it to a cooler location for winter storage if you don’t have a sunny, warm location. Be sure though that it ends up in an area where it’s getting at least 3 hours of direct sun each day.

At this point, stop fertilizing your tropical Hibiscus and reduce the amount of water used. Allowing the soil to dry out between waterings while the plant is dormant and not blooming is okay.

Enough talk of winter! While the weather is warm, pop an umbrella into a fruity summer drink and enjoy your beautiful tropical Hibiscus oasis!

Clematis, the climbing plant that looks far too elegant and exotic to be growing in Ontario! Not only beautiful, Clematis gets along well with climbing roses (this is a gorgeous combination), trees, shrubs, and perennials. Different varieties of Clematis can also be grown together and provide a succession of blooms!

The variety of shapes, sizes, and colours available make Clematis a very desirable plant. Ranging from delicate, white, bell-shaped blossoms to dreamy, pastel rosettes, or sumptuous, deep purple double-flowers, and everything in between.

A stroll through the garden centre is a must to peruse Clematis labels and choose the ones that are most appealing to you. The varieties that we have will all suit our southern Ontario climate. 

While the blooms vary widely, planting Clematis is straightforward. A few simple considerations when planting will help avoid root stress or Clematis Wilt, which are common problems when the location is wrong and the soil isn’t enriched. Here are some simple steps to ensure success!

Location, location, location!

Clematis like at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, but not an excessively hot location. Some shade in the late afternoon will extend the length of time that a bloom looks good.

Provide Support

A trellis, archway, arbor, or even a shrub or tree, all make excellent supports for your clematis. Install a well-secured support system first, to avoid damaging your clematis roots.

Soil is the Key

Fertile, well-drained soil is essential to successfully growing Clematis. These vines are heavy feeders and require nutrients to produce their show-stopping flowers. Prepare your soil by mixing in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure.

Prepare the Planting Site

Dig a hole that’s as deep as it is wide. Use the plant as your guide and dig approximately 13 cm or 5 inches deeper than the root ball. Add some of the soil that’s been amended with compost, then check to see that your plant is sitting at the right height - the top of the root ball should be even with the soil around it. Once the root ball is sitting at the right height, backfill the rest of the hole with more amended soil and gently firm the soil around the plant with your hands.

Watering

Water deeply after planting, and keep the soil and root ball moist, not water-logged, throughout the season. Be sure to water at soil level, not with an overhead sprinkler which can scorch leaves and flowers.

Mulch

Mulch the soil around your plant to help suppress weeds and maintain moisture. Compost, organic shredded bark, or straw works well.

Fertilizer

Fertilize regularly throughout the season, or apply a slow-release fertilizer at the beginning of the season to maximize the blooming potential of your Clematis. For more information about fertilizer, see this article about caring for annuals and perennials.

Pruning

Pruning instructions are often included on your plant label as requirements vary from variety to variety. If in doubt, there are many growers who recommend pruning early blooming Clematis a little, after they bloom, to maintain the desired shape of the plant. For later blooming types, cut the vines right back to 45-60 cm in early spring.

Following these steps will provide a healthy environment for your Clematis to thrive. But be careful, Clematis are like potato chips - bet you can’t have just one!

We tend to get a lot of questions about rose care, and while roses do require more maintenance than other common shrubs, they’re by no means difficult to look after. A little bit of regular upkeep leads to some pretty impressive results, so if you’re a gardening novice, it’s definitely a worthwhile project. Here’s how you can grow and care for roses in Simcoe, Ontario. 

Planting Roses In Southern Ontario

Depending on the variety you choose, you can use roses for border plants, garden bed accents, climbing plants to train over arbours and patio lattice, or as container plants. Whatever location or growing medium you select, just ensure it’s suited to the size and growth habit of your chosen rose variety, since there are so many different kinds to choose from. That being said, almost all roses will need at least 6 hours of direct sun every day, so make sure your chosen location has plenty of light. 

The best soil for roses has excellent drainage and high nutrients, to set your rose bushes off to a good start, you’ll want to loosen up the soil thoroughly. Ideally, you’ll want sandier, loamy soil with a lot of compost mixed in.

If you’ve purchased a rose bush with bare roots, you’ll want to soak the root ball in water for up to 24 hours before planting. If it’s a potted rose, you won’t have to worry about that step. Plant your roses about 1.5–2 feet deep to fit their large root system, then fill the hole back up with the soil, compost and bone meal mix. Mound it up slightly around the base of the plant. 

How Often Should I Water Roses?

Generally, roses need about 1-3 inches of water per week. The thing is, roses are pretty susceptible to mildew and other fungal diseases if they get soggy and don’t receive much air circulation. That means you’ll want to avoid getting the leaves wet whenever possible and stick to watering the soil directly. The easiest way to do this is with a trickle hose set up near the base of the plant. Just turn it on and leave it for a while, so it thoroughly saturates the ground. 

If we experience a lot of rain in a short period, you can skip on watering, and should check your roses regularly for any signs of bacteria or fungal growth. Remove any damaged pieces with sanitized shears, wiping the blades clean between every cut, and disposing of the damaged parts safely in the garbage, not the compost bin.

Rose Care: Mulch, Fertilizer, And More

Applying a layer of mulch on top of the soil around your roses will help to retain moisture and control weeds. Some gardeners insist that cocoa bean shells are the best mulch for roses, but we’ve found that classic bark mulch still works perfectly fine.

 

In spring, feed your roses with a fertilizer formulated specifically for roses. For best performance and blooms, apply the fertilizer every 2-3 weeks during the growing season. There are also special fertilizers made for transplanting, easing the transition when planting your rose. Be sure to water your rose before and after applying fertilizer as their roots are susceptible to being burnt.

Since there are so many types of roses, this means there are different times of the seasons and different styles of pruning. Use a pruning saw or hand pruners to remove any damaged branches or awkward pieces that jut out too far. If there are some densely packed areas with branches, it may help to thin them out a bit to help prevent fungal growth. 

We have so many spectacular colours and varieties of roses to grow in Southern Ontario. Visit Eising to see our full collection, or check out our online store! We have citywide delivery and curbside pickup available all summer long.