For Height, Drama, and Eye-Catching Interest
By Ava Green
Every well-designed garden needs an anchor, something tall and confident at the back that gives the whole planting a sense of structure and depth. While shrubs and trees often fill that role, perennials can also do the job beautifully. The back row perennials below are sturdy, reliable performers that thrive right here in Norfolk County. Plant them at the back of a border or the centre of an island bed as the backdrop that makes everything around them look better.
False Indigo, Baptisia australis
Baptisia is one of those perennials that gardeners discover and immediately wonder why they waited so long to plant it. In late spring, masses of stems are loaded with sweet pea-shaped flowers in shades of indigo blue, soft yellow, white or purple, and butterflies and bees absolutely love them. Once the blooms fade, the plant takes on a handsome, shrub-like form with blue-green foliage that holds its shape nicely for the rest of the season. While it’s slow to establish, it is extraordinarily long-lived, making it a plant you put in once and enjoy for decades.
Grows 3 ft tall and 3 ft wide | Full sun to partial shade | Blooms late spring to early summer
Hollyhocks, Alcea
Few perennials carry the nostalgic, romantic charm of a Hollyhock in full bloom. Their tall, stately spires are covered in large, papery flowers and are available in an irresistible range of colours from soft pastels to rich burgundies and deep purples, to classic white. They have a way of making a garden feel established in their first season, making them a desirable back-row choice.
Grows 2-8 ft tall and 1-2 ft wide | Prefers full sun but will tolerate part shade | Blooms in summer
Joe Pye Weed, Eutrochium or Eupatorium
A native plant that is as ecologically valuable as it is beautiful. Its large, showy clusters of rosy-purple flowers are a magnet for butterflies and pollinators from mid-summer well into fall, long after many other perennials have finished their show. If you want a back-row plant that works hard for wildlife while adding bold colour to the garden, this is an excellent choice.
Grows 4-6 ft tall and 2-4 ft wide | Prefers part sun and moist soil | Blooms mid-summer to late fall
Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia or Salvia yangii
When the garden fills up with yellow and orange blooms in late summer, Russian Sage arrives with a billowy, airy cloud of lavender-blue flower spikes rising above silvery-grey foliage. It catches the light beautifully and adds a softness that few other plants can match. Drought-tolerant once established and virtually pest-free, it is one of the lowest-maintenance perennials you can grow. Compact varieties are also available if space is limited.
Grows 3-4 ft tall and 3-4 ft wide | Full sun | Blooms mid-summer to fall
Bear’s Breeches, Acanthus Mollis
If you’re looking for a plant that makes a genuine architectural statement, Bear’s Breeches is in a category of its own. Its large, deeply lobed, glossy foliage forms an impressive mound, while dramatic flower spikes shoot three to five feet upward, bearing creamy white snapdragon-like blooms accented with striking reddish-purple bracts. It is bold, sculptural, and unlike almost anything else in the garden.
Grows 3-5 ft tall and 2-3 ft wide | Full sun to part shade | Blooms June to July
Foxglove, Digitalis
There is something undeniably enchanting and regal about Foxglove with its tall spires of tubular flowers freckled and spotted on the inside, nodding gently in the breeze. The colour range is also wonderful, from soft creamy whites and pale pinks to rich purples and deep rose. Many varieties self-seed freely, naturalizing happily in the garden over time. One important note: every part of the Foxglove plant is toxic to people and pets, so it is best planted away from areas where children or animals play. In the right spot, however, it is one of the most beautiful back-of-the-border plants available.
Grows 2-5 ft tall and 2 ft wide | Sun to part shade | Blooms in summer
Goat’s Beard, Aruncus diocus
Despite its stature, this is one of the most graceful and softening plants you can add to a shady border. Large, feathery plumes of creamy white flowers rise above finely divided, elegant foliage, bringing lightness to even the darkest corners of the garden. It is especially effective at softening hard edges, filling bare spots under trees, and providing a lush, natural backdrop for smaller shade-loving plants. Dwarf varieties are available for smaller spaces.
Grows 6 inches (dwarf) to 6 ft tall and 2-4 ft wide | Partial to full shade | Blooms early to mid-summer
Gardener’s Tip:
Removing spent blooms before they go to seed, also known as deadheading, encourages many perennials to produce a second flush of flowers later in the season. It takes only a few minutes and can extend your bloom display by weeks.
Ready to Build Your Back Row?
The team at Eising Garden Centre is here to help you choose the right tall perennials for your space, your soil, and your sun conditions. Stop by and let us help you create a border that looks stunning from front to back, season after season.
By: Ava Green
As temperatures begin to cool down, autumn colours set in and surround us with the beauty that is fall in southern Ontario. Suddenly summer is gone and it’s time to think about creating a cozy atmosphere inside and outside that is inspired by the world around us.
Autumn Outside
Whether you gather items from the garden or from the garden centre for a display, there are lots of natural materials all around us to draw from. Take some plumes from ornamental grasses and put them in decorative buckets. Add branches with colourful leaves or dried seed pods, and pumpkins or mums for a pop of colour. A bland background becomes the perfect backdrop.
Looking for something to grow? Create fall planters with sunflowers, ornamental kale, ornamental peppers, live grasses, and, of course, fall mums.
We offer beautifully festive arrangements with a variety of ornamental fall plants, as well as individual plants to decorate an outdoor table, or as a planter creating a warm welcome on your front porch (watch here: Jeanine create a fall planter on our IG).
Eising’s popular Porch Packages make it easy to decorate the entryway to your home. But don’t wait, they sell out quickly!
Autumn Inside
When there are fall colours outside, autumn displays inside create continuity that will carry your indoor decorating right into the holiday season in December.
Displays that are vibrant, warm, rustic or whimsical are fun and easy to make. Here are some basic design principles that will help you get started, along with examples we’ve created using items in the Eisng shop.
The Rule of Odds
Using an odd number of items (3, 5 or 7) is always more appealing. Why? For some reason, odd numbers are just more harmonious for us to take in. Designers and photographers call it the rule of odds.
Pick a Theme
Pick a theme like a common colour, a shape, a design or motif. Look for containers or items you can include that fit in with your theme.
Like the arrangements we offer at Eising Garden Centre, include the following in your designs:
- a thriller like a beautiful vase or container, a tropical plant, or fresh or dried flowers
- a spiller like a plant, dried or silk leaves or moss around the base of containers
- and a filler like foliage plants, fruit, candy, mini pumpkins and gourds, or moss
Size and Scale
Scale is important! Keep the display short if it’s for the centre of a dining table so that guests can see each other across the table! Create taller displays if you’re decorating a corner table or a mantlepiece.
Light it Up
Adding light, including flameless candles or fairy lights, instantly brings warmth to any display.
Aromatics
Include scent: using plants like eucalyptus, or fruit like apples or oranges, and spices like whole cloves and cinnamon sticks all add a homey touch.
We would love to see what you create and hope this has sparked your creativity. Don’t forget to tag @Eising Greenhouses & Garden Centre on your Instagram and Facebook posts when you share your decorations online - we would love to see them!