Perennials

Homestead Gardens grows tremendous variety of perennials ranging in size from starter perennials to full landscape-ready plants. We carry the latest in new plant introductions with innovative and exciting material arriving every day. Whether your garden is "made in the shade" or "fun in the sun," we have the Homestead Grown perennials to fit your needs. Plus being in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, we have one of the finest selection of native plants in the area. Whether your gardening area is full sun, lots of shade, or a mixture of both, we have a selection of perennials to fit your needs. Come in and chat with any of our friendly, knowledgeable staff and leave with renewed confidence and excitement - you'll be ready to go home and start digging!

The Summertime Blues

As we move into August, lots of plants in the garden have passed their prime. The fall bloomers aren’t out yet, and many of the summer perennials are done. That’s when we get the blues, the Caryopteris blues. Although actually a woody shrub, Caryopteris is usually cut back each spring to 6 inches and treated more like a perennial. Plants form a bushy, upright mound with the fragrant blue flowers forming on new wood in late summer and fall. Dozens of blue, foot long flower spikes cover the plant giving it its common names of Blue Mist Shrub, Blue Spirea and Bluebeard.

The variety 'Dark Knight' has the deepest blue color of the Caryopteris.


It is a reliable performer and a heavy bloomer. 'Longwood Blue' was a release from Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. The almost pure blue flowers boom about 2 weeks later than 'Dark Knight'. 'Hint of Gold' has larger, lime green leaves that contrast perfectly with the purple-blue flowers.

Short, narrow leaves that resemble a willow’s are usually a silvery-gray and very fragrant. Yellow and variegated varieties are also available. There are few true blues in the world of flowers, but the blooms on a Caryopteris come very close. When they open in late summer, every bumblebee around Homestead Gardens knows about it. The butterflies are quick to catch on though. The flowers are clustered in small puffs above the foliage, and are generally some shade of blue or purple, although there is a pink variety.

Their small size of 3-4 feet and soft gray foliage make them a good choice in any size garden. It works equally well as a short hedge row or in the perennial border. The blue flowers mix particularly well with either pastels and whites or vibrant yellows. Since they bloom later in the summer, Caryopteris is a nice companion for grasses, black-eyed susans, coneflowers, sedums and goldenrod.

Caryopteris are heat and drought tolerant and shouldn’t need supplemental watering, unless you are having a particularly dry season. They are relatively pest free and are resistant to deer and rabbit browsing. Side dressing with compost is preferred over fertilizing. Too much fertilizer makes for a leafy plant with fewer blooms.

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses are among the workhorses of the garden, adding beauty, texture and movement for most of the year. Summer allows grasses to display their true colors when they often serve as either a lush backdrop to other plants or by taking center stage in a bed. Fall brings grasses the gift of beautiful flower plumes and seasonal colors, ranging from bright and vibrant to rich and muted, that complement autumn décor. Grasses are at their most dramatic in the winter when their dried foliage stands out among withering perennials.

Grasses are deciduous but leaving the foliage in place throughout the cold months adds interest to winter gardens and provides shelter and food for birds. Spring maintenance for most grasses involves a quick horizontal shearing of the dead foliage, down to about 6-10 inches above the ground, once a tiny bit of green is peeking through at the crown. Every two to three years, grasses can be divided in the spring by cutting cleanly through the root system.

Dwarf Fountain Grass
Pennisetum ‘Hameln’

• A best-seller for mass plantings with seed heads that appear in July & open as a green-white, turning a creamy tan with maturity
• Mature height: 24 inches tall (with flower plumes)
• Exposure: Sun–part shade   
• Bloom Time: Summer–fall
• Water needs: Average but more in hot, dry weather

Shenandoah Red Switch Grass
Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’

• Fast-growing clumping grass with airy red blooms in summer that turns striking shades of intense reds and oranges in the fall
• Mature height: 4-5 feet (with blooms)
• Exposure: Full sun
• Water needs: Drought tolerant, only occasional watering once established

Morning Light Maiden Grass
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’

• Wine colored stalks rise from delicate silver variegated foliage with showy light plumes appearing in fall
• Mature height: 4-6 feet
• Exposure: Full sun
• Water needs: Average, but more in hot, dry weather

Graziella Maiden Grass
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Graziella’

• Long, thin blades of medium green that turn a rusty–golden color in fall with feathery, silvery plumes appearing through early winter
• Mature height: 5–7 feet
• Exposure: Full sun
• Water needs: Average, but more in hot, dry weather

Northern Sea Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium

• A clumping, bamboo-type grass with blue-green leaves that often turn bright gold in the fall when placed in sunny locations and decorative oat-like flat seed pods that appear in spring through fall
• Mature height: 2-4 feet
• Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Water needs: Wet or constantly moist soil

Adagio Maiden Grass
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’

• A compact-grower that works well in mixed borders with silver-green arching foliage that turns orange & bronze in fall with contrasting pink-white plumes
• Mature height: 3 feet
• Exposure: Full sun
• Water needs: Average, but more in hot, dry weather

Variegated Japanese Silver Grass
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’

• A gracefully arching grass with dark green blades and creamy white highlighting on the edges topped with silvery white plumes
• Mature height: 6 feet
• Exposure: Full to part sun
• Water needs: Average, but more in hot, dry weather