(Astary Astilbe)

The plants in the Astary Series share two traits: precocity and dependable flowering. These astilbes, started from seeds, produce seedling that, planted in the garden, bloom the first year. This series flowers in colors that range from pure white and pink to deep pink or rose. The plants are stocky and branching, with glossy, dark-green, ferny leaves. The flower spikes that top the stems have a branching habit and tiny, closely packed flowers that clothe the branches and stem, transforming them into...

(Astilbe, Bella False Spirea, False Spirea)

The plants in the Bella Series are medium-sized astilbes with profuse bloom. Hardy perennials for shade, these plants are stocky and branching, with glossy, dark-green, ferny leaves. The flower spikes that top the stems have a branching habit and tiny, closely packed flowers that clothe the branches and stem, transforming them into feathery plumes in colors ranging from white to deep rose. The flowers can persist for weeks after they dry.

Like most astilbes, these prefer partial sun to partial...

(Hybrid Japanese Astilbe, Japanese False Spirea)

Hybrid Japanese astilbes are desirable herbaceous perennials for shade. In the spring, plants put forth clumps of feathery compound leaves of dark green. Typically their tall, feathery plume-like flower clusters appear in early to midsummer, but some cultivars may bloom earlier. There are many cultivars that differ in height, flower density and color. Blooms come in shades of red, pink, rose or white and turn brown after blooming, so it looks best to cut them back once they are spent.

Most astilbes...

(Chinese Astilbe, Chinese False Spirea, Heart and Soul Chinese Astilbe)

The vigorous patented Astilbe ‘Heart and Soul’ has a uniform compact habit and neat upright plumes of pale lavender-pink flowers. The fabulous feathery pyramidal blooms have a distinctive blue-caste making them bluest of all astilbes. They appear in late spring to summer above compact mounds of dark green, ferny, compound leaves.

Chinese in origin, this hardy perennial is surprisingly heat and sun-tolerant and noted for its adaptability. Still, it grows best when provided partial sun...

(Chinese Astilbe, Chinese False Spirea, Visions Chinese False Spirea)

The rosy raspberry plumes of this versatile Chinese false spirea are numerous, dense and colorful. In late spring to midsummer the flowers rise from dense, uniform clusters of glossy bronze-green, compound leaves. It is a tough and adaptable selection that’s more tolerant of full sun and drought than others.

Chinese in origin, this hardy perennial grows best when provided partial sun to shade and moist, rich, well-drained soil. Once established, it is low maintenance. The spent flowers can...

(Chinese Astilbe, Chinese False Spirea)

The plumes of this exquisite Astilbe are taller, more slender and conical that those of standard Chinese false spirea. This fine perennial originates from the woodlands of China, Siberia and Korea. Its large pretty plumes may be rose-purple or magenta and rise from neat clumps of distinctly crinkled leaves of deep green and/or bronze. The flowers appear from late spring to summer.

Like other Chinese astilbe, this hardy perennials grows best when provided partial sun to shade and moist,...

(Ganges Primrose)

Successful in many warm soils, the spreading foliage of Ganges primrose is a lovely backdrop for the white or yellow blossoms that flush purple with maturity. An exact nativity is uncertain, but believed to hail from eastern Africa, and India eastward into Malaysia. This is a tender perennial or subshrub that sprawls out and is reminiscent of a large petunia plant. It is usually regarded as a pretty weed in the tropics (in lawns), often invasive along the beaches.

The medium green leaves are...

(Burgundy Lace Painted Fern, Japanese Painted Fern)

Burgundy Lace Painted Fern, or Japanese Painted Fern, is a deciduous ground fern grown for its dense clumps of delicately divided fronds in varying shades of burgundy, purple, and metallic silver often flushed with pink. The fronds have a wide band of deep burgundy running down the center, and the outer edges are silver-burgundy. It is native to the forest floors of Japan, where it grows in moist, fertile soil. It spreads slowly by forming multiple crowns.

The Japanese Painted Fern requires...

(Butterleaves, Cultivated Orache)

A lovely addition to vegetable gardens, edible landscapes, and ornamental plantings, this medium-sized to large annual has been cultivated for thousands of years for its nutritious, tasty, and attractive leaves. Native to Asia, it has naturalized over much of Europe, the Mediterranean and North America.

Heart-shaped or arrow-shaped leaves with smooth or toothed margins line the upright unbranched stems. The leaves are green, yellowish-green, red, or purple, with a luminous sheen when young....

(Red Butterleaves, Red Cultivated Orache)

A cool-season annual originating in Asia but naturalized throughout much of the rest of the world, orache has long been cultivated for its nutritious, tasty, and attractive leaves. The variety rubra is known for its stunning red or purple leaves and stems. It has given rise to numerous showy-leaved cultivars.

Heart-shaped or arrow-shaped leaves with smooth or toothed margins line the upright unbranched stems. The leaves and stems have a luminous sheen when young. In hot weather stems...