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Top 20 Bestsellers for 2014

No. 1 — Delphinium

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These days there are so many more choices for these beauties. Tall, and I mean TALLLLL, short, doubles, singles and of course many colors. The D. elatum hybrids are the tallest and probably the showiest. The books will say 5 to 6 feet. Don't believe it. Ours often reach 8 feet. Staking required. Pictured D. New Millennium Pagan Purples

To see all of the Delphinium we grow, click here.

No. 2 — Dianthus

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Masses of fringed pink flowers appear above wiry stems. Blooms up to 8 weeks. Charming old fashioned look. Plant carpets of this gorgeous carnation for a "wow" appearance or plant along a border.

To see all of the Dianthus we grow, click here.

No. 3 — Aquilegia (Columbine)

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There is just no end to the offerings these days and columbine love our long cool days. Remember though, they are quite promiscuous. Your original plant will remain the same of course but it's off spring will cross with any other columbine within I think at least a 1,000 mile radius. I gave up trying to control them and have enjoyed some beautiful results of crosses surpassing the beauty of their Moms.

To see all of the Aquilegia we grow, click here.

No. 4 — Papaver (Poppy)

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Allow this exquisite poppy to naturalize in your less than formal gardens and you'll be rewarded with happy, cheerful blooms everywhere. Combine with Trollius pumilus, Ajuga 'Golden Glow' or naturalize with forget-me-nots.

To see all of the Papaver we grow, click here.

No. 5 — Viola

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Old-fashioned-looking little violas. White and purple flowers, tie-dye look, good in containers or where they will be seen easily.

To see all of the Viola we grow, click here.

No. 6 — Sedum (Stonecrop)

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What a jump from no recognition to number 6. Must be something good about these guys. And there really are some excellent reasons to have sedum in your gardens. From the tiny, tiny 1 inch guys that are completely covered in blooms, to the taller almost shrub like s. Autumn Joy (pictured), from bright orange blooms to subtle pinks. And all of them attract butterflies and bees.

To see all of the Sedum we grow, click here.

No. 7 — Iris (Flags)

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Once again in the top 20. All gardens need something spiky and iris sure fit the bill. One of the most asked questions in our gardens What kind of iris is that thing?? And the reason for the question, our Caesars Brother (pictured) are humongous. But, what is also so great about these guys is there are always some new colors. Five great varieties will be on the 2012 list. Pictured I. Sibirica Bountiful Violet

To see all of the Iris we grow, click here.

No. 8 — Thymus (Creeping Thyme)

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We are always selling out of creeping Thyme. When you see it in gardens around town, you know why. This creeper that does not mind being walked on, and looks way cool as it grows over and around rocks in the gardens. I think it moved up in the top twenty because we had more for sale, but not enough for leftovers!

To see all of the Thymus we grow, click here.

No. 9 — Primula (Primrose)

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Finally we were able to offer the marginata and the hirsuta primula that bloom at least twice in a season. These tiny beauties are an absolute must for your rock gardens. We've potted up another group for next year but you do have to get here early. Pictured Primula florindae

To see all of the Primula we grow, click here.

No. 10 — Meconopsis (Blue Poppy)

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They are right when they say it is the bluest colored flower available. Most blues are lavender or muddy but not these splendid specimens. And they love Alaskan gardens. This year the question was Theyve outgrown their allotted spots with over 50 blooms. What do we do??. We should all have this problem-right?

Photo courtesy of Brenda's Garden by Design.

To see all of the Meconopsis we grow, click here.

No. 11 — Ornamental Grasses

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Gardeners are catching on that ornamental grasses are really cool. They don't spread all over the gardens but stay in a nice mound and when the slightest breeze passes by they provide motion in the garden. Grasses can be tall, focal points or shorter for borders or the blues look great in rock gardens. Grasses fill that pointy requirement in the pointy, frilly, moundy equation for aesthetic gardens. Pictured Calamagrostis Brachytrichia

Photo courtesy of Gardens by Design

To see all of the Ornamental Grasses we grow, click here.

No. 12 — Lilium (Lily)

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I've come to the conclusion most bulb (lilies are bulbs) only last for about 4 or 5 years. But for those 4 or 5 years, there is nothing like the regal bloom of lilies. They bloom the first year you plant them, each one of our pots have at least 2 plants and each plant has several stems and thus several flowers. So when you get right down to it, they give you more bangs for your buck than a lot of other perennials, even with a life expectancy of 4 or 5 years. Huge thick, hunky flowers, regally tall thick stems, tons of color choices, yep, these are really winners.

Photo courtesy of Cassie Hillstrand.

To see all of the Lilium we grow, click here.

No. 13 — Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)

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I attribute the big move up the charts to my (finally) display by the bridge. You know I always get the leftovers for my gardens and last year we had pink bleeders. So we put them in a spot by the bridge and they loved it there. When they bloomed, we sold out completely the old fashioned spectabilis. However the cultivar that got the most attention was the Burning Heart in the rock garden. This exquisite tiny cultivar bloomed all summer in our rock garden.

To see all of the Dicentra we grow, click here.

No. 14 — Paeonia (Peony)

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Surprise! Peonies dropped from #1 to #20! I am not sure what happened, my best guess is there are now so many out there, and growers are selling them directly. This year I hope to have available some brand new varieties. Pictured p. Coral Charm

To see all of the Paeonia we grow, click here.

No. 15 — Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

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The many types of Pulmonaria with each having a different type of variegation of the leaves, and colors of flowers, how does one choose the type. They grow thick so they don't need much weeding. Which is nice because the stiff hairs on the underside of the leaves gives a surprising sensation.

To see all of the Pulmonaria we grow, click here.

No. 16 — Monarda (Bee Balm)

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Bee Balm has square stems and aromatic foliage which mark Monarda as a member of the mint family. The flowers are a favorite of bees and butterflies. There are many varieties ranging from tall back border plants to other compact used in containers or specimen plants.

To see all of the Monarda we grow, click here.

No. 17 — Salvia (Meadow sage)

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Salvia is easy to grow in well drained soil, and butterflies and bees love them. They come in shades of violet, pink and white.

To see all of the Salvia we grow, click here.

No. 18 — Geranium (Cranesbill)

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Geranium has been a hardy staple in many of our gardens. We have had several shades of violet to pink, with foliage ranging from green to purple.

To see all of the Geranium we grow, click here.

No. 19 — Lewisia (Lewisia )

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A "must have" for gravel and rock gardens. Originating from the Siskiyou Mountains in southwestern Oregon, but it hardy enough to give us its blooms year after year.

To see all of the Lewisia we grow, click here.

No. 20 — Trollius (Globeflower)

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Of course you know about the early, fragrant, workhorse Europaeus (pictured). But did you know we carry 4 other varieties including the rare Alabaster? Check it out.

To see all of the Trollius we grow, click here.

 

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Alaska Hardy Gardens
3800 Sterling Hwy., Homer, AK 99603
Phone: (907) 235-4969
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