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53 Favourite Perennials to Plant in Zone 3

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You asked for it and you got it: a list of the most-loved perennials for Zone 3.  These perennials are the stars of the garden, blooming year after year and delighting their owners every time.  Pick these winners up at your nearest garden centre, or ask a friend with a more established garden if you can dig up a few.

A huge thank you and shout out to the gardeners in the Gardening in Saskatchewan Facebook group!  This post would not be possible without you.  If you’re in Saskatchewan and not in this group already, you need to join.  I’ve learned so much from the more experienced gardeners there who are so generous with their time and advice.

And finally, if you’re someone who prefers to watch a video, here’s a shorter video version of this post:

Best Cut Flowers

1. Asiatic Lilies

Asiatic lilies come in every colour and combination and are easy to grow.  Put them in a sunny spot and they’ll flourish year after year.

2. Hydrangea

I’ve had poor luck with hydrangeas, but I know many others who’ve been successful.  Look for a variety that can withstand prairie winters.  Did you know you can change the colour of your hydrangea?  Learn how at Garden Therapy.

3. Peonies

Like any other millennial, I am OBSESSED with peonies.  I also happen to have no less than 8 plants in my yard.  Last year I went a little peony crazy and made a whole bunch of easy flower arrangements with them, and I plan on doing it again.  I also made this guide to growing and using your beautiful peony blooms.

4. Delphiniums

Delphiniums are stunning along the fence of your yard, as they grow to around 5 ft tall.  Be sure to stake them or provide a cage for them if you plant them in a windy spot.

5. Iris

Although the blooms tend to be short-lived, irises are a gorgeous addition to your garden.

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6. Lupins

Lupins are a keeper because they bloom all summer long.  They come in a variety of colours and are beautiful in floral arrangements.

7. Limonium

8. Foxglove

While foxgloves are stunning, they are also poisonous.  Hold off on planting them if you have small children who tend to put everything in their mouth.

9. Baby’s breath

The staple of florists everywhere.

10. Heliopsis

Heliopsis can grow quite tall, so put them in the back of your border.  These flowers are a less-invasive alternative to daisies.

11. Goldenrod

My favourite time of year is in late August and early September when goldenrod fills the Saskatchewan ditches.  If you’re going to be a weed, you might as well be pretty.  However, when I plant it in my own garden, I haven’t had a lot of success.

The Shade Lovers

12. Hostas

Hostas are the stars of any shade garden. They come in many beautiful patterns, are slow to spread, and have beautiful white flowers.  Have a bare spot with little to no sun?  Hostas are your solution.

13. Bleeding Hearts

Whether you get them in white, soft pink, or the classic dark pink, Bleeding Hearts are easy to grow and add colour to your shadiest spots.

14. Siberian Bugloss/Jack Frost

Heart shaped leaves and dainty blue flowers?  What’s not to love?  Learn more about this plant on Fine Gardening.

15. Ladies Mantle

Lovely lime coloured flowers add interest to your shady spots.

16. Ligularia

Ligularia can grow to around 6ft tall, so place it along a fence!  While it will grow in complete shade, it does better if it gets 3 hours of sunlight a day.

17. Bergenia

A lovely old-fashioned perennial with long-lasting blooms.

18. False Spirea/Astible/False Goat’s Beard

It goes by many names and is sure to bring colour to your shadiest spots.  Pick one up in white, light pink, and dark pink.

The Controversial

These picks made the most-regretted list, but they don’t have to be a mistake in your garden.  Just make sure you keep these ones contained, or embrace the growth.

19. Daylilies

Daylilies come in every colour and combination imaginable.  Avoid the orange ones pictured here if you want to avoid spreading.

20. Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks are a stunning and tall flower that comes in many beautiful shades.  It spreads quickly, so keep it contained to one spot if you don’t want it to spread.

21. Yarrow

Yarrow is perfect for floral arrangements, but impossible to get out of your lawn once it spreads.

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22. Poppies

Poppies make the controversial list only because they easily get out of control.  They’re so pretty though that you probably wouldn’t mind if they did.

23. Ferns

As of today, I have pulled at least 82 ferns out of my backyard this year.  No, I’m not exaggerating, and no, I’m not done.  I personally hate ferns, but I know that many other gardeners love them for their shady spots.

Update: I pulled out close to 400 ferns over 2 years. I know many of you adore ferns, but I will forever not.

Related: Gardeners Worst Nightmares: 28 Perennials You’ll Regret Planting

24. Veronicas

Veronicas stay in bloom for most of the summer and look beautiful in floral arrangements.  Some gardeners in the Gardening in Saskatchewan Facebook Group report a huge spreading problem, and others do not.

Fun-shaped Perennials

25. Allium

This gorgeous member of the onion family is sure to add interest to your yard.

Want to Create a Perennial Garden that Constantly Blooms from Spring to Fall, without Constant Work? Here’s how. . .

Everything you need to easily create your own perennial garden with constant blooms. You’ll get an easy to follow system, along with 5 templates and 5 done-for-you plans, plus fun bonuses.

Learn More Here!

26. Sea Thrift

27. Columbine

Columbines come in a wide range of colours, bloom for a longer period of time, and tolerate shade.

28. Liatris/Blazing Star

A must have for visual interest and when you want to grow more native perennials.

29. Achillea the Pearl

I wish I could have found a free stock image of achillea the pearl, because it’s sweet white flowers are so beautiful.  You’ll want to add this stunner to your garden.  Find seeds here.

30. Blanketflower/Gailardia

The vibrant combination of orange and yellow adds some much needed colour to your garden. Gardillias are also a beautiful option when you’re trying to grow more native plants.

31. Sedum

Sedums come in so many shapes, sizes, and flowering options that you won’t be able to pick just one. I personally love the Autumn Joy variety for late season blooming.

32. Balloon Flowers/Platycodon

Balloon flowers literally have a flower within a flower.  When closed they are in the balloon shape that gave them their name.  Children adore this plant, so consider getting one if you have small children or grandchildren.

Spring Blooms

Plant spring bulbs in the fall so you can enjoy beautiful blooms in the spring.

33. Tulips

Tulips can be found in almost every colour and combination.  I still love the classic red and yellow, and nothing else quite says spring to me.

34. Crocuses

Plant crocuses in your lawn for an early hit of colour.  Don’t worry, they’ll be done blooming by the time you actually have to mow.

Related: Secret Spots to Find Wild Crocuses in Saskatchewan

The Best Cut Flowers For Your Garden

35. Daffodils

Shrubs

36. Spirea

My mom’s spirea has often been the victim of many floral arrangements.  I personally like the variety that has pink flowers and lime coloured leaves.

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36. Weigela

I have a feeling that if I owned a weigela, it would also be the victim of many floral arrangements.

37. Lilacs

Purchase a lilac for the beautiful scent of spring.  Scratch that.  Purchase three, so you can have one in white, light purple, and dark purple.

38. Roses

Roses are beautiful but do require maintenance.  Beginner gardeners should wait until they have a bit more confidence in their skills before purchasing one.  If you’re in Saskatchewan, be sure to purchase one of the Morden varieties developed for the Prairies.

39. Double Flowering Plum

These are the the most beautiful pink bloomed trees of spring.  You’ll definitely want to pick one up if you have the space.  Check out this Calgary-based company for a place to order, or your local nursery.

Edible

40. Chives

Delicious and beautiful.  Use chives in the place of onions in your recipes.

41. Chocolate Mint

Unlike it’s cousin the mint plant, chocolate mint does not spread!

42. Asparagus

If you plant asparagus, don’t expect to eat a meal from it until three years later.

43. Sage

Sage is equally good in soups and stews as it is as a filler plant in a flower arrangement.  It’s also quite hardy and can withstand frost to around -5 celsius.

44. Borage

Borage is an extremely useful plant for both edible and medicinal purposes.  It makes a wonderful companion plant in the vegetable garden.

Groundcover

Sorry for the lack of pictures in this section. . . I guess ground cover perennials aren’t a popular photography subject.  I’ve provided links to pictures on other sites. Many of these also work as plants that you can grow underneath a tree.

45. Creeping Phlox

A gorgeous filler plant that looks especially stunning in a rock garden.

46. Mother of Thyme

Learn all about mother of thyme on Wikipedia.

47. Silvermound

Silvermound is maybe a bit of a stretch for a ground cover, as it does keep its clumped shape.  However, it will spread.  It’s super easy to grow and will survive the hottest summer days.

48. Golden Globe

A lovely ground cover with beautiful small yellow flowers.  Learn more at Dave’s Garden.

49. Hens and Chicks

Keep it outdoors as a ground cover, or transfer it inside over winter and take part in the succulent craze.

Vines

50. Clematis

Perfect for growing over an archway.

53 tried-and-true perennials for the beginner flower gardener.Click To Tweet

Small Blooms

51. Smooth prairie aster

A beautiful perennial that is native to Saskatchewan.  It’s one of my favourite flowers to see in the ditches in summer.

52. Dianthus

53. Butterfly Weed

Some varieties have a tendency to be invasive, but this perennial is a must-have for attracting pollinators to your garden.

Aren’t all these options beautiful?  Just because you’re gardening in zone 3 doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful garden.  I’d love to know which flowers you’ll be planting this year and if there’s any that should be on this list.  See you in the comments!

Want to Create a Perennial Garden that Constantly Blooms from Spring to Fall, without Constant Work? Here’s how. . .

Everything you need to easily create your own perennial garden with constant blooms. You’ll get an easy to follow system, along with 5 templates and 5 done-for-you plans, plus fun bonuses.

Learn More Here!

Pin me for later!

Build a low maintenance flower bed in your back yard or front yard with these 53 perennial flower and shrub plant ideas. Perfect for the beginner gardener landscaping a flower garden in USDA hardiness zone 3 (although these picks will work in many other zones as well!). Quickly add curb appeal on a small budget! #flowergarden #landscaping #gardening #perennials #flowers #curbappeal #backyard #frontyard

Comments

    • Yes! I remember my parents used to grow them in their garden when I was little. So many flowers, so little space.
      Reply

  2. This post really makes me excited for my own garden! And looking at all of these flower photos today was definitely a nice change from the grey skies I've been looking at recently. Thanks for sharing!
    Reply

    • Great list! Made me think twice about a few I’d been considering. I would add the caution that chives will run amok as well and may be best in pots.
      Reply

  5. i'm pretty sure i just pinned every image separately lol. I recently moved to my first home with a yard. I have 18 Lilac trees... that's right 18! and two huge peonies and a flowering tree and a flowering bush. Clearly i love the previous owners.
    Reply

    • I'm attempting to start my garden but am not interested in annuals. I love roses but not the thorny ones, lilies, iris, phlox and any other suggestions? Need some advice, so some please help an old woman trying to start her garden. Thank you an God bless.
      Reply

      • Bleeding Hearts, Daisies (the white flowers provide contrast for other flowers), Globe flower, Coral Bells.
        Reply

  6. What a beautiful list! We recently just moved to a new house and I'm looking forward to introducing some new plants to the garden.
    Reply

  7. An "old timer" showed me how he got rid of his "unwanted extra" rhubarb plants. He dug several holes in and around the root base of the plant and poured gasoline in the holes. Did the trick. Great but sad to me. I LOVE it. Also works on "birdhocks". They are severe in northern area. Maine is where we were. Love ur lists. Thank you.
    Reply

  8. One of my regret plants has been a poppy I planted by seed years ago. It is a large orange poppy which travels underground and will not remain in the area I planted it! Anyone know how to remove it? Love your lists and pictures!!
    Reply

  9. Thanks for the great posts. Lilacs should be in the you will regret planting list. Left unattended many varieties will spread, turning into impenetrable jungles. Lilacs are almost impossible to kill once they have gone wild. Leaving even one root node ensures the plant will return, and the roots spread quickly. Lilac twigs may root if planted two or or even three years after being trimmed from the parent plant. We are still pulling up the occasional lilac shoots 18 years after digging out the jungle! Missing from the should-plant list: the milkweeds, especially swampy milkweed. Native plants, tall, prairie hardy, interesting flowers and textures, and the staple food of monarch butterflies. Downside: they do tend to spread, self-seed, and aphids love them.
    Reply

    • Thanks so much for the feedback! I'll be writing follow up posts next spring and will include those thoughts in them.
      Reply

      • Liliacs have spread into our evergreen trees and everywhere else on our small farm. Hubby removed a lot of the older trees with a skid steer with a brush grappler on it. He easily pulled them out roots and all. The small ones are a nightmare though. We live in central ALberta.
        Reply

  10. The types of hydrangeas that change colour depending on soil pH (Mophead hydrangeas, like in the picture) are NOT hardy here, they are a shrub grown mostly in the southern USA. The tags often just say "zone 5" if anything, but it's the USDA Zone Map -- which, Prairie Canada is Zone 1-1b on their map. There is no way a USDA zone 5-hardy shrub can make it through a 1/1a/1b winter. Even Endless Summer, which is supposedly hardy for Canada, turned out to be not hardy --I got one two years ago, and I gave it loads of mulch cover for winter and it didn't survive the first month of winter. I got it because I'd read an article by someone in Manitoba raving about it, but then I happened to be flipping through an old copy of Gardens West and there was an article about different shrubs, and they specifically named the Endless Summer as being unable to take winter on the Canadian Prairies. Also -- not all hydrangeas change colour with soil pH changes -- the ones that are hardy here, their colours are "locked", like Invincibelle Spirit (pink), Limelight & Little Lime (greenish ivory maturing to pink tones), PeeGee hydrangeas (white with pink), Quick Fire (looms start out white turning to a dusty rose pink) Fire & Ice (white turning pink) just to name a few. NONE of the "pH colour changers" will survive here, unless they are in a container brought indoors for winter. Or grown in the warmer regions of BC where they don't have to worry about winter kill. Not all hydrangeas are the same -- I'd hate to think that your readers will go buy the soil acidifiers containing aluminum, and drench their soil with it trying to get their hydrangea to turn blue, but killing it & everything around it with the acid. Baby's Breath -- is a "Noxious Prohibited" plant in many municipalities. People might want to check with their local "weed crew" department before planting it. I agree about the peonies --- there are so many choices out there for peonies, there has to be one for everyone! I bought a bag of 3 roots several years ago, and unfortunately what was in the bag is not what was on the label (GRR). I actually like what I ended up with better -- but I wish I knew what it was called! It's got a really unusual bloom -- it's got single- to semi-double blooms, not the regular puffball type and it's beautiful. I'd love to get an Itoh or two, I have a friend in my town who has two -- she lucked out & found them in WalMart's clearance for $2 each! I'm sooooo jealous about them, the blooms are CRAZY HUGE. Like, I've never in my whole life seen blooms that big! Oh and I have to agree with Lou's comment above -- I have 2 lilacs, one that behaves very well, with just a single stem coming out of the ground, but the other one... OY. It's sending shoots out all over the place! I had to try to dig some of the shoots out this past summer, because they were going to ruin my lawnmower AND they were heading towards my veggie garden and I do NOT want them in there! But I had to use a dandelion digger to try to get them out, and almost broke it. I'd love to rip it out & put something like a PeeGee hydrangea or maybe a Limelight or something in its place. I have 4 other hydrangeas and they are just so easy, and are just gorgeous. I'm off to go read more of your blog :)
    Reply

    • Thank you so much for the incredibly helpful comment!! You are right about the hydrangea--I don't have a successfully growing one of my own, so I used a stock photo. I also succumbed to the temptation of endless summer, only to have it flop! I'm going to add your information in about both the lilacs and the hydrangeas when I update this post.
      Reply

      • I totally agree about the "changing color" Hydrangeas. I ended up buying the Limelight, Quickfire and Invincible with great success. I have many of these on my yard. I Did and still have Endless Summer varieties in my garden in SE Manitoba. They Do require more care but have lasted several years now, so it very much might depend on the exposure and care. I have dozens of double blooming Red Peonies that are absolutely stunning! They have to be my favourite...too bad they only bloom such a short while. They are easy to divide and replant. One Peonie that I personally donot like is the regular pink. They tend to need supports because of their heavy flowers and also seem to attract ants. I have finally gotten rid of all of mine even though I did like the color. I have problems growing Clematis for some reason. They donot seem to like my yard though I have tried different areas. Any ideas? Have fun gardening, enjoy your posts, Harold
        Reply

  11. I'm live in mid Michigan ,to the east. I must confess I'm a gardening addict. I have gardened on our 5 acre parcel for 30 years now. When I started I knew nothing except for the average plants we all grew up with like lilacs,roses,hosta. But now, my my my, I can not tell you how much work, planning, tears, but mostly fun and pure joy I've had over the years. More success then failures, but sometimes even what you thought was a failure can bring unexpected successes and isn't that the happyness of it all. I learned 5 main things; 1- know your soil, don't fight it, work with it. Plant what it likes, then your watering and light requirements following that. 2- have different areas for certain kinds of plants, ie: wild stuff together. Birds of a feather flock together! See which ones win out and each year and season to season it changes, it's great and I'm always pleasantly surprised. Maybe a plant that didn't do well last summer will be fantastic the following summer and the one that did before takes a break. It's all good because it's the " wild things " but they r where they belong. 3- only plant the best where u want the best, away from the The animals, if possible, remembering light and water requirements of course. 4- gardening is work no matter how u look at it. Once u except that and r willing and able to put in the physical labor and time u will definitely be rewarded. 5- learn what needs water and when . Never water everything as a group. Plants r individuals just like people and some live in their own little climates even different then the one right in front or in the back of them. Always look who's in the sun or the wind or both. Maybe they r the same kind of plant maybe they both seem to be doing well but don't always assume they need same amount of water. OK I know this is winded and I said 5 but one more , mulch, not to thick, replenish as needed, which I found to be every year. Wait till everything's out of the ground. Lightly rack up to and slightly on some more delicate or newly planted items. Once they get in a couple winters this isn't necessary. Never right up against trees and shrubs and if there is any cover the plants remove it once the real cold breaks. OK I'm really done now. Hope this helps anyone who wants to garden but feels overwhelmed. It's really not rocket science just common sense and oh yeah did I say alot of hard work. Happy Diggings.
    Reply

  12. I saw on computer where a lady had a beautiful bush flower in a pot, it was a black eyed suzan vine, do you have to start this from seeds, I cannot find the seeds or plants????
    Reply

      • I've seen black eyed susan vine seeds at Early's in Saskatoon. They are not related to Rudbeckia, the more commonly known black-eyed susan. Also, whoo-hoo! Kristen! Saskatonian blogger!
        Reply

    • That's a Thunbergia - I have an orange one growing in my flower bed. They have been a plant that Proven Winners had been hotly promoting so you should be able to get one from any garden center near you carrying that brand. :)
      Reply

  13. I planted chocolate mint and it has spread everywhere. We mow over it where it has creeped into the yard which doesn’t control spread but it does making mowing smell better. From my experience all mint spreads.
    Reply

  14. I've got a "memory garden" (favorite flowers for those who have passed). For some reason i can't grow a bleeding heart! The last one actually got several blooms the died. Would love tho know what I'm doing wrong.
    Reply

    • I live in NY but I will say bleeding hearts are acidic loving plants....the ones I've noticed that do the best are planted near or under pine tree branches. They do well in shade. If no pine trees on your property maybe you can get your hands on some pine needles. Good luck
      Reply

  15. I live in S. Ontario and have had success with many perennials so far. One that I love which you can add to your list is the purple coneflower (echinacea). I absolutely love the colour and shape! It is relatively easy to grow as well. I also have Black-eyed Susans which are pretty but need to be kept on top of. Some of my favourite plants are my peonies, coneflowers, hydrangeas, hostas, and my white bleeding heart. I had some problems with a traditional bleeding heart that ended up looking like a monster plant from a movie. It took over a flower bed, killing other plants and growing so huge I would have to trim it back. Eventually I had to dig it out. Another problem plant is Obedient flowers, which can spread very quickly and need to be kept on top of. I do have Lily-of-the-valley, simply because they are my favourite! They do spread into my lawn, but I just pull them out or cut them down with the lawnmower. I also have Clematis, but they have been declining lately. Do you have any tips? Thank you so much for this article!
    Reply

    • I haven't grown clematis yet unfortunately. My Mom grows it and she struggles with it here in zone 3. I found this article from Gardening Know How, hopefully there's something in there that is helpful! https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/clematis/growing-clematis.htm
      Reply

      • When I bought my house in Saskatoon four years ago, it had a clematis growing on a trellis on a west facing wall. Despite me doing absolutely nothing , it is still growing well. I have have never pruned it (recommended for type1). I have never fed it, nor weeded around it’s roots. Further I have never watered it, despite it growing under the eaves, and still it survives. From a plant identifier app I think it is clematis alpina. So neglect may be the best solution, after whatever the previous owners did to give it a good start.
        Reply

  16. I so love my hens & chicks.... they were first at my great grandmother's house, then my great aunt took some, then years later my grandmother took some, and now I have them at my house. I love that they've lived through 4 generations of my family :)
    Reply

    • Are you sure Hens and chicks will survive a zone 3 winter? I'd be over the moon if so, buteverythingelse I have seen shows them as zone 4 and higher.!
      Reply

      • There is a variety that will, but you are right, most are only good to zone 4. I'm sorry I don't have the name, but we used to have them on my farm (which was zone 2b) and I've seen them in neighbourhoods in Saskatoon, which is 3b.
        Reply

      • Yes it might be the soil (fairly sandy and well draining) but they have thrived on our family farm in 3B for many winters..
        Reply

  17. May apples, and hellebores (Lenten roses.) The hellebores bloom here in Maryland in January. This year they survived snow, freezing, rain, more snow, and they bloomed through it all.
    Reply

  18. For a perennial that has a tendency to spread, can it be contained by sinking a container in the bed a planting the perennial in that? Love your blog.
    Reply

  19. Was wondering if you can recommend different types of Dianthus that are (true) perennials or something that is similar to them. I had planted about 200 feet of Dianthus in 2 planters that ran the length of our driveway and the planter that surrounds our large perennial bed. They were labeled as perennials (not bi-annuals or anything else) and they were absolutely amazing, plentiful and hardy; for exactly 3 years. I was so disappointed with this that I have not tried to search out a replacement for these areas. Dianthus are one of my top favourites; with their variety of colours, their low blooming, and their wonderful scents; but I am now very cautious after spending all that money for so many plants and having them all "done" after 3 years.
    Reply

    • I did a little research for you and I can't come up with anything that I can 100% say isn't a bi annual or annual. There's a few on the Internet that say they're perennials, like the Sweet William variety, but after your experience I would be leery. I tried finding another flower that sort of resembled them, but there really isn't anything. You could maybe get some yarrow in bright pink, light pink, and white. It's no dianthus, but you wouldn't be wasting your money.
      Reply

    • Try https://www.bluestoneperennials.com/DIFW.html Fire witch Dianthus It's been in our garden in the same spot for 8 years so far. We are zone 4 but it's rated zone 3. Try one plant or two and see how they do in your area. Good luck!
      Reply

  20. So good to 'discover' you! Thank you! My favourite perennias in the garden are penstemons and salvias. Have you had any experience of how they last in an arrangement?
    Reply

    • Thank you! Glad to have you hear. I don't think we have penstemons this far north (I live in Saskatchewan), but I've had good luck with salvias in my flower arrangements. The penstemons look like they have a strong enough stem, so I'd give them a try.
      Reply

  21. Just found your site. I’m zone 5, Chicago. Totally agree with lily of the valley. Incredibly aggressive. So we planted English ivy in our small pond area instead. Wrong again. While it has covered the entire area it has also seemed to choke out the astilbe and bleeding heart. Ideas? I just hack away at it to no avail.
    Reply

    • At this point, probably your only option is to use chemicals if you feel comfortable with doing that, or smothering it with landscape fabric and at least a 4 inch layer of mulch.
      Reply

  22. Lovage is a great perennial as well if you're into edibles. The hollow stalks kind of look and taste like celery as do the seeds. It can get quite large but it's a fairly pretty plant. (I make "straws" out of right sized stalks for Ceasar's)
    Reply

  23. I love peonies & 2 years ago I planted a beautiful yellow one. This year I added a fire engine red oneI sure hope I,m as happy with it as I am with the yellow. I pick all the yellow blooms & deliver them to my friends. I just want everyone to see how beautiful they are.
    Reply

  24. I am confused. I have read both of your lists and some of the plants you listed here as being "must have" plants you also listed as plants you would regret having. Why are they listed in both places?
    Reply

    • That's because when I made these lists, I polled the members of a gardening group, and some plants made both lists. It allows for differences of opinion. I see how that could be quite confusing though.
      Reply

  25. Hi, my wife and I were wondering if there are any kinds of ornamental grasses that would work in zone 3A? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, for the great article.
    Reply

  26. Thank you, I live in zone 3. The evening primrose is also one of my favorite along with tulips, peonies and lilas.
    Reply

  27. Hi Kristen. I happened upon your website when looking for something green to relieve the February blahs. Imagine my delight when I found a fellow Saskatchewanian. I have an established yard but started a large new flower bed two years ago. I've been filling it slowly, making sure what I plant is really what I want and what will do well. I've taken note of a number of your suggestions and can't wait for spring to get going :)
    Reply

  28. So good to find and read your blog, with all the plants that I can compare to my collection. I have been gardening in Saskatoon since 1978, in three different yards. Currently gardening (since 1998) in Nutana, Saskatoon's original neighbourhood. Large yard was infested with the Creeping Bluebell, "Campanula rapunculoides", old lilacs and seven rhubarb plants, with a soccer-field of random grass (including what I knew as brome grass as a farm kid) where a large vegetable garden had been for years. Fences covered with Virginia Creeper (bane of my existence!). I have added a couple of Frank Skinner lilacs, Maiden's Blush (pink), Pocahontas (deep purple), and found that Big-root Geranium (Geranium macro-rhizome) can actually smother the evil Bluebell, without becoming invasive. I have a good size vegetable garden, strawberries (day-neutral everbearing), asparagus, saskatoon bushes, quite a number of Canadian Morden and Explorer roses and other shrubs including pee-gee hydrangea varieties. As a descendent of English-Welsh agricultural labourers, I am a gardener - can't help myself.
    Reply

  29. That's a useful list. I live in Calgary, have not done any real gardening, but have some old peony plants that came with the house, probably from the late 60s. Two large bushes with dark red single blooms that the bees love, and a pale pink double, fragrant, a dark pink double, also fragrant, and some plants that keep growing in the back yard in spite of what dogs and other hazards have done to them. The four in the front need to be divided, I guess - they're producing fewer flowers, and they're spreading out somewhat - plus they're all jammed into corners near the foundation. I don't like the location, I'd like to move them out and into more open spaces, but I don't want to kill them. I have heard that peonies don't like to be moved.
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  30. Kristen, amazing post. I am so glad to be here and discover new perennials that can be grown in a garden. I am living in central Europe and all of these perennials are possible to grow here. In my garden I have few of them eg. Foxgloves and Irises. The last ones are especially beautiful and even they are short-lived, as you said, they make garden flourish and look beautiful. My favorite variety is iris hollandica from https://gardenseedsmarket.com/iris-hollandica-saphire-beauty-10-bulbs.html. I grow it from seeds as they germinate quite fast and bloom beautifully. Irises are also available in all colours so you can get what you want.
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Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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