A Refreshing Summer Border Idea with Irises, Alliums, Catmint and Grasses

Perennial Combinations, Plant Combinations, Flowerbeds Ideas, Summer Borders

Garden Ideas, Border ideas, Perennial Planting, Perennial combination, Summer Borders, Iris Supreme Sultan, Nepeta Walker's Low, Allium Purple sensation, Salvia Mainacht, Orlaya Grandiflora, stipa arundinacea

How not to marvel at the sumptuous colors of this perennial combination which can be enjoyed for several weeks in late spring or early summer. Fairly easy to recreate, it includes relatively drought tolerant plants such as gaily-colored Tall Bearded Irises, cool purples and blues of Sage, Catmint or Cranesbills, all splashed with the graceful blossoms of White Flower Lace.

Most plants have won prestigious awards, are deer and rabbit resistant and make excellent fresh cut flowers that can be pleasantly enjoyed at home!

Garden Information

Hardiness	8
Heat Zones	8
Exposure	Full Sun
Season of Interest	Spring (Late), Summer (Early),
Maintenance	Low
Water Needs	Average
Soil Type	Loam, Sand
Soil pH	Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Landscaping Ideas	Beds And Borders
Garden Styles	City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage

Plants In This Garden

Iris 'Supreme Sultan' (Bearded Iris)

Voted the best bicolor iris in 2007, award-winning Iris ‘Supreme Sultan’ is outrageously beautiful with its ruffled, vibrant orange standards contrasting with rich mahogany falls. Fragrant, the flowers of this elegant Iris are quite large and can’t be missed, 6-8 in. wide (15-20 cm)!

Hardiness	3 - 9
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early),
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht' (Wood Sage)

One of the earliest hardy Salvia to bloom, multiple award-winner Sage ‘Mainacht’ or ‘May Night’ (Salvia x sylvestris) has been in cultivation for 30 years and has become quite a standard.

Hardiness	4 - 8
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late),
Height	1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' (Ornamental Onion)

A favorite of many gardeners, multiple award-winner Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ is a striking ornamental onion with perfectly round flowerheads, 3 in. wide (8 cm), packed with dozens of small, star-shaped, rich violet-lilac flowers. They are borne atop sturdy stalks, which arise from a group of 6 to 8 handsome, blue-green leaves. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this spectacular Allium enjoys long-lasting blooms and makes outstanding cut flowers that will last for 2 weeks.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early),
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low' (Catmint)

Award-winning Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ (Catmint) is a popular herbaceous perennial noted for its massive lavender-blue blooms on short spikes, atop aromatic, gray-green foliage in early summer, continuing on and off through early fall if spent flowers are regularly removed.

Hardiness	4 - 8
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Orlaya grandiflora (White Lace Flower)

Adding a delicate airiness to summer borders or fresh bouquets, Orlaya grandiflora is a lovely hardy annual plant with abundant, large, flat-topped umbels of sparkling white flowers floating atop a lush, finely divided foliage

Hardiness	2 - 11
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread	10" - 1' (25cm - 30cm)

Stipa arundinacea (New Zealand Wind Grass)

Gorgeous, fast-growing, tough as nails, Stipa arundinacea or Anemanthele lessoniana (Pheasant’s Tail Grass) is an elegant and impressive ornamental grass that has become a favorite of landscape designers and gardeners. Semi-evergreen, with an open growth habit, it exhibits arching, dark green, thread-like leaves, that sway gracefully in the slightest breeze.

Hardiness	8 - 10
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Spring (Early, Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Iris 'Dusky Challenger' (Bearded Iris)

Exuding a strong scent of chocolate, multiple award-winning Iris ‘Dusky Challenger’ is a rich dark beauty that commands the attention in the garden with its gleaming, dark purple-violet, ruffled, silky flowers providing an awesome contrast with lighter-colored perennials.

Hardiness	3 - 9
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early),
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Stipa gigantea (Golden Oats)

Statuesque with tufts of foliage bursting with emerging seed heads in early summer

Hardiness	5 - 10
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height	5' - 6' (150cm - 180cm)
Spread	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)

Geranium phaeum 'Lily Lovell' (Cranesbill)

Hardy and tall, Geranium phaeum ‘Lily Lovell’ (Dusky Cranesbill) is an exceptionally beautiful geranium with slightly reflexed, dusky purple flowers adorned with a white heart in late spring to early summer.

Hardiness	3 - 7
Exposure	Partial Sun, Shade
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early),
Height	1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm)
Spread	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)

Geranium psilostemon (Armenian Cranesbill)

One of the largest hardy species, award-winning Geranium psilostemon is quite eye-catching with its large magenta cup-shaped flowers with black centers and dark veining, rising atop broad, exotic fan-shaped leaves that turn red in fall

Hardiness	4 - 9
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late),
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Spread	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)

How Many Plants Do I Need?

Marcus Harpur

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.