Noted for its dark foliage and long blooming season, Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' (Rose Mallow) is a compact, well-branched, herbaceous perennial with extremely large, deep scarlet red flowers, up to 9 in. across (22 cm). The eye-catching blossoms open from abundant, glossy, black-red flower buds which cover the plant, making it bloom for much longer than most Hibiscus. Blooming continuously from midsummer to fall, each flower lasts about one day and stands out against the thick and leathery, deep wine purple foliage of maple-like leaves. Perfect backdrop or centerpiece for a sunny border.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Sundae Fraise' is a compact, bushy, deciduous shrub boasting loose, fluffy, conical flower heads at the tips of gracefully arching branches in summer. Opening creamy white in mid-summer, the florets turn to strawberry-pink as they age, before finally taking on rich pinkish-red tones as fall approaches. The large blossoms retain their red color for 3-4 weeks prior to turning brown. With its compact habit, this hardy hydrangea adds striking flowers to small gardens and is perfect for patio containers

Incredibly popular, Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' is a robust, upright, and spreading deciduous shrub boasting huge, luxuriant conical flowers, up to 6-12 in. long (15-30 cm). Held upright on sturdy stems, they are well distributed, making a very attractive plant and display. As an added bonus, they change color as they mature, gradually turning from lime-green to creamy white in late summer to a rich, deep pink before finally fading to beige in fall. As the flower show fades, the oval, dark green leaves turn to lovely shades of red for a breathtaking autumn display. Persisting well into winter, the panicles provide additional winter interest.

Blooming its heart out, Rosa Knock Out® is a compact shrub rose which produces abundant clusters of single to semi-double, vibrant cherry-red flowers, up to 3.5 in. across (9 cm), adorned with up to 11 petals. The blossoms do not fade in the heat and stand out against the disease-resistant, dark purplish-green foliage. Blooming continuously from spring until frost, the flowers are followed by decorative orange-red hips. The foliage turns purple to burgundy in fall. Easy to grow, low maintenance, drought tolerant, and self-cleaning, this immensely popular shrub rose is an exceptional choice for the landscape and suits every garden and lifestyle.

One of the best vertical varieties of switch grasses, Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' is a deciduous, perennial grass of architectural distinction. It forms a dense, strongly upright, narrow clump of olive-green to blue-green foliage, which gets topped in late summer with a profusion of finely-textured, golden flower spikelets which hover over the foliage like an airy cloud. Both flowers and foliage turn beige in fall and usually remain attractive in the garden all winter long.

Highly popular, award-winning Acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze' (Freeman Maple) is a fast-growing, large deciduous tree noted for its ascending branch habit and glorious fall color. Its dense, oval to rounded canopy of deeply cut, bright green leaves, turns brilliant orange-scarlet to crimson-red in fall. The delicate foliage holds its color for several weeks before shedding to the ground. This Freeman Maple also provides some winter interest, with its smooth, thin, gray bark that becomes slightly furrowed with age. 'Autumn Blaze' is excellent as a specimen planting and one of the most brilliant Japanese Maples for fall color. It is drought tolerant when established and grows in most soils.

A popular perennial, Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) is an outstanding herbaceous perennial boasting a profusion of large, daisy-like, purple coneflowers, 5 in. across (12 cm), throughout summer. Long-lasting, the showy blossoms are borne atop strong erect stems clad with coarse, lance-shaped, dark green leaves. They feature purple, drooping rays surrounding a spiny, dark brown central cone. Rich in nectar, they attract butterflies and hummingbirds. If its flower heads are not removed in the fall, the blackened cones will be visited by birds that feed on the seeds. Vigorous and easy care, drought, heat, humidity and poor soil tolerant, Echinacea purpurea is a suitable addition to a prairie garden, looks terrific when massed in perennial borders or in flower arrangements. Its flowers are used to make an extremely popular herbal tea, reported to help strengthen the immune system.

Award-winner Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' (Smokebush) is a bushy large deciduous shrub noted for its attractive foliage of rounded leaves. Emerging rich maroon-red in spring, the leaves mature to deep wine purple in summer, before turning redder in fall. Appearing in late spring, large, feathery, pink flower plumes cover the plant with fluffy, hazy 'smoky' puffs throughout summer. When viewed en masse, these have a wispy 'smoke-like' appearance, hence the common name of Smoketree or Smokebush. A spectacular accent shrub with a very long season of interest.