Introduced to American gardeners in 1888, award-winner Peony 'Monsieur Jules Elie' is still incredibly popular. The very large, double blossoms are richly packed with light rose-pink petals, elegantly ruffled, and with a delicate silvery sheen at their tips. Free flowering and delightfully fragrant, they are borne in profusion and are a real standout in the garden. Up to 36 in. in height (90 cm). Early Midseason Peony. Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society

A spectacular Chinese Peony, award-winning Peony 'Do Tell' (Paeonia lactiflora) is incredibly beautiful in bloom! The large anemone-shaped blossoms are soft shell pink on the outside and densely packed with deep rose and golden-yellow center staminodes at their heart. Mildly fragrant, they are borne on thin reddish stems. This is a strong and well-rounded plant that stands well in flower, is unaffected by hot, humid weather, and persists through the season if watered when warranted. Up to 36 in. tall (90 cm). Early Midseason Peony. Gold Medal winner and Award of Landscape Merit

A fascinating Chinese Peony, award-winner Peony 'Bowl of Beauty' (Paeonia lactiflora) is incredibly beautiful in bloom! The large anemone-shaped blossoms, 8 in. wide (20 cm), are rich rose-pink on the outside and densely packed with soft yellow strap-like petals at their heart. Delightfully fragrant, they are borne on strong stems. Reliable and vigorous. Up to 24-36 in. in height (60-90 cm). Late Midseason Peony. Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society

Named for its huge flowers, Peony 'Dinner Plate' (Paeonia lactiflora) produces large, 7 in. wide (17 cm), perfectly formed, shell-pink, double flowers, packed with silky petals. Resembling roses, they have a delicate fragrance and are elegantly borne on long, strong stems. Introduced in 1968, 'Dinner Plate' is a strong grower with a handsome lush foliage. Blooming later than most peonies, it will close with the peony show with a luminescent performance. Up to 44 in. in height (110 cm). Late season peony

Ravishingly beautiful, Iris 'About Town' is a sumptuous Tall Bearded Iris ruffled and laced to perfection. The sumptuous flowers feature silvery mauve to silvery lilac standards sitting on a wine-red violet skirt delicately edged with a lilac ribbon, all providing a stunning contrast with the bright tangerine beards. This startling early midseason Iris always creates a stunning effect in the spring border. Perfectly branched, 'About Town' is a vigorous grower with up to 10 buds per stem, guaranteeing a long-lasting floral display. Incredibly classy, bounteously ruffled, it rises up to 40 inches high (100 cm).

Magnificent and scented, award-winner Iris 'Mary Frances' features lovely blue-orchid flowers delicately splashed with pristine white on their falls. Arched and domed, the standards sit on wide, flaring falls adorned with golden beards frosted white at their tips. Huge, the fragrant flowers of this midseason bloomer can reach up to 6 in. (15 cm). Perfectly branched and prolific, with up to 6-9 buds per stem and occasionally up to 12, 'Mary Frances' provides a long-lasting floral display. No wonder this stately Tall Bearded Iris won the most prestigious award of the American Iris Society, the Dykes Medal in 1979. 38 inches tall (95 cm).

Iris 'Purple Serenade' is an exquisite beauty that commands attention in the garden or in a vase with its gleaming, mulberry-claret, ruffled flowers providing a dramatic contrast with lighter-colored perennials. Its huge blossoms, up to 7 in. tall (17 cm) and 4.5 in. wide (11 cm), are held high on sturdy stems and rise elegantly up to 37 inches high (92 cm) atop a lovely sword-shaped foliage which will continue to add interest in the landscape after flowering is over.

Boasting the biggest flower heads, multiple award-winner Allium 'Globemaster' is a striking ornamental onion with huge inflorescences packed with dozens of small star-shaped violet flowers forming a 10-inch wide (25 cm) globe-shaped cluster! Blooming in late spring to early summer, this spectacular bulbous perennial enjoys long-lasting blooms, and its seed heads are ornamental, persisting for weeks after the flower has passed.

Cultivated since the 19th century, award-winner Alchemilla mollis (Lady's Mantle) provides a lovely finish to a border or a path edge and blends beautifully with most perennials. This clump-forming perennial forms dense, leafy mounds of scallop-edged, toothed, densely hairy, light green leaves which nicely retain moisture beads after the rain.

English Rose Brother Cadfael features some of the largest and most spectacular blooms of all the English Roses. Resembling peonies, the huge (5 in. wide or 12 cm), globular, clear pink flowers are deeply cupped, with reflexed petals (about 45) giving a slightly enclosed effect. They are never clumsy and are elegantly born on almost thornless stems atop the foliage of dark green leaves. Rich with a particularly strong Old Rose fragrance that is similar to that of the old Bourbon Roses, this variety is more successful in cooler areas. In warmer areas, growth can be a bit exuberant, requiring summer pruning.