Walters Gardens

Each year, Proven Winners looks within the perennial collection for one exceptional variety to be named the National Perennial of the Year. This plant is then featured throughout the year to national and local audiences, appearing in print and digital advertising, at Home and Garden Shows, and distributed to media professionals. Supported at the trade and consumer level, the National Perennial of the Year becomes one of the most sought after plants in the program each year.

The National Perennial of the Year can be selected for a variety of reasons. To be considered, the plant must already be an established variety and widely available. It must perform well in many environments and be an easy to use perennial for both home gardeners and industry professionals. The rigorous initial selection process leaves many good perennials on the cutting room floor.

From the remaining short list, ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ Perovskia emerged as the winner. The genus of Perovksia offers many benefits, such as a food source for pollinators, heat and drought tolerance, and late season color. ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ is a marked improvement from traditional varieties with a resilient habit that resists lodging and does not sprawl in the landscape. It maintains its tidy, compact shape even as it ages through the years. ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ shows color before most other varieties with early blooms and keeps that color through fall with its colorful calyxes.

Starting with Quick Turn Bare Root

Getting a nice crop of ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ Perovskia is easy when you start with our quick turn bare root plants. Each plant is grown for a full season in our fields before being harvested. The resulting bare root product is well-branched and rooted, capable of filling out a 1-gallon container in just 8-10 weeks. Plant in early spring to take advantage of the warmer weather and lengthening days. If grown under low light levels, the plants may stretch or need toning sprays of PGRs. Overall, Perovskia from bare root tend to be an easy crop to grow and quick to finish.

For more information, visit www.waltersgardens.com