Nothing grabs attention in the garden quite like the edgers that set off the entire picture. There are many choices for early spring colour, but unfortunately, their effect is fleeting. Be sure to alternate spring bloomers with later-blooming edgers or plants with attractive foliage all season long.

The visual effect at the perimeter of your beds and borders can persist from earliest spring until well into fall with the edging perennials below, in partnership with any of the many companions suggested. They are the recommendations of many garden writers and creators whose work appears in books, magazines and newspapers everywhere.

Watch for "KILLER COMBOS", a few easy and very special plant partnership ideas that are definitely worth a try.

* Watch for the animated hummingbird and butterfly with the plants that attract them. *
The deer icon indicates plants that deer are not usually attracted to.

The best time and method to propagate plants can be found on our image-intensive PROPAGATION page.

To help your plants grow their best, check out our FERTILIZATION page.

To create your own plant partnerships based on tried and true color theory, check out our GARDEN COLOR page.

To see if a particular plant is on this page press Ctrl+F, type in the name, then click the Find button.

ARABIS

In white or shades of pink, Wall Rock Cress is a perfect perennial to drape over rock edges. After the spring bloom is finished, plants can be cut back and their evergreen foliage will grace your garden borders and beds all year round.

Arabis alpina:  Mountain Rock Cress (the true species in the genus Arabis)

beside:  Stachys byzantina

with:   electric blue-violet Delphinium tricorne (Spring Larkspur)
interplanted with:  spring bulbs (purple and lavender-striped Crocus), early perennials
in front of:  Narcissus (white)
combined with:  Nepeta x faassenii & Phlox subulata
for overall white effect with:  white Tulipa or Hyacinthus

with:  Hyacinthus (blue)

seen above draping over a rock edge, beside a white-eyed lavender Phlox subulata
to tone down:  bright coloured Tulipa
3-colour effect with:  sky-blue Mertensia virginica & a soft yellow Narcissus
beside:  Bergenia cordifolia (pink forms)

with:  Narcissus, Primula veris, Viola

with:  spring bulbs, ferns, spring-blooming wildflowers
with:  Viola

ARMERIA

Thrift or Sea Pink, with its grass-like foliage, is a wonderful edger for full sun, in very well-drained soil of poor to average fertility. Where summers are hot, they appreciate some afternoon shade to keep them a bit cooler. Rounded flower heads on long, stiff stems come in shades of pink as well as white.

Armeria maritima:  Common Thrift

where:  rock and wall gardens, along paths

combined with:  Stachys byzantina, Allium schoenoprasum, Salvia x superba, Artemisia (feathery forms) & Achillea

ARTEMISIA

While the flowers of this genus are insignificant, the foliage can only be called stunning. Most forms prefer well-drained soil in full sun and are drought-tolerant once established. In addition to the tall Artemisias for mid and rear border positions, there are shorter-statured beauties for garden edges. The soft, finely divided foliage of the 'Silver Mound' cultivar below tends to fall open in the heat of mid-summer but can be renewed by hard pruning by one-half to two-thirds.

Artemisia schmidtiana nana 'Silver Mound':  Silvermound Artemisia, Wormwood, 6"x12"

to accent:  reds, pinks, yellows, blues or purples
to soften:  brighter colours
in front of:  Scilla sibirica
beside:  Nepeta x faassenii, Dianthus alwoodii
with:  Geranium cinereum spp. subcaulescens 'Ballerina' or 'Laurence Flatman'
in front of:  Sedum (taller forms), Geranium sanguineum 'Alpenglow'
with:  Dendranthema (Garden Mum)
combined with:  Iris pallida 'Aureo-Variegata' & Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'
to contrast with:  Echinacea purpurea (both foliage and flowers)
with:  Asclepias tuberosa, Aurinia saxatilis, Catananche caerulea, Linum perenne

this is the perennial equivalent of the much planted annual Dusty Miller
beside:  Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Tiny Rubies'
in front of:  Veronica austriaca 'Crater Lake Blue'

ASTILBE

While many taller Astilbe forms are suitable in borders and woodland gardens, a few shorter or dwarf forms are useful as groundcovers or edgers in a somewhat shady area. In particular the dense, lacy foliage of dwarf Chinese Astilbe coupled with later bloom than most other forms extends the season into late summer.

Astilbe chinensis 'Pumila':  Chinese Astilbe, Dwarf Pink Astilbe, rose-purple in short, dense spikes, 10"

where:  as a spreading groundcover with some sun or even in dry shade
for partnership ideas follow the link to Shade Perennials & Their Companions

AUBRIETA

The evergreen foliage of cushion-forming Rock Cress is covered in early spring with 4-petalled flowers of white, pink or purple shades. For luxurious mats of colour, draping over rock edges or planted in pockets in rock walls, there is nothing to compare with this wonderful plant for well-drained soil and full sun. Its early spring bloom gladdens the heart after our long Canadian winters.

Aubrieta deltoidea:  Rock Cress, 6"x12-18", purple

in front of drifts of bulbs:  Narcissus, Hyacinthus, Muscari, Tulipa
in full sun with:   hardy Geranium, Euphorbia myrsinites
in partial shade with:  Dicentra spectabilis, Brunnera macrophylla, Iris cristata
with:  species bulbs
with other early edgers:  Arabis, Iberis sempervirens, Aurinia saxatilis

seen in the second image from the left above with various spring-blooming Aubrieta, Phlox subulata and Arabis edgers
with:  Phlox subulata 'Atropurpurea' (variously described as wine-red or rosy-red)

AURINIA

This yellow-flowered spring bloomer comes in a range of tones from pale to lemon-yellow to peachy to gold.

Aurinia saxatilis:  Basket-of-Gold, 12"x12-24"

with bulbs:  Tulipa (late, especially orangey shades), Myosotis
with:  Coreopsis (early-blooming), Dianthus, Heuchera sanguinea
with other early-blooming edgers:  Arabis, Aubrieta, Iberis, Doronicum caucasicum
with:  Sedum, Pulsatilla vulgaris, Veronica pectinata 'Rosea', Aquilegia alpina
with:  Phlox subulata, in particular the pale lilac-blue 'Blue Emerald' or rose-pink 'Rosette'
combined with:  white & lavender plants

CERASTIUM

A perfect groundcover plant for sun, Snow-In-Summer has small white flowers in late spring and early summer. Woolly white foliage adds to the charm as well as to an enduring presence in the garden. If you can provide a slope or rock edge for this perennial to drape over, so much the better.

Cerastium tomentosum: Snow-In-Summer

where:  over rock walls, in rock gardens, as pathway edging
use:  as a foil for magenta, blue or scarlet flowers
with:  the equally agressive Oenothera speciosa
with blues:  cobalt blue Lobelia, blue dwarf bearded Iris
with:  late spring bulbs, Saxifraga, Primula, Campanula spp., Viola tricolor
under:  Iris x germanica (tall, deep purple)

CHRYSOGONUM

A genus of one species only, Golden Star is suitable for rock gardens or as a border edger. Semi-shade is best, especially where summers are hot, as is moist, well-drained, peaty and sandy soil.

Chrysoganum virginianum:  Green-and-gold, Goldenstar, Golden Star, 8" tall

for partnership ideas follow the link to Yellow Perennials & Their Companions

COREOPSIS

Named for the black seeds that follow its flowers, Tickseed has numerous forms suitable for any garden position. If you are only familiar with the taller forms, however, it is time to try some short forms at the edges of your garden. I can promise you won't be disappointed.

Coreopsis auriculata 'Nana':  Mouse-Ear Coreopsis, dwarf, 6-9", orange-yellow

for partnership ideas follow the link to Orange Perennials & Their Companions

DIANTHUS

The common name Pinks comes from the ragged, pinked edges of the flower, not from its colour. Even so, the genus Dianthus runs the gamut of different shades of the colour referred to as pink, from the softest pale pink to the most vibrant of hot pinks imaginable. There are selections of white, purple, rose or even yellow. There are colour blends and many very fragrant forms. Some have single flowers, others double flowers, many with a red eye.

No complementary plant is mentioned more often for use with nearly any form of Dianthus than the violet to lavender-blue of Nepeta x faassenii. Could this be the perfect combination?

If I could grow only one Dianthus in my garden, it would probably be 'Tiny Rubies' described below. It always invites both comments and caresses from garden visitors. For a profile of this cultivar with all the information you might need to grow it well, follow the link to Dianthus 'Tiny Rubies' - Plant Profile.

Dianthus:  Pinks

with purple-flowered plants:  Allium, Campanula, Centaurea montana
beside:  Nepeta x faassenii, Oenothera macrocarpa (formerly O. missouriensis)
with:  Campanula carpatica, Lavandula, Sedum, Thymus
in front of:  Campanula glomerata, Scabiosa caucasica
under:  Lilium
combined with:  Chrysanthemum coccineum, any blue Iris sibirica & Dictamnus albus

with:  Gypsophila repens, Potentilla spp.
with:  creeping Phlox bifida or Phlox subulata, low Ornamental Grasses i.e. Festuca spp.

in front of:  Campanula glomerata 'Superba'
with:  Saponaria ocymoides

with:  Veronica teucrium 'Shirley Blue' (a clear azure-blue)

beside:  Nepeta x faassenii
near:   Chrysanthemum coccineum (pale pink)

with:  Salvia officinalis 'Icterina'
in front of:  Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

with:  Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue'
with:  Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' & Pennisetum alopecuroides for 3-season bloom

with:  Nepeta x faassenii

with:  Artemisia (silver-leaved), Chrysanthemum x superbum
toned down by:   white-flowered plants

with:  Artemisia schmidtiana nana 'Silver Mound'
with:  Aurinia saxatilis, Nepeta x faassenii
between:  Sedum & Gypsophila repens
between:  Gypsophila repens & Artemisia 'Silver Mound'
beside:  Veronica
in front of:  bearded Iris x germanica

in front of:  Iris x germanica
between:  Nepeta x faassenii & Iberis sempervirens
over bulbs:  Iris reticulata, Iris histrioides major

synonym:  Dianthus gratianopolitanus
with:  Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam', Heuchera sanguinea
beside:  Phlox subulata (pink forms)

follow the link for a profile of Dianthus 'Tiny Rubies'
with:  Nepeta x faassenii, Artemisia stelleriana 'Silver Brocade'
combined with:  Thymus x serphyllum 'Coccineus', Dianthus deltoides 'Albus', Veronica austriaca 'Crater Lake Blue' &
Geranium sanguineum

with:  Veronica austriaca 'Crater Lake Blue' (an intense gentian-blue)
combined with:  Thymus x serphyllum 'Coccineum', Geranium sanguineum & Dianthus 'Tiny Rubies'

for partnership ideas follow the link to Red Perennials & Their Companions

seen in the photo above flopping forward over a red-foliaged Hens & Chicks
for partnership ideas follow the link to Red Perennials & Their Companions

with:  Campanula carpatica, Geranium 'Lancastriense', Artemisia 'Silver Brocade', Helictotrichon

for partnership ideas follow the link to Yellow Perennials & Their Companions

the cultivar 'Ballad Blend' above hugs the rock edges of our raised beds with its lovely blue foliage;  the highly scented
light pink flowers with a darker pink eye are the icing on the cake
with:  Stachys byzantina, Coreopsis verticillata (especially the soft yellow 'Moonbeam')
with:  Artemisia, Aquilegia, Nepeta, Lychnis coronaria, Malva moschata
beside:  Salvia x superba 'East Friesland' (blue-violet) & Penstemon barbatus (lavender)

synonym:  Dianthus alpinus and Dianthus deltoides
with:   Campanula spp, Thymus spp, Sedum, Achillea (dwarf)
over bulbs:  white or yellow Crocus, Chionodoxa

DORONICUM

The fringed yellow daisy flowers of Leopard's Bane are a welcome addition to the spring garden picture.  The heart-shaped green leaves above which they bloom is an added bonus.

Doronicum caucasicum:   Leopard's Bane, 1-2'x12"

synonym:  Doronicum orientale
for May bloom with:  Tulipa or Narcissus
for later bloom with: Narcissus poeticus recurvatus
with:   Campanula glomerata 'Superba', Phlox subulata 'Atropurpurea'
in shade with:  Lunaria annua, Pulmonaria
in partial shade with:   tall blue Myosotis, Brunnera macrophylla, Galium odoratum
in partial shade with:  Mertensia virginica, Phlox divaricata, Dicentra
with:  spring bulbs and wildflowers
surrounded by:   Scilla
combined with:   yellow Aurinia saxatilis & white Iberis in front of soft orange Tulipa

GERANIUM

Prolific British garden writer Margery Fish once said "When in doubt, plant a geranium." She meant, of course, the hardy perennial geranium commonly known as Cranesbill. The name is derived from the appearance of the seed-heads which have the same shape as the bill of a crane.

By and large disease-free, able to grow in almost any soil, requiring minimal care - what else could you ask for in a plant? Available in numerous sizes, flowering in a variety of colours, and with attractive foliage, leaves solid-green, or with dark markings, some with yellow markings, some finely-textured, others broadly palmate, that's what! Some of these many forms are perfectly suitable as garden edgers as you can see from the few listed below.

Geranium cinereum:  Grayleaf Cranesbill

once known botanically as: G. cinereum subspecies subcaulescens varietas subcaulescens
now properly called:  G. subcaulescens

seen as well in the border around this page and in the image at the top of the page
with:  mauve creeping thyme, Viola labridorica, Saxifraga (white) & small version of Saxifraga 'London Pride'
near:  Scabiosa columbaria 'Blue Butterfly' & 'Pink Mist'

also called:  G. grandiflorum and G. meeboldii

what:  a double-flowered form sometimes called 'Birch Double'

what:  G. versicolor x G. endressii
abundant bloom can be found on its many forms including:  
• 'A.T.Johnson'
• 'Claridge Druce'
• 'Julie Brennan'
• 'Walter's Gift'
• 'Wargrave Pink'
• 'Winston Churchill'

For those wanting to find out more about this wonderful genus and see 450 images that depict the amazing variety of foliage and flowers, you will want to purchase Birgitte Husted Bendtsen's magnificent book, Gardening with Hardy Geraniums.

Information about the genus and more images as well as partnership ideas can be found by following the links below.

• Geranium Profile
• blue-flowered Geraniums
• pink-flowered Geraniums
• Geraniums for foliage effect
• Geraniums for shade
• white-flowered Geraniums
• Simply Special Perennials - Hardy Geranium's many forms

HEUCHERA

I used to find the colour of the old coral-toned Coral Bells difficult to place among my other perennials. They were banished from the main beds and relegated to an island bed at the base of a bird bath, where they were alternated with Festuca ovina glauca and could bloom to their heart's content without causing any discord. Now that was a great combination of just two genera!

Nowadays, of course, there are numerous variations of flower and foliage colour of Heuchera from which to choose. Most can be returned to the garden without fear of clashing with other plants. The combinations suggested below are only a few of the unlimited possibilities.

Heuchera:  

with:  Aquilegia, Geranium, Veronica teucrium, Hosta
with spring bloomers:  ferns, bulbs, Pulmonaria, Dicentra

in front of:  Campanula persicifolia (to hide bare lower stems)

with:  Arrhenatherum (blue Oat Grass)
between:  Stachys byzantina & Dianthus caesius
combined with:  Baptisia minor, Geranium endressii 'A.T. Johnson' & Iris sibirica

the foliage is the star attraction throughout the summer - blooms are a bonus

with:  silver-leaved perennials
in front of:  variegated Iris

with:  melon & apricot Hemerocallis
combined with:  dwarf Iris cristata in front of Iris sibirica

with:  Heuchera 'Amethyst Mist' & dwarf Heuchera 'Canyon Pink'

with:  Heuchera 'Silver Veil'

with:  lime-green Filipendula & deep blue Corydalis 'China Blue'

with:  Heuchera 'Plum Pudding'

for partnership ideas follow the link to Red Perennials & Their Companions

towering over:  Hakonechloa macra

where:  out of hot afternoon sun
with:  ferns, woodland plants

contrast with:  Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy'

"KILLER COMBO"
with:  Athyrium nipponicum (left image above) & any Hosta form with dark green centre and lime-green edges
there are many that fit this description - use any of the above or find some on your own that would do just as well

with:  Geranium, Nepeta x faassenii, Aquilegia

with:  Achillea ageratum 'W. B. Child'
combined with:  Aquilegia 'Songbird Robin' & Geranium x 'Johnson's Blue'

combined with:  Heuchera 'Ruby Veil', Hosta, Astilbe & Pulmonaria

with:  Festuca ovina glauca

prefers:  semi-sun or light shade
with:  pink, lavender, blue or white flowers
for contrast with:  Artemisia x 'Powis Castle'
with:  Coreopsis 'Moonbeam', Nepeta 'Blue Wonder', Geranium 'Johnson's Blue'
amid:  dwarf Iris cristata 'Alba'
in shade with:  Lamium 'Beacon Silver', (blue) Hosta 'Halcyon', Pulmonaria saccharata
with:  Dicentra eximia, Oenothera macrocarpa (formerly O. missouriensis, Liatris spicata, Sedum 'Vera Jameson'
in front of:   Gypsophila paniculata, Digitalis, Allium, Artemisia versicolor

in front of:  Salvia 'East Friesland'
beside:  red-foliaged Hen and Chicks
between:  Hosta & Campanula carpatica 'Blue Clips'
between:  Hosta & Tradescantia
beside:  Hosta plantaginea
with spring bulbs:   Scilla campanulata, Crocus
with other spring edgers:  Iberis sempervirens, Viola cornuta, Aurinia saxatilis
combined with:  yellow Hemerocallis 'Hyperion' & Echinops ritro
in front of:  Papaver orientale
beside:   Stachys lanata, Dianthus caesius

for partnership ideas follow the link to Red Perennials & Their Companions

IBERIS

Technically a sub-shrub, Candytuft blooms for a long period in early spring with 4-petalled flowers in flat clusters on long stems, densely clothed with narrow evergreen leaves. The pure white flowers break up the intensity of other brightly-coloured spring edgers.

Iberis sempervirens:   Perennial Candytuft

lovely above with:  white-edged Vinca major 'Variegata'
where:  edger for walks, walls, borders and beds
backdrop for spring bulbs:  red Tulipa, yellow Narcissus, purple Muscari
especially nice with:  crimson or rose-coloured Tulipa
with:  Viola cornuta 'Apricot', Narcissus (yellow & cream), Veronica pectinata (mat-forming types including 'Rosea')
with other cascaders over rock edges:  Arabis, Aubrieta, Aurinia saxatilis, low-growing Phlox species
over rocks with:  Phlox subulata (most colours) including 'Atropurpurea', Pulsatilla vulgaris (Anemone pulsatilla)
in rock garden with:  Dicentra
in borders with:  Aquilegia, Myosotis, other spring plants i.e. Paeonia, Baptisia
with:  Arabis caucasica, Aurinia saxatilis, Hyacinthus (pink and blue forms), Incarvillea
beside:  Heuchera sanguinea
combined with:  Tulipa (late types), Phlox subulata (white or pink) & Aurinia saxatilis
in front of the following combo:  Doronicum caucasicum (rear), Aurinia saxatilis (edge) & soft orange Tulipa (middle)

with:  any of the partnership ideas suggested for the species in general above
with:  spring bulbs, Tulipa, Aquilegia, Myosotis, Dicentra, Aurinia saxatilis, Arabis, Aubrieta deltoidea

with:  any of the combination ideas given for the species in general or the cultivar named above
with:  pink or white Phlox subulata
in front of:  Baptisia australis

IRIS

The beauty of the Iris is not restricted to the taller Bearded or Siberian Iris forms. Many shorter forms that are just as lovely can be placed at prominent positions at the front of garden beds to be viewed at close range. The shorter forms below will bloom earlier than their taller counterparts.

Iris cristata:  Crested Iris, rhizomatous, 4-8"

combined in part shade with:  Anemone sylvestris & Mertensia virginica
woodland combination with:  Stylophorum diphyllum (Celandine Poppy) & Sanguinaria canadensis
with:  Azalea, Rhododendron
with:  Aubrieta deltoidea 'Large Flowered Mix', Heuchera 'Coral Cloud'

with:  Hardy Begonia, Phlox (shade-loving forms), Tiarella cordifolia

with:  Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple'

with:  Viola 'White Czar

with:  Phlox subulata 'Atropurpurea'

with:  Cerastium tomentosum

seen in the image above between:  purple Aubrieta & bright pink Phlox subulata

combined with:  Phlox subulata (white), Tulipa 'West Point' or 'Niphetos' (yellow shades) & Allium 'Purple Sensation'

with:  Veronica pectinata 'Rosea'

with:  Phlox subulata (lavender-blue), Tulipa 'Sweet Harmony' (buttery) or Tulipa 'Dillenburg' (peach) &
Dicentra spectabilis (white)

seen above with:  Aubrieta for early spring bloom
beside:  Muscari for purple-yellow contrast
behind:  Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood'

FOR MORE EDGING PERENNIALS & THEIR COMPANIONS FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW

• Nepeta to Veronica

All of our own Gardens By The Bay pages can be accessed by clicking on the links below.

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CORNER GARDEN CONSTRUCTION  |  CORNER GARDEN PLANTING  |  LONG GARDEN

EAST GARDEN  |  HOSTA GARDEN  |  NORTH GARDEN  |  WINTER GARDENS

PLANT PARTNERSHIPS

BLUE PERENNIALS    Aconitum - Geranium  |  Iris - Vinca

BULBS    Allium - Hyacinthus  |  Narcissus only  |  Tulipa only  |  Minor Bulbs

BUTTERFLY MAGNETS    Anaphalis - Hemerocallis  |  Liatris - Veronicastrum
DAYLILIES      Spider & Unusual Form

EDGERS    Arabis - Iris  |  Nepeta - Veronica

FOLIAGE PERENNIALS     Alchemilla - Tanacetum

HOSTA    Hosta - all

HUMMINGBIRD-FRIENDLY PERENNIALS    Alcea - Salvia

ORANGE PERENNIALS    Achillea - Tulipa

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES    Acorus - Imperata |  Miscanthus - Spodiopogon

PINK PERENNIALS    Achillea - Lilium  |  Lychnis - Veronica

PURPLE PERENNIALS    Aconitum - Liatris  |  Polemonium - Veronica

RED PERENNIALS    Achillea - Veronica

SHADE PERENNIALS    Aegopodium - Erythronium  |  Ferns - Polemonium  |  Polygonatum - Vinca

SILVER FOLIAGE PERENNIALS    Achillea - Cerastium    |    Cornus - Limonium    |    Lunaria - Veronica

SIMPLY SPECIAL PERENNIALS    Acanthus - Saxifraga

WHITE PERENNIALS    Achillea - Iris  |  Kalimeris - Yucca

YELLOW PERENNIALS    Achillea - Hypericum  |  Inula - Verbascum

VARIEGATED-FOLIAGE PERENNIALS    Acorus - Erythronium  |  Hakonechloa - Lysimachia  |  Miscanthus - Yucca

PLANT PROFILES

Dianthus 'Tiny Rubies'  |  Geranium  |  Geum coccineum  |  Kerria japonica  |  Knautia macedonica

Paeonia tenuifolia  |  Papaver somniferum  |  Rudbeckia  |  Salvia 'East Friesland'

Trollius  |  Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'

PROPAGATION

DIVISION - SPRING ONLY  |   DIVISION - FALL ONLY  |   DIVISION - SPRING OR FALL  |   DO NOT DIVIDE

FERTILIZATION

BULBS  |   ORNAMENTAL GRASSES  |   PERENNIALS  |   SHRUBS  |   VINES

LINKS

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