Click on the ‘Trial Results’ tab at the top of this page to find the links to the detailed results, which include colour photos of almost every plant.  I hope the information is helpful to you.

Since the Alberta Perennial Trial program has now ended, I will no longer be posting on this blog, although I will keep it open for the rest of 2011 so that the information is available to the public. Be sure to bookmark the Alberta Agriculture site so that you can access the results in the future.

Thank you so much for your interest in the Alberta Perennial Trials. It has been a pleasure!

Alberta Perennial Trials Top Picks 2002-2010

Each of the three sites participating in the Alberta Perennial Trials was asked to select their all-time top five favourite perennials from the trials. It was a very difficult decision, and each site came up with many more plants than could be included in this list. In the final selection, five different plants were chosen for each site, for a total of fifteen favourites (plus a few runners up!). Top Picks are listed in alphabetical order by site.  

 Calgary Zoo:

• Deschampsia ‘Bronze Veil’
• Euphorbia polychroma ‘Bonfire’
• Geranium renardii ‘Phillipe Vapelle’
• Paeonia x ‘Bartzella’
•  Polemonium ‘Stairway to Heaven’
• Runners up: Anemone ‘September Charm’, Helenium ‘Mardi Gras’, Ligularia ‘Osiris Fantaisie’

Paeonia x 'Bartzella'

Muttart Conservatory:

• Monarda ‘Jacob Cline’
• Delphinium New Millenium ‘Innocence’
• Paeonia ‘Muskoka’
• Panicum virgatum ‘Orange Flame’
• Sedum ‘Autumn Charm’
• Runners up: Lavendula ‘Rosea’, Veronica ‘Aztec Gold’, Heuchera ‘Dolce Mocha Mint’

Sedum 'Autumn Charm'

• Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch’
• Iris ‘Savannah Sunset’
• Ligularia dentata ‘Britt Marie Crawford’
• Phlox paniculata ‘Starfire’
• Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’
• Runners up: Sedum ‘Autumn Charm’, Hemerocallis ‘Moonlit Masquerade’

Ligularia dentata 'Britt Marie Crawford'

On the way to the garden I had to take a picture of this late monkshood, likely Aconitum arendsii, which is so late-blooming that often it doesn’t get a chance to bloom in Alberta. In the background is the new Enmax conservatory which opened one year ago this month.

Aconitum arendsii

In the perennial trial garden, one of my favourite plants, Helenium ‘Mardi Gras’, was still blooming away. I love this plant; it is a fantastic addition to the late summer/fall garden.

There were still a few blooms on Clematis ‘Multi Blue’ as well, despite the fact that it was moved in September. The foliage is a lovely bronzy brown colour in autumn.

Clematis 'Multi Blue'

Another of my favourite perennials in the trials, Sedum ‘Autumn Charm’, was still looking great. The foliage has held up well throughout the fall and was still impressive, especially compared to the other sedums in the trials. The flowers  are showing a bit of their dark wine colour, a lovely contrast to the variegated green and creamy yellow leaves.

Sedum 'Autumn Charm'

This little viola, Viola ‘Columbine’,  started blooming in early spring, slowed down just a little in the heat of summer, and is still blooming away in November!  All five plants were planted in 2009 and have survived one winter and two full growing seasons so far.  I would love to be able to evaluate it for one more year.

Viola 'Columbine'

Silene ‘Clifford Moor’ is a graduate from the 2007-2009 trial. Its small pink flowers are held on long, somewhat floppy stalks, but it is the foliage that really grabs our visitors attention. This is a wonderful woodland plant that still looks great in late fall!

Silene 'Clifford Moor'

On the way back to my office I spotted this white phlox, name unknown, still blooming away in the Dorothy Harvie Gardens.

This bright spot of colour  caught my eye under a spruce tree.  Surely it is almost time for the peacocks to move to their indoor winter home. I guess, like the rest of us, they are taking advantage of every good day that we are given.