We all know them: those bold, sassy wonders that have to be the center of attention. Flirting with frills and pompoms, fans and ruffles — every friend and neighbor that stops by can’t take their eyes off the best bloomers in the garden.
Show offs.
In the age when the mantra is “simplify” and downsizing a must, plants with double flowers supersize the garden in a display that stops traffic and wins our hearts. Admit it: You want them, so try these:
Clematis
Let Josephine climb trellises and spill over fences, each flower on this vine puts on a 10-week show. Starting with a compact rosette surrounded by green-striped, flat tepals, the blossom slowly unfolds, coyly dropping the tepals along the way. The crescendo of the show is a shaggy, fluffy bloom reminiscent of a cactus dahlia.
Grow Josephine in the shade, and the blossoms will be green; in sun, they’re a striking lavender-pink. Because it holds its flowers over weeks, this vine is a conversation starter. Place it where it can ramble 8 to 12 feet and keep its roots cool with mulch.
Echinacea
Delightful pink Double Razzmatazz or smokin’ orange-red Hot Papaya twist the traditional coneflower with a pompom center surrounded by a skirt of daisy-like petals. First appearances are deceiving; this double bloomer starts out looking like a flat, single coneflower, but over time the center lifts and fills with petals, creating a dome of frills.
Fully double Pink Poodle looks more like a dahlia than a coneflower, but the strong stalks and long-lasting color make this a must-have for cutting gardens. Plant in full sun and keep them evenly moist their first season to get established.
Columbine
This spurred native gets dressed to impress with double forms in formal ruffles or casual shags. Proud, upward facing Winky columbines come in red or blue and white and hold their flowers on stalks high above the foliage. Black Barlow, a casual cousin with open petals on a nodding head, adds a deep, rich purple-black tone to dappled-shade gardens.
Daylily
Full, lush flowers give this one-day wonder an appeal worth a spot in every garden. Look closely and you’ll see that the extra petals are formed by petaloids — extra tissue growing from the stamens. Lying flat in layers or rising and swirling in a peony- type display, these gorgeous blooms hold their faces proud. Try Condilla for vibrant golden color in a part- shade garden, but this brilliant performer is best in sunny perennial beds.
Coreopsis
Though named after an agricultural pioneer and not the musician, double coreopsis Jethro Tull, with its golden-yellow, curled petals, rocks the garden. A tough plant, this prairie native is adaptable to pampered beds or rocky soils. Just give it a bit of moisture to start it off, then let it grow in slightly dry conditions. If you like your golden blooms touched with a dash of contrast, try Rising Sun, with a red fleck in the center.
Reach Carol O’Meara, a local gardening expert, at omearac@yahoo.com or on her blog
