
Absalon Tulip
Tulipa 'Absalon'
Absalon is one of the rarest tulips grown at Mount Vernon. It features yellow flames on maroon petals and is one of the few remaining truly broken tulips.
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Absalon is one of the rarest tulips grown at Mount Vernon. It features yellow flames on maroon petals and is one of the few remaining truly broken tulips.
Bee Balm is a tall summer-blooming perennial with brilliant red flowers subtended by a whorl of showy, red-tinged, leafy bracts. The aromatic leaves can be used for tea, but are susceptible to mildew, so this plant needs good air circulation. A member of the mint family, bee balm spreads readily by rhizomes…
These large spring blooming shrubs with edible berries do best in natural areas where they can achieve their full size.
Blue Flag is a petite double tulip with flouncy purple petals. Its short stature makes it ideally suited for the front of the border.
Calendulas are an old fashioned herb with bright yellow or orange flowers. They are profuse bloomers in the spring and fall, but will stop blooming during the hot part of the summer. Their flowers can be used in salads and soaps.
Chives are a small clump-forming onion relative. The stems are frequently used as a culinary herb, and the flowers are attractive to pollinators.
Crocuses cheerfully herald the coming spring with bright yellow flowers. They naturalize easily in gardens, offering clumps which grow larger year by year.
This large bulb has striking orange flowers borne on long lily-like flowers in spring. It is best placed on its side when planted to prevent rotting and then left undisturbed.
This unique late-blooming bulb sports maroon flower-heads, for which it earns its common of drumstick allium.
Duc van Tol Red and Yellow is a petite tulip that does best when planted near the front of the border.
Duc van Tol Rose is a petite tulip with pointed pink and white petals.
This small, spreading native tree offers a profusion of purplish-pink flowers lining the dark branches in April, followed by large heart-shaped leaves. The redbud evolved in the understory and wood edges of forests, where it is sheltered from intense sunlight, and is prettiest planted among dogwoods…
Cascading blue flowers on arching stems slowly naturalize in the garden.
Flaming Parrot is a favorite here at Mount Vernon, with its bold red stripes on fringed yellow petals. It is a tall, late-blooming tulip that does well in the middle of the border.
The Florentine tulip is a charming yellow species tulip, with its bright flowers held on long, elegant stems.
Garden phlox has long been a staple of the perennial border, providing height and bright blooms at the back of the bed. The pink flowers are fragrant and attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.
Garlic is a popular ingredient in many types of cooking. This bulbous plant is an onion relative with fleshy green leaves and umbels of pinkish white flowers.
Helmar is a yellow and red tulip. Its red flames mimic the pattern of some of the broken tulips of the tulip mania.
Hollyhocks are old-fashioned cottage garden favorites for their height and cheerful flowers in a wide range of colors. Most require staking to support their heavy stems.
A woody, twining vine, honeysuckle needs some structure to support itself. It blooms nearly all summer and is attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators. It is well-suited for arbors, pergolas, and fences.
This versatile hydrangea tolerates a wide variety of conditions and is ideal for borders or natural areas. It benefits from an annual pruning in late winter to prevent the heavy blooms from flopping.
Keizerskroon is a bold yellow and red tulip that has a strong presence in the spring garden at Mount Vernon. Its colorful flowers are well suited for the middle of the border.
Lac van Rijn has striking white and deep pink flowers that add dramatic appeal to the spring garden.
This sweet white and pink tulip is an elegant mid-border charmer. The white and pink petals open to reveal a nearly pure white interior.
This silver-leafed groundcover does best in well-drained soil, but tolerates adverse conditions. Its purple flowers are attractive to honeybees and bumblebees.
Leeks are an onion relative with strappy green leaves which an edible stalk which is usually blanched.
Onions are commonly planted in the fall for a spring harvest. Red and yellow types are available to grow.
This tall spring bulb is crowned by a spike of maroon flowers above gray-green foliage and makes a striking addition to the spring garden. The bulb itself is strongly odoriferous which prevents the depredations of rodents.
Red Hue is a unique tulip, featuring pointed red petals with green centers.
This old-fashioned hyacinth has a sparser, more delicate flower than the modern types, but it is much more likely to stick around in the garden. It resists flopping under its own weight and is known to naturalize.
Silver standard is a beautiful tulip, with white petals boldly splashed with pink streaks.
These dainty bell-shaped flowers in shades of maroon and white with faint checkered patterns perch atop slender arching stems. They prefer to be grown in cool moist sites.
Sweet white flowers naturalize easily in lawns or garden beds. This early bloomer is known for poking through the snow as early as February.
Spiderwort has grassy foliage and interesting purple blossoms, but tends to flop after flowering. It does best in shady locations and benefits from a good haircut after blooming.
This airy woodland shrub looks unassuming until it sets its brilliant red fruit in the fall, when it earns its many common names.
Tournesol Red and Yellow is a short double tulip that does well at the front of the flower border.
Virginia White Gourdseed corn is an exceptionally tall variety that produces very firm kernels which are best suited to milling or use as a feed corn.
Wapen van Leiden is a lovely white tulip brushed with pink. It is well suited to the middle of the border.
Classically planted in moist areas such as lakes and ponds, this elegant tree should be given plenty of room and planted well away from structures.
White oaks are well known for their distinctive silhouette. They are massive trees which provide excellent shade as well as habitat for birds and other wildlife. Their acorns are especially attractive to deer and squirrels.
A more delicate species than its red-flowered cousin, bergamot has lovely lavender flowers and a more graceful look. It is attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
This unusual early bulb offers small sunny yellow flowers in March when little else is blooming. In southern zones they benefit from light shade.
Yellow willows are often used as hedges and screens. They can be repeatedly cut down to encourage a bushy habit which shows off their flashy golden stems.