First to the Party

Whether they’re well-established or newly planted, most perennials enter a stage during the winter that I’ve heard referred to as their “dead sticks” phase. It’s hard to convince yourself your beloved plants aren’t goners… will those bare, broken branches ever thrive again?

Give the sticks a little tug, though.

“So… are you still alive, aster that I planted at the very end of October, that looked unhappy almost instantly, and may even have been trampled at some point?”

Tug, tug. The roots are solidly anchored, ready to launch green shoots as soon as the weather warms up. Watching sleeping plants wake up and burst out into the sun is one of the most exciting things about late winter!

Here are some hardy AGG perennials that are always the first to arrive to the party. Click the images to learn more!

Bettony is not native to North America, but the bees don't seem to mind. It won’t be long before beautiful purple blooms will be crawling with Bumbles.

Goldenrod is an ecosystem superstar! We hope to have 4 or 5 different varieties growing at the garden by the end of this season.

Comfrey leaves poke up from the decayed remains of last year's plant. A medicinal herb, it has an long tap root that pulls nutrients up from deep underground.

Rattlesnake Master got its name from... you guessed it, its medicinal uses when treating various types of snake bite. This plant is new to the garden and we're hoping it thrives.

Bee Balm never hides away completely. Tiny new plants spend the winter paused, just waiting for the weather to warm up enough to safely grow.

You'd probably miss Dwarf Crested Iris if you didn't know what to look for. But here it is, hiding its new shoots under last year’s leaves.