We've been promoting Baptisia for years as a good long-lived and pest-free substitute for Lupines for gardeners that struggle to grow the latter. The various False Indigo species and selections (they're all great!) deserve more attention and can stand up well on their own merits, not just as poor cousins to Lupines. These form bushy and substantial plants for a mid- to back-of-the-border position, with long spikes of pea-type flowers that appear in early summer. Seedpods develop after that and by autumn these dry and change into rattling seedheads. Stems are strong and usually remain in place all winter, needing to be cut back to the ground in spring before the new growth resumes.

Baptisia are native to North America, and most are hardy over a wide range of Zones. B. australis survives right down into Zone 2 and also handles the heat of warmer southern climates. Give it a full-sun position in a well-drained soil and it will perform reliably for many years with no attention but for a yearly cutting back.

— photo courtesy of the Perennial Plant Association

Their website states that "Turquoise transports us to an exciting tropical paradise while offering a sense of protection and healing in stressful times."

I love how this choice is so close to the centre colouration of the 2010 AHGA Hosta of the Year! You'll be finding turquoise turning up in everything from jewellery to home decoration as well as fashion. Gardeners have always appreciated blue foliage which — let's face it — is really turquoise rather than true blue.

This medium-sized variety is a sport of 'Halcyon' and has similar thick and sturdy leaves, indicated by the term "good substance" among Hosta collectors. The leaves are heart-shaped with pointy ends, the centres remain streaky blue-green for the season, with wide margins that begin yellow in spring then later change to ivory if grown in a bright dappled-shade position. Lavender blooms rise on taller stems in mid summer. Height: 40cm (16 inches). Width: 85cm (34 inches).

— photo courtesy of www.perennialresource.com

In association with John Schroeder of Valleybrook Gardens the Garden Club selected Helleborus "Vancouver Medallion" for this project.

The display of 750 blooming specimens in one of the great urban greenspaces of the world, Stanley Park, will showcase this new plant and be a perennial legacy for years to come. In addition, "Vancouver Medallion" will be available for home gardeners to purchase through local nurseries and garden centres.