Best Perennials

Take the annuals -- your begonias, geraniums, marigolds. You put them in and they bloom, look good for a season, and that's their shot. Perennials, on the other hand, come back year after year. They self-replicate. Garden enthusiasts really like the low-maintenance perennials and often go crazy planting them hither and thither about the yard. According to one such gardener, Iris Hill Nursery not only has the best prices on perennials, they have a fantastic selection -- coneflowers, rubina, sea holly, hostas, daylilies, bleeding heart, phlox and more -- all of it container-grown and ready to go. The sales leader, far and away, is hostas. The nursery sells volumes of the popular leafy green plant at $5.25-$25 per unit, depending on type and size. Co-owners Jean and Don Richard, mother and son, are obviously devoted to plants and their cultivation. They possess the practical information needed to give each flora-loving customer a green thumb and are eager to share it. Iris Hill is a natural setting on 3 acres. It's worth the trip, if only to see the palette of colors, the potential of flower power.