recommendations for large size hardy perennial flowers

[tsukimori]

Hi I'm new to the forum and need some recommendations of flowers that are large size that can survive the cold winters in canada and also perennial.

I know of hardy hibiscus that can bloom to 1 feet wide, so I'm looking for something that is at least that size or bigger the better. Anyone can recommend some flowers that are like that?

Thank you very much.

[applestar]

You want the blooms to be 1 ft / 12" in diameter? Cold Hardy in Canadian winter.

Are you planting this in your garden? What kind of sun exposure, soil, and moisture levels do you have? Is there a height restriction?

[tsukimori]

yes at least 1 feet diameter and can survive the cold canadian winter... in my front yard with a lot of sun and the soil is pretty dry with all that sun that we get in the summer time. We usually get a lot of sun around 10am to 7pm time. i don't know anything about moisture levels, no height restriction but nothing as big as a tree but to be honest I'm a novice at growing plants so something that doesn't need that much maintenance and easy to grow.

thank you

[applestar]

Do Elderflowers count?

Subject: Flowers in bloom now

Elderflowers!

The biggest flower cluster was from the Spiral Garden one. (11"/28cm colander) Another biggest blossom from one of the other shrubs also had the purplish stem. (Sunlight?)

...more pictures of the shrubs and flower clusters if you follow the above link. I let mine grow pretty wild and they CAN get to be tree-like in size, but they can also be kept shorter neatly pruned and because the upper stems die off depending on winter.

[rainbowgardener]

Very few flowers are that big and rarely are they hardy perennials.

You said cold, Canadian winters, but Toronto is kind of protected by the lake and is milder than a number of places in the US. In US terms, you are in zone 5.

Oriental lilies would be hardy for you. They may not be quite what you are looking for, but the flowers can be 6-12" across, very showy, in a rainbow of colors or white, AND they are fragrant.


http://f.tqn.com/y/gardening/1/S/T/G/Li ... ropped.jpg

Joe pye weed and queen of the prairie don't have large single flowers, but they are big plants with big flower clusters, They are both cold hardy native perennials, very low maintenance once established.

joe pye weed:


http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2003/0 ... 79db76.jpg

Queen of the prairie:


http://ellishollow.remarc.com/images/co ... 6x1200.jpg

[rainbowgardener]

If you don't mind some extra work, what people often do who are looking for big, showy flowers is dahlias, especially the large variety known as dinner plate dahlias. Their flower blossoms do get to be 12" across and again in whole range of brilliant colors and stripes:


http://cdn0.dutchbulbs.com/images/uploads/320/01334.jpg


http://bloomiq.com/sites/bloomiq.com/fi ... 72.002.jpg

They are perennials, but tender perennials. They are generally only cold hardy in zone 8, places like California and TX.

The rest of us, if we want dahlias, dig them up in the fall and store the roots, wrapped in newspaper in a cardboard box, somewhere that stays between 40 - 50 deg and does not freeze.

If you are willing to dig and store your dahlias, you can have the biggest, showiest flowers in the neighborhood!

[rainbowgardener]

Here's another oriental lily picture:


http://www.mygardencolors.com/images/pr ... /24276.jpg

any of this seeming like what you were looking for?