Frost to Frost™ Program Guide
Keep Perennial Color on Your Retail Bench from Season to Season
12/03/2024
Plan for Frost to Frost™ Color
A little planning goes a long way. Build stunning endcaps by choosing ahead of time what perennials you will be featuring throughout the year. Sequencing a different set of perennials to show color in each of the four core seasons will ensure the high value areas of your garden center are always looking nice, and keep things fresh for returning visitors.
Transform Your Garden Center with Expert Planning
Planning ahead is key to creating visually captivating and high-performing endcaps in your garden center. By thoughtfully planning and sequencing your perennial displays, you can create a visually stunning and engaging shopping experience for your customers all year long! Here’s how you can use the Frost to Frost™ Program to ensure your endcaps are always enticing and fresh:
- Seasonal Planning: Plan which perennials to feature throughout the year. By selecting plants that thrive and bloom in each of the core seasons— spring, summer, and fall—you can maintain a colorful and inviting display year-round. This not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also demonstrates the versatility and resilience of your perennial offerings.
- Color Coordination: Choose a color palette that complements each season. For spring, opt for bright, vibrant colors like pastels and bold hues. Summer can feature rich, warm tones, while autumn brings in deep oranges, reds, and yellows. Winter displays can focus on evergreens and plants with interesting textures, berries, or seedheads.
- Height and Structure: Incorporate perennials of varying heights and structures to create depth and interest. Tall, spiky plants can serve as focal points, while shorter, bushier varieties fill in gaps and provide a lush backdrop.
- Texture and Foliage: Don’t just focus on flowers. Select perennials with diverse foliage textures and colors to add visual interest even when blooms are sparse. Variegated leaves, silvery foliage, and unique leaf shapes can keep your endcaps looking dynamic.
- Continuous Bloom: Choose perennials known for their long blooming periods or staggered bloom times. This will ensure that there is always something in bloom, keeping your displays lively and vibrant.
- High Traffic Areas: Place your most eye-catching and high-performing perennials in high traffic areas of your garden center. This draws customers' attention and showcases the plants’ best features, making it more likely they’ll make a purchase.
- Educational Displays: Add informational signage to educate customers about the featured perennials. Highlight care tips, planting instructions, and the benefits of each plant. This not only enhances customer experience but also empowers them to make informed decisions.
- Thematic Displays: Create themed endcaps that align with current trends or seasonal events. For example, a “Butterfly Garden” theme in the summer can highlight pollinator-friendly perennials, while a “Winter Wonderland” theme can feature hardy plants with winter interest.
- Customer Engagement: Rotate your displays regularly to keep things fresh and exciting for returning visitors. New and updated displays encourage customers to explore different sections of your garden center, potentially increasing sales.
- Promotions and Specials: Use endcaps to promote seasonal sales or specials. Featuring discounted or exclusive perennials can attract more customers and boost sales.
Sales Window Key |
Early Spring - These plants bloom from April - May and tend to be on the early end of the Spring rush. |
Late Spring - June is perennial month, and that is when you will usually find these plants in flower. With forcing these plants may be ready in May. |
Early Summer - Spanning July to mid August. |
Late Summer -These plants are among the slowest plants to mature, coming into flower in mid August to September. |
Multi Season - Fabulous Foliage - These plants are grown primarily for their foliage and so look good all summer long. Use these plants to fill in a gap between flowering nursery stock. |
Multi Season - Trim & Rebloom - These plants typically flower in Late Spring or Early Summer and with a trim will flush back out to show late season color. Use these plants with their second sales window to supplement late summer and fall programs. |
Variety | Input | Blooms | Proven Pollinator® | Deer Resistant | Drought Tolerant | Rebloomer | Lowest Main. | Made for the Shade | Native Roots | Fabulous Foliage | Fall Interest | Fire Resistant |
Achillea Firefly Collection | BR, Liner | ESu - LSu | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Agastache MEANT TO BEE® Collection | Liner | MSu - LSu | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||
Allium 'Bobblehead' & 'Serendipity' | BR | MSu - LSu | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Alstroemeria Summer Series | BR | MSu - LSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Amsonia 'Storm Cloud' & 'String Theory' | BR, Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | |||||||
Anemone FALL IN LOVE® 'Sweetly' | Liner | LSu - EFa | X | X | X | |||||||
Artemisia 'Silver Lining' | Liner | Foliage | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Aruncus 'Chantilly Lace' | Liner | ESu - MSu | X | X | X | |||||||
Astilbe 'Dark Side of the Moon' | BR, Liner | MSu | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Baptisia DECADENCE® Series | BR, Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Bergenia 'Miss Piggy' & 'Peppermint Patty' | Liner | ESp - LSp | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack of Diamonds' & 'Queen of Hearts' | Liner | MSp - LSp | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Campanula carpatica MINI MARVELS™ Series | Liner | LSp - LSu | X | X | X | |||||||
Campanula glomerata Bells Series | Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | |||||||
Clematis 'Stand By Me' Series | BR | LSp - MSu | X | X | X | |||||||
Coreopsis verticillata DESIGNER THREADS™ Series | Liner | ESu - LSu | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Delosperma KALEIDOSCOPE™ Series | Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Delphinium 'Violets are Blue' | Liner | ESu - MSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Dianthus FRUIT PUNCH® Series | Liner | ESu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Dianthus Paint the Town Series | Liner | ESu | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Dicentra 'Pink Diamonds' & 'White Diamonds' | Liner | LSp - EFa | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Dicentra spectabilis 'Hearts on Fire' | Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Echinacea COLOR CODED® Collection | Liner | ESu - EFa | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
Echinacea DOUBLE CODED® Collection | Liner | ESu - EFa | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
Echinacea SUMMERSONG™ Firefunch™ | Liner | ESu - EFa | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
Epimedium 'Hugs & Kisses' & 'Woodland Elf' | Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Eucomis CROWNING GLORY® Series | Liner | MSu - EFa | X | X | X | |||||||
Festuca arundinacea 'Perfect Edging' | Liner | Foliage | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Geranium pratense 'Boom Chocolatta' | Liner | ESu - LSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Gypsophila paniculata Festival Star® | BR, Liner | LSp - EFa | X | X | ||||||||
Heliopsis helianthoides 'Bit of Honey', Athena Gold™, 'Touch of Blush', & 'Tuscan Sun' | BR, Liner | MSu - LSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Hemerocallis RAINBOW RHYTHM® Collection | BR | ESu - LSu | X | X | ||||||||
Heuchera DOLCE® Series | Liner | Foliage | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Heuchera DRESSED UP® Series | Liner | Foliage | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Heuchera PRIMO® Series | Liner | Foliage | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Heucherella FUN AND GAMES® Series | Liner | Foliage | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Hibiscus SUMMERIFIC® Collection | BR, Liner | MSu - LSu | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Hosta SHADOWLAND® Collection | Liner | Foliage | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Kniphofia PYROMANIA® Collection | BR, Liner | ESu - LSu | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Lavandula angustifolia Sweet Romance® | Liner | ESu - EFa | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Leucanthemum superbum AMAZING DAISIES® Collection | Liner | ESu - LSu | X | X | ||||||||
Ligularia 'Bottle Rocket' | Liner | MSu | X | |||||||||
Monarda Leading Lady Series | Liner | ESu - MSu | X | X | X | |||||||
Monarda didyma Pardon My Series | Liner | MSu - LSu | X | X | X | |||||||
Monarda UPSCALE® | Liner | MSu - LSu | X | X | X | |||||||
Nepeta 'Cat's Meow', 'Cat's Pajamas', 'Catwalk Queen', & 'Lemon Purrfection' | BR, Liner | ESu - EFa | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Origanum 'Drops of Jupiter' | Liner | LSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Penstemon barbatus BEJEWELED™ Series | Liner | LSp - ESu | X | |||||||||
Penstemon 'Midnight Masquerade' | BR, Liner | ESu - MSu | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Perovskia atriplicifolia 'Denim 'n Lace' & Sage Advice' | BR, Liner | MSu - EFa | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Phlox 'Cloudburst' | BR, Liner | ESu - LSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Phlox Opening Act Series | BR, Liner | ESu - MSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Phlox paniculata LUMINARY® Collection | BR, Liner | MSu - LSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Phlox Sprite & MOUNTAINSIDE® Series | Liner | MSp - LSp | X | X | ||||||||
Phlox subulata SPRING BLING® Series | BR, Liner | MSp - LSp | X | X | X | |||||||
Polemonium 'Heaven Scent' | Liner | ESu - MSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Primula vulgaris BOUQUET PERFECT™ Series | Liner | ESp - LSp | X | |||||||||
Pulmonaria 'Pink-a-Blue' & 'Spot On' | Liner | LSp | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Salvia COLOR SPIRES® Collection | BR, Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | |||||||
Salvia LIVING LARGE™ Collection | BR, Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | |||||||
Salvia nemorosa Profusion Series | BR, Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Sedum ROCK 'N GROW® Collection | BR, Liner | EFa | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Sedum ROCK 'N LOW® Collection | BR, Liner | ESu - MSu | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Sedum ROCK 'N ROUND® Collection | BR, Liner | LSu - EFa | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||
Spigelia marilandica 'Apple Slices' & 'Orange Slices' | BR, Liner | LSp - ESu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Stokesia laevis TOTALLY STOKED™ Series | Liner | ESu - LSu | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Thalictrum 'Cotton Ball' & 'Cotton Candy' | Liner | LSp | X | X | ||||||||
Tiarella 'Cutting Edge' | Liner | ESp - LSp | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
Tradescantia 'Webmaster' | BR, Liner | ESu - LSu | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Vernonia 'Prairie Princess' | BR, Liner | LSu - EFa | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
Veronica MAGIC SHOW® Collection | BR, Liner | ESp - LSp | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Yucca 'Dragon Slayer' | Liner | ESu - MSu | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||
Fern - Athyrium n. 'Crested Surf' & f.f 'Fronds Forever' | Liner | Foliage | X | X | X | X | ||||||
Grass - PRAIRIE WINDS® Collection | Liner | LSu - EFa | X | X | X | X | X |