Every year since 1985 we have tried to respond to changing needs of the gardeners who shop here. We feel that this year we have made more progress than ever towards being the real "old fashioned" nursery we all fondly remember from our past. We accomplish that by propagating and growing from scratch each and every plant that we sell here. Many of our plants can be growing here for up to 3 years including being kept outside over each winter ,before they are ready to come with you! What's more, our great selection remains fully stocked throughout the entire growing season. So, no matter when you come, you'll find groups of sparkling, organized happy plants everywhere you turn, that are out in the sun, under a tree, or in the beautiful shade houses.

If you are shopping for a gift, a special flowering shrub for that spot right outside the kitchen window, or you need to replant the whole front of your house, Rainbow Perennials has what you need. You'll find a great selection of tried and true perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses, plus many new cultivars that you may not have seen before. They are all grown to perfection and waiting to come home with you! For complete plant listings, click right here for our Products section.

Our 2025 perennial season starts Friday, May 1st. When you visit during the first couple of weeks, here is what you should expect to see. Because our plants are wintered outside, while some of them will be full sized, many of them will be just starting up out of their pots. These plants are not newly planted, they are just starting to break their winter dormancy and will turn out to be the biggest, most robust perennials that you can purchase anywhere. Also, you might see some empty sections of the nursery. This is completely normal for so early in our season. Not every plant we sell during the summer is "awake" yet, also, many types of perennial plants can not be exposed to the frequent frosts of early May. So we keep them in the greenhouses until the warmer weather arrives. Please don't assume that we don't have enough plants to fill the nursery. Actually, we have plants enough to fill this nursery many times over! This is why when you come even very late in the season, we will still be fully stocked with all your favorites! Expanding your gardening plans is a great and economical way to enjoy spending more of your summer months at home. Don't be fooled into buying itty bitty perennials elsewhere that have come-on prices, they will probably not even survive until winter, much less through it! Rainbow Perennials are so much larger and healthier, that you'll find you have a full-grown planting this year, which will make the time and money you spend on your garden instantly rewarding!

Your Shopping Experience at Rainbow Perennials is enhanced by our well-organized and wide open outdoor layout. Aisles in between plant sections are 20 feet apart, and the main aisle is over 10 feet wide.There are over two acres of perennials and shrubs growing here, and you can choose from the best of them. So even if there are several cars here when you come, you'll still feel like you have the place all to yourself!

We continually expand the varieties of plants that we grow including the finest and freshest Perennials, ferns, shade plants, ornamental Grasses, Shrubs, and evergreens, in the hope that you will continue to come to shop at our Farm. Again this year, we expanded our production of Native Grasses, Native Shrubs, and Native flowering Perennials. We have a surprising number of Natives for you to pick from. So many, in fact, that we can't even begin to put them all together in one place as some other nurseries do! But check in with us when you arrive, and we will provide a comprehensive list of species that are reliable and beautiful native plants. Also be sure to stop by this summer to see how you can add Fall blooms, and Fall-colored-foliage plants, shrubs and grasses to your yard this year. Mark and Kathy

We will no longer be growing Hardy Mums here at the farm. It turned out that he space we used for the mums was needed to expand our perennial business to its current size. Thank you for having been a Rainbow Perennials' mum customer, your support over the years has really meant a lot to us! If you haven't come since we discontinued the Mums, you should visit the perennial nursery during the spring and summer. You will be amazed at the quality and unusual varieties of perennials that we can grow here now! And prepare to be shocked at how well our plants grow, and how many years that they faithfully come up each spring!

Used sparingly, bark mulch can be a real asset to the perennial planting. It helps to keep down weeds and aids in maintaining soil moisture. The correct procedure for mulching perennial plants, however, is often misunderstood. Try this when using bark or any other type of mulch in your next project. Perennial roots do not need to be "protected" from winter cold...

More Tips and PERENNIAL CARE SHEET»

Be Ready This Year to get a Volume Discount on the best Perennials, Shrubs, and Grasses in New England. It's this simple: Buy ten plants of any price, and get one more plant free of lowest price purchased. This is about 10% off your entire purchase right from our opening day until we close on Oct. 31st. So don't go looking for a sale out there! We are on sale for the entire season!

Just what makes Rainbow Perennials such a special Place?
Over fifty years ago, Kathy and I set out for the Norwood flea Market in a rented truck with our tables, and displays and several hundred African Violets that we grew under lights in our apartment in Brighton. These were the first plants that we ever grew for sale, and they sold out to the bare walls in a couple of hours! Several iterations of this business have since flourished in our present location, a four acre farm in Carlisle, Ma. Yes, we have a combined growing experience of over a hundred years, but this is not managerial experience, its totally hands on! Every plant that you pick up at this farm had it's pot filled by us, was planted by us, grown by us, and carried to the spot that you see it - by us. No one else has touched it throughout its whole life. This process gives us an intimate knowledge of the plant's growing requirements, that no other employee in ANY other local nursery could ever accumulate. When you come here, make sure to talk to us about our plants! If you just get out of your car and walk around, you'll miss the best part of visiting here. We genuinely love what we do!