Blanket Flower
Blanket flower (gaillardia) is a drought- and heat-tolerant perennial wildflower that provides
long-lasting color in a sunny border with poor soil. In red, gold, or brown, its daisy-like, 3-inch wide, single or double perennial flowers bloom through the summer and into the fall. Although often short-lived, it is easy to grow and will flower the first year from seed.Veronica
The 7-inch spikes of veronica bloom atop 12- to 24-inch plants in shades of blue or red from early summer through fall. In the North, veronica prefers sun, but it likes a bit of shade in the South. Plant these perennial flowers at the front of the bed.
Tall Garden Phlox
Phlox paniculata -- garden, tall, or border phlox -- grows 3 to 4 feet tall and bears large trusses of fragrant perennial flowers from summer to early fall. It's an old-fashioned favorite that has few rivals for its color display and light, sweet fragrance. It's well suited to the back of the garden and cottage gardens.
Russian Sage
Suited to larger gardens, this 3-foot-wide by 5-foot-tall perennial creates clouds of blue flowers in late summer. Russian sage likes sun, and is tolerant of drought and heat. Plant these perennial flowers at the back of the bed and give it room to grow.
Perennial Sage
Hybrid perennial sage, a relative of the herb garden favorite, combines 18-inch spikes of blue, purple, or white perennial flowers with attractive gray-green foliage. Plant sage in the front or middle of the border in a sunny spot. The variety shown here, 'May Night', is both cold-hardy and showy.
Summer Power Perennials
Grow a sizzling summer garden with these plant-and-forget favorites.
Asters
A staple of the fall garden, asters burst forth with their starlike perennial flowers in late summer and autumn. Bloom colors include rich pinks, blues, purples, and ruby reds. They can soar to 5 feet, depending on the species, and are excellent for beds and borders as well as for cutting to bring indoors.
Astilbe
The feathery plumes of astilbe rise above fernlike foliage for a month or more in late spring and early summer. Available in shades of pink, white, and red, astilbe is ideal for shady, moist spots. Plant a swath of these 2- to 3-foot-tall perennial flowers for a memorable display year after year.
Purple Coneflower
This prairie wildflower achieves a level of sophistication in the 'Magnus' variety, which throws its petals out horizontally daisy-style. Coneflower tolerates heat and drought, and it blooms all summer long. Plant these 30-inch-tall perennial flowers in the middle or back of the bed.
Switchgrass
A lovely North American native prairie grass, switchgrass offers the garden beauty and easy maintenance. Varieties grow from 2 to 6 feet tall and have airy, cloudlike plumes. Some varieties have rich red or purple foliage in autumn.
Yarrow
Even if you've never gardened before, you can grow yarrow with little effort. Yarrow is an amazing perennial that is hardy throughout most of the United States and can withstand heat, drought, and cold. These perennial flowers are valued in the garden for its ferny, gray-green or dark green, spicy-scented foliage and showy, flat-topped clusters of flowers in pink, red, white, or yellow appearing from late spring to early fall.
Peonies
Often sweetly fragrant, the peony is a very long-lived perennial flower that forms 2- to 4-foot-tall clumps in shrublike bunches. Its numerous varieties offer a wide range of colors-- almost every shade except blue -- with some bicolors, and blooming periods from late spring to early summer.
Threadleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis comes in a wide range of sizes and several colors. The threadleaf varieties of these perennial flowers -- like 'Moonbeam' and 'Zagreb' -- produce blankets of small daisy-like flowers all summer long in yellow or pink, with soft, ferny foliage. (In hot areas, flower production may slow temporarily.) Grandiflora varieties ('Early Sunrise' is one popular version) produce larger orange-yellow blooms. Give this plant a starring role in the middle of the bed.
Siberian Iris
Siberian iris adds color to flowerbeds in early summer, and vertical accents all summer long. Like most irises, these are moisture-loving plants, but once established they will tolerate dry soil. The blooms appear atop leafless stems rising from the 2-foot-tall grasslike foliage. Colors include white, blue, yellow, and violet, with many bicolors. In addition to brightening the garden, Siberian iris provides a steady supply of cut flowers.
Penstemon
Penstemon produces attractive spikes of tubular perennial flowers in pink, blue, lavender, white, or shades of red. The variety 'Husker Red' (from the University of Nebraska) combines white flowers and purple leaves, creating a wonderful contrast when combined with plants with light green leaves. Place this 3-foot-tall gem in the middle or back of the bed, and give it plenty of sunshine.
Daffodils
Daffodils are dependable perennial bulbs, blooming in early, mid, or late spring, depending on the cultivar. The flowers have a central trumpet (corolla) -- the length varies among cultivars -- surrounded by a collar of petals (perianth) that can be a different color. Colors include yellow, orange, white, red, and peach. Some are fragrant. The strappy, narrow leaves emerge before the flowers do and are a little shorter than the flower stalk.
Pincushion Flower
Pincushion flower, or scabiosa, serves up dainty blue perennial flowers all summer and into fall, making it one of the longest-lasting bloomers in the perennial bed. It likes sun or partial shade, and is best at the front of the bed. The foot-tall variety 'Blue Butterfly' stands up to heat best.
Moss Phlox
Perfect for rock gardens, alongside paved areas, the front of raised perennial gardens, or as a ground cover on a slope, moss phlox forms a dense, creeping mat up to 6 inches high and 2 feet wide. The small leaves are slightly prickly, and the entire plant is covered with fragrant white, pink, blue, lavender, or red flowers in spring. The foliage is semi-evergreen in the North and evergreen in the South.
Black-Eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan is truly an American icon. Blooming from midsummer until frost, its orange or golden yellow blooms just keep coming. The variety 'Goldsturm', shown here, tops out at about 2 feet, making it perfect for the middle or back of the bed. It loves sun and is drought-tolerant.
Sedum
The fleshy leaves and bright flowers make sedum a popular perennial. It is practically foolproof, and offers spectacular color during the latter part of the growing season when most other flowers are fading.
Coralbells
This front-of-the-bed favorite offers a multitude of charms. Chief among them is the crinkly multicolored foliage. The variety 'Purple Palace' is especially noteworthy for its deep purple leaves. The tiny perennial flowers, borne on stalks above the leaves, appear in late spring. Coralbells like sun or partial shade.
Hardy Hibiscus
Unlike their tropical cousins, Hardy Hibiscus will overwinter as far north as Zone 4. Although they die back to the ground each year, Hardy Hibiscus can grow 5-6 feet tall in one season, producing an eye-popping show of dinner-plate-size blooms. Colorsinclude white, pink, red, and yellow, often with a contrasting "eye" of color in the center of each bloom. These bold perennials are a snap to grow, too. All they ask for is a sunny spot with a rich, slightly moist soil. Hardy Hibiscus can be slow to break dormancy in the spring and won't grow until soil temperatures heat up.
Daylily
Talk about versatile! Daylilies come in a seemingly endless selection of colors and flower types and will flourish in almost any situation. Although they are sun worshippers, they will still produce flowers (although a lesser amount) when grown in light shade. Daylilies are also tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions and won’t slow down even during times of drought. Some daylily varieties bloom on and off all summer, while others will put on a big dramatic show once a year. They look great in the landscape and don’t need to be coddled to survive. Just remember to weed them to keep grass and other weeds at bay.
Chrysanthemum
Create some fireworks in your fall garden with a generous helping of chrysanthemums. These autumn bloomers work just as well in containers as they do in the border. Flowers are available in red, orange, purple, white, and yellow, and vary in size from cute buttonlike blooms to softball-size giants. Chrysanthemums will come back every year, but they have a tendency to die out after a few seasons. That’s why it’s a good idea to plant new chrysanthemums every year.
Asiatic Lily
For reliable summer color, you can’t beat Asiatic Lilies. These bright charmers are available in a cheerful variety of yellow, orange, red, white, cream, rose, purple, and bicolors. Asiatic Lilies grow easily from bulbs planted in the spring or fall. They require a sunny spot with well-drained soil, but otherwise, are undemanding. Plus, each year these vigorous plants form bigger and better clumps that you can dig and divide to share with friends. Asiatic Lilies grow 24-36 inches tall and make great cut flowers.
Hosta
Electrify the shady corners of your landscape with hostas. Colorful and reliable, hostas vary from 4-inch-tall dwarfs to 4-foot-tall giants. Although prized for their beautiful blue, green, chartreuse, or bicolor foliage, hostas also send up lovely spikes of pink, lavender, or white flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. These rugged perennials are almost impossible to kill, but slugs, snails, and deer will feast on them, so be prepared to do battle if these pests are common in your region. Hostas grow well in containers, too, so be sure to pot up some of your favorites with shade-loving annuals, such as impatiens and begonias.
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