Sun Perennials To Add To Your Garden
Achillea or commonly known as yarrow. Is one of the top hardiest perennials for our zone. It thrives in cold winters and full sun. Is drought tolerant once established, however will give you plenty more blooms with weekly watering. It spreads moderately and while the classic yellow is sweet, so many more colors are available; berry pinks, oranges and whites are all so lovely.
Nepeta or commonly known as catmint. The pollinators love this plant. With two sizes available, a lower variety for the front of the garden or a taller variety for the middle of the garden. It has a silver to its green leaf and a lavender purple small flower. It can be pruned back after the first bloom has gone by for a second blooming later in the season. A very sweet, but sometimes messy and wild native for your garden.
Echinacea or commonly known as coneflower. Even the darker green leaf is lovely before it blooms. My personal favorite as a girl, because I loved not only the dusty pink color of the petals but the burnt orange color of the cone in the center. So many other hybrids out there with warm reds and oranges and the ever popular white. This plant has so many uses, spreads moderately and a great source of nectar for our local pollinators.
Aster New England Aster is my favorite. You have to be patient when you have aster in your garden. Plant in a place where your spring and early summer perennials have gone by and the aster will be next in line to be the star of the show. Tiny daisy-like flowers dance all over this plant and if you sit and wait the buzzing of the bees will lull you to sleep.
Peony any and all varieties! The layers and layers of petals some varieties display make me wish I was Thumbelina so I could curl up and take a nap inside. Peonies arrive in June making us all wish they lasted all summer. If I could just plant one flower, peonies might just be it. The foliage is lovely when not in bloom too!
Iris the bearded Iris come in all colors, my personal favorites look like they have ruffles! Another nostalgic perennial that reminds me of my childhood. I love how tall some of the varieties are, they are so proud to bloom and a joy to watch open its petals.
Daisy from the classic Shasta daisy with white petals and yellow center to fancy superbum hybrids (you’ll have to look it up!).
Lupine another nostalgic flower blooming in shades of purples, blues, pinks and reds. Bring a cottage garden feel to your property with this perennial, a very tough and hardy perennial. Once established, it does not like its roots disturbed.
Rudbeckia or better known as Black-Eyed-Susan, this plant is a producer! A variety of heights, colors and offers blooms with such longevity for your garden. A classic summer perennial!
Sedum is part of the succulent family and can be low and spread or mid height and stay in place. It is a summer bloom, however, from spring until bloom it adds such great texture and interest to your garden. Loves a full sun site, very drought tolerant and so many colors to choose from!
Salvia can be planted on the border or in the middle of the garden, depending on the height of the variety. It’s a wonderful welcome to the garden in June with its purple blooms and once the petals fall cut the blooms back to the base and it will send up a second bloom late summer.