Long-Blooming Perennials

Perennial flowers bloom year after year, but not all perennial flowers stay in bloom all summer. When their blossoms depart, you're left with a hole in the garden. So what is the solution if you want to plug the holes and maintain constant color in your summer yard? Grow plants that will "stand by you."

Although individual Stella de Oro daylily blooms last only one day, these perennials do an excellent job of reblooming. Hence the popularity of Stella de Oro daylily when seeking color all summer long. In short, Stella de Oro is one of those constant plants that you can rely on.

Caradonna salvia plants, nicknamed "meadow sage," have strikingly delicate flower spikes. Caradonna salvia flowers are dark; the purplish-blue color of these long-blooming perennials holds up all summer. I recommend growing a number of different blue salvias to add variety; all of them bear long-lasting blooms.

May Night salvia is a long-blooming perennial for zones 3-9. This type of salvia is better-known than Caradonna and also has a more robust flower stalk. As with the other blue salvias I have written about, May Night salvia will bloom throughout the summer if deadheaded.

'Blue Hill' is another very popular salvia. Grow this long-blooming perennial in zones 4-8. The blooms on Blue Hill salvia are a lighter color than those on Caradonna and May Night. I think Caradonna and Blue Hill make an especially effective combination when grown together.

When you hear "lavender," what is the first thing that pops into your mind? Some probably think of a color first. Others may think of a smell. In the context of discussing English lavender plants, both reactions enjoy ample justification. The flowers are a lavender color, and the heaven-sent scent of the dried plants makes them an inveterate ingredient in potpourri.

Moonbeam coreopsis bears light yellow flowers, and the more common coreopsis has orange blooms. But you are not limited to yellow and orange when growing these long-blooming perennials. I have been growing one (Ruby Frost) with 2 colors on its petals (red and yellow) on a trial basis to see how it performs.

Russian sage has a "misty" look to it, not unlike blue mist shrub (Caryopteris). Its delicate texture makes this sub-shrub a sound choice if you want contrast with plants that have a coarser texture. Use Russian sage along a border as an edging plant. Due to its drought-tolerance, it can also work in a rock garden.