## Some of Them Are Just a Waste of Money
I’ve planted thousands of perennials over my career and to be honest with you, some of them are just a waste of money, they look great at the garden center, survived one season, and then done, nothing left to them, but there’s a list of perennials that I keep coming back to year after year, job after job, client after client, simply because they perform.
## They Make My Clients Happy
They make my clients happy, they look great in the landscape, and today I’m giving you that list backed by 25 years in the landscape industry, 10 perennials I will always use, no exceptions, stay with me because number 10 on the list is going to surprise you, most people have never considered planting it.
## The Most Underutilized Perennial in the American Landscape
And it’s perhaps the most underutilized perennial in the American landscape, now before we dive in, I want to clarify what I mean by the word perennial, these are plants that come back year after year from the same root system, you plant them once and if you choose the right ones, they just keep giving, that’s the deal.
## Low Input, High Output, Every Single Year
The 10 that I’m giving you today are low input, high output and will put on a show every single year, number one, and I already know what you’re thinking, Daylilies, Hemerocallis, really? that’s old, that’s what my grandmother grew in her yard, and you know you’re right, and that’s exactly why it’s on this list.
## The Daylily Is a Workhorse
The Daylily is a workhorse, it is one of the most adaptable, reliable perennials ever put in the ground, heat, it handles it, drought, once established, handles that, too, poor soils handles that as well, they’re tough as nails, now, here’s where things get interesting with Daylilies, most people think of the old orange ditch Daylilies, Hemerocallis fulva, but the Daylily world has evolved dramatically.
“The Tetraploids Have Given Us Incredible Range”
- Four-Chromosome Plants Give Us Amazing Variety
- Tetraploids Bring Us Great New Choices
- Four Sets of Chromosomes Give Us More Options
“One of the Most Adaptable Plants in the Perennial Garden”
- One of the Toughest Plants for Any Garden
- A Plant That Grows Well Anywhere in the Yard
- One of the Most Flexible Garden Flowers
“The Undisputed King of Shade Gardens”
- The Absolute Ruler of Shady Spots
- The Best Plant for Darker Garden Areas
- The Top Choice for Growing in the Shade
Next up on our list is the undisputed champion of shade gardens: Hostas. If you have a shady area on your property—and nearly every homeowner does—Hostas are an ideal solution.
“The Tetraploids Have Given Us Incredible Range”
- Four-Chromosome Plants Give Us Amazing Variety
- Tetraploids Bring Us Great New Choices
- Four Sets of Chromosomes Give Us More Options
- “One of the Most Adaptable Plants in the Perennial Garden”
- One of the Toughest Plants for Any Garden
- A Plant That Grows Well Anywhere in the Yard
- One of the Most Flexible Garden Flowers
“The Undisputed King of Shade Gardens”
- The Absolute Ruler of Shady Spots
- The Best Plant for Darker Garden Areas
- The Top Choice for Growing in the Shade
And the variety is remarkable.”Some of the Most Striking Foliage Combinations You’ll Ever Find”:
Leaf color ranges from bright chartreuse to deep blue-green to almost white, and the variegated varieties, some of the most striking foliage combinations you’ll ever find in the plant kingdom anywhere, one thing I always tell my clients about Hostas, give them plenty of room, sure, they look cute in that little 4-in pot you picked them up in at the garden center, but they can get very big.
## They Need Four, Five, Even Six Foot of Space
Some of these giants include Sum and Substance and Empress Wu, they need four, five, even six foot of space to do what they’re meant to do, if you live in a high pressure deer area, deer will feed on Hostas, also, slugs can be a slight problem on these as well, but for full shade areas, it is very difficult to outperform the Hosta.
## Black-Eyed Susan, as Tough as They Come
Number three on our list is as tough as they come, Black-Eyed Susan, and specifically, I reach for the cultivar Goldstrum, Goldstrum has been an industry standard for decades and for very good reason, Black-Eyed Susans are a native plant and when I say native, I mean it’s evolved to thrive in our conditions, it doesn’t ask for much, full sun, decent drainage.
## It Self-Seeds and Clumps Up Over Time
And it will reward you with golden yellow flowers with that classic dark center from midsummer all the way into fall, but here’s what I really love about Rudbeckia, it spreads naturally, not aggressively, not in a way that becomes a headache, but it self-seeds and it clumps up over time, plant it in the right spot and in 3 to 5 years, you’ve got a full drift of color without ever buying another plant.
## A Plant That Earns Its Keep Even When It’s Not Flowering
After the blooms fade, leave the seed heads on, this is important, the goldfinches love them, you’re supporting pollinators through bloom and wildlife with seed afterwards, that is what I call a plant that earns its keep even when it’s not flowering, plant Black-Eyed Susans in full sun, they’re drought-resistant once established and also deer resistant.
## If You Have a Blazing Hot Hillside, This Is Your Plant
So if you have a blazing hot hillside that you have no idea what to do with, this is your plant, number four is one of the more classically beautiful perennials that you can grow and it’s just now starting to wake up for me here in early spring, Shasta Daisy, there’s something about a white daisy with a yellow center that’s just timeless, clean, elegant.
## Shasta Daisies Are Connector Plants
Works in formal gardens, works in cottage gardens, works as a cut flower, the Shasta Daisy does it all, what I love about Shasta Daisies is their versatility in the design process, they pair beautifully with flower colors in the blues, Salvia, Nepeta, Veronica, they work alongside warm colors, Rudbeckia, Gaillardia, Helenium, Shasta Daisies are connector plants, whatever you put next to them, they make it look better.
## Divide Them Every Two to Three Years to Keep Them Vigorous
Now, Shasta Daisies can be short-lived, sometimes behaving more like a biennial, so, I recommend dividing them every two to three years to keep them vigorous, look for newer varieties like Becky or Banana Cream if you want to improve longevity and rebloom, full sun, good drainage, that’s really all they ask for, and in return, they’ll provide you weeks and weeks of beautiful white flowers.
## Number Five Is a Pollinator Powerhouse
Number five is a pollinator powerhouse, not to be confused with the annual or culinary Salvia, this Salvia here is a perennial and it performs outstanding, the purple flower spikes on this plant are stunning, and what I love is they come early, late spring to early summer, and if you deadhead them after the first flush, they’ll push another round of blooms for you.
## Checking Every Box I Care About
Perennial
Self-returning plant
Hardy garden plant
Long-lasting plant
Permanent plant
Multi-year plant
## Plant It Once and It Will Come Back Year After Year
There is not a plant on this list that brings in more pollinators and requires less work from you than Salvia, plant it once and it will come back year after year, number six on the list brings something to the garden that few other plants can and that is fragrance, this is Phlox, walk past a Phlox in full bloom and you’ll understand why it’s been in America’s gardens for over a hundred years.
Water at the Base
- Water the soil near the roots.
- Wet the dirt, not the leaves.
- Pour water on the ground at the bottom.
- Give water to the roots only.
Pick Strong Plants
- Choose tough plants that fight sickness.
- Buy healthy types that do not break easily.
- Select strong seeds or plants.
- Find hardy plants that stay well.
Go for tough crops that resist illness well.
They will give your garden bright and beautiful colors.
## How Do You Get Color in a Shaded Area Without Flowers?
Number seven on our list is a plant that forever changed the way that I think about foliage and that is Heuchera or Coral Bells, and for me, this one’s all about color in the shade, I talk a lot about plants that solve problems, a Coral Bell solves one of the hardest problems in landscaping, how do you get color in a shaded area without flowers?
## Roughly 10 Months of Foliage Color
The answer is Heucheras, the foliage on modern Heuchera varieties is extraordinary, we’re talking deep burgundies, caramel, lime green, electric orange, almost pure silver, this plant will give you color from early spring all the way to your first hard freeze, here is zone 8A, roughly 10 months of foliage color.
## It’s a Two-for-One Plant
When everything else is dormant, especially in those milder climates, Heuchera can provide color where nothing else can, beyond the foliage, the flowers are a bonus, delicate, wiry stems with tiny bell-shaped flowers that the hummingbirds adore, it’s a two-for-one plant, Coral Bells perform best in partial shade, they can handle full shade, but won’t give you the best color.
Dry soil, fast-draining earth, porous ground
Critical: Essential, crucial, very important
Do not like wet feet: Hate soggy soil, dislike standing water, rot in damp earth
Colder climates: Cold regions, chilly winter areas
Mulch them
- Cover them
- Add ground cover
- Protect the soil
- Put down compost
Freeze-thaw cycle
- Temperature swings
- Weather changes
- Cold and warm shifts
- Alternating freeze and thaw
Variety selection matters
- Choice of type is key
- Picking the right kind counts
- Selection is important
- Plant choice matters
Retail garden center: Plant nursery, local plant shop
You will not regret it: You will love the result, you will be happy with them
## Planting Something That Won’t Be Eaten Is a Significant Advantage
Number eight on the list is a spring anchor, the Daffodils, and I want to make the case for why every landscape should have Daffodils in the garden, first, and most importantly, in my experience, deer don’t touch them, squirrels don’t touch them either, in a world where deer pressure is making it harder and harder to grow what we want to grow, planting something that won’t be eaten is a significant advantage.
## That’s the Definition of Low Maintenance
Secondly, Daffodils can naturalize, you plant a Daffodil bulb in the fall, they bloom in the spring, and year after year the clumps get bigger, you never have to do anything, that’s the definition of low maintenance, the variety within the Narcissus genus is staggering, you’ve got your classic large cup trumpets, your small cup varieties, doubles that look like something out of a Dutch painting, and miniatures that are perfect for the front of a border.
## You Can Have Daffodil Blooms for Six or Even 8 Weeks
Bloom times are staggering as well, from very early spring all the way into May, so, if you choose your varieties thoughtfully, you can have Daffodil blooms for six or even 8 weeks, one side note about Daffodils, you need to leave the foliage on the plant until they begin to brown and die back, the sun is providing energy to the bulb for next year’s flowers as well.
## The Other Ones Green Up to Hide the Brown
I suggest planting other perennials that come out later in the season around your Daffodils such as Salvia or Daylilies, as these brown, the other ones green up to hide the brown, number nine on the list fills the gap that few other plants can, this is Sedum Autumn Joy, when most other plants are doing nothing, Sedum Autumn Joy is putting on a show.
## Things Are Starting to Look Tired
- Fading and weary: Plants lose their bright colors and look exhausted.
- Waning and spent: The blooming period ends and energy runs out.
- Seedy and weather-beaten: Flowers go to seed and show damage from the weather.
- Drooping and past their prime: Stems bend down and look old.
- Dull and forlorn: The garden loses its lively look.
Then there’s Autumn Joy, reaching its peak display. Level-topped bloom groups, broad flower heads, even-topped blossoms
soft pink:
- Pale pink
- Light pink
- Gentle pink
- Rose pink
- Blush pink
- Baby pink
- Pale rose
- Muted pink
Rich rose: Deep rose, bright pink, dark pink
Rusty copper
- Rusty brown
- Dark orange-brown
- Autumn red
- Rust color
- Copper red
- Deep terracotta
- Burnt orange
- Reddish brown
Temperatures begin to fall
- Weather cools down
- Air turns chilly
- Autumn arrives
- Temperature drops
- It gets colder
- Fall sets in
Cooler weather starts / A chill is in the air
- Temperature drops
- Autumn arrives
- Weather turns cool
- Fresh breeze blows
- Crisp air begins
Four distinct stages (Four unique phases, four separate steps, four clear changes)
- Four clear phases
- Four separate steps
- Four different stages
- Four unique parts
- Four distinct turns
Growing season: Plant cycle, active year, bloom time
Especially Stunning With Frost or a Light Layer of Snow
In spring, succulent blue-green rosettes emerge, structural and interesting, by midsummer, tight flower buds form, the green heads look almost like broccoli, then the pink opens up in late summer, and finally by fall, those rusty bronze seed heads persist well into winter, especially beautiful with a frost or a light dusting of snow.
## This Plant Is Bulletproof
This plant is bulletproof, it is drought-resistant, it is a succulent and in winter it provides a habitat for those beneficial insects as well, number 10, the one I told you that would surprise you, the Lenten Rose or Helleborus, and I want you to pay close attention here because this is one of the most underused, underappreciated perennials in American landscaping, people don’t talk about it enough.
## Blooming Quietly, Beautifully Right Through the Cold
Here’s why it’s extraordinary, it blooms in late winter to early spring, we’re talking February into March in many parts of the country, when your landscape is dormant, when the ground is barely thawed, when you’re desperate for something, anything to be alive and blooming out there, the Lenten Rose is blooming quietly, beautifully in your shade garden right through the cold.
## These Flowers Are Stunning Up Close
The flowers are nodding, they face downward, which puts off some people, but get down and look up into the Hellebore flower, deep plum, soft pink, creamy white, almost black, bi-colors, etc., these flowers are stunning up close and the foliage is semi-evergreen, in mild winters, the leaves hold on all year, it is an evergreen ground cover for shade that happens to produce breathtaking flowers in the middle of winter.
## By Year Three, You’ve Got a Plant That Will Live for Years and Years
It’s slow to establish, I want to be honest with you about that, the first year is just getting its roots in the ground, but by year three, you’ve got a plant that will live for years and years in the garden, they can reseed and naturalize an area over time, I have seen mature Lenten Rose plantings that have been in the ground for centuries.
## Providing Flowers in the Garden When Hardly Nothing Else Will
Deer resistant, slug resistant, drought resistant once established, providing flowers in the garden when hardly nothing else will, this is why Lenten Rose deserves a spot on this list, all right, there’s your list, 10 perennials I will always use after 25 years of landscaping, and if you look at the list, all 10 of these have something in common, high performance for low input on your end.
