5 perennial garden ideas to make your garden POP! You HAVE to plant these in your garden this year!
Mother Nature finally decided she was tired of wearing her winter boots, so she donned her cute strappy sandals and flipped the switch on spring this weekend. I got to get out and dig in the dirt a little, which always rejuvenates me.
So I put together a fancy list of my five favorite perennials, in case you are starting to plant too and you're thinking "Wonder what kind of perennials, Pam would recommend?"
Warning, I'm a 6A myself (that could be my bra size too), so if you are silly enough to live in Hawaii rather than Ohio, these might not work for you. If you are unsure of your zone, you can go to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and type in your zip code and it will give you your zone.
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) - great for partial to fully shaded areas. Comes in pink, red, white and yellow and are hardy in zones 3-9.
I love to see the little hearts come out when most of my other plants haven't started blooming yet. They do not bloom all summer here though (might be different in your area). I have mine planted right beside a hosta, so by the time the hosta is getting full, this one is dying back. Sort of like a tag team of perennial planting.
Coral Bells (Heuchera) - can take anything from sun to part shade and are hardy in zones 3-9, depending on the variety (this is where reading the tags comes in handy).
I grow them mainly for the leaf coloring. This one's leaves vary from green to puple-ish, but they come in pretty shades of gold and chocolate brown also. They do have flower spikes that come up, but they are pretty dainty. Most people are like me and grow them for the foliage, I believe.
Hellebore (Helleborus) - zones 4-9. They are supposed to be part sun to shade loving, but I have my Hellebore in full sun for 80% of the daylight hours and it does just fine.
It's a low growing, mounding type perennial and the flowers are gorgeous and a little exotic looking.
Astilbe - part sun to shade and are hardy in zones 4-8.
I can't say enough about these plants. Love them!
They have the prettiest flower plumes in gorgeous shades of red, white, pink or purples. It is a light airy plant that looks great with ferns and hosta.
Speedwell (Veronica) - they like full sun and are hardy for zones 4-8.
They are known for being low maintenance. I have some planted at the end of my driveway and I haven't watered them in 5 years. OK, it rains on them occasionally, but I haven't had to drag a hose out there.
And best of all, bees and butterflies absolutely love Speedwell!
Do you have any perennials that you just can not live without?
Other Gardening Ideas you might enjoy:
How To Grow Peonies Your Neighbors Will Envy
10 Best Shade Plants For Your Garden
Old Fashioned Flowers For Your Garden
(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)
TARYTERRE
LOVE the speedwell. My landscaping leaves a lot to be desired, though.
Debbie Borthwick
My favourite garden is my woodland garden. I collect hosta and add other variety of shade plants in with them for contrast. Especially the many colours of heuchera! And can't live without astilbe, ferns, hellebore, dicentra, hydrangea, and goatsbeard. Our gardening style is very similar!
Debbie 🙂
Leslie Harris
I planted boxwood years ago and never realized how glad I was until I made fresh boxwood wreaths at Christmas. So I'm a boxwood fan 🙂
Leslie (Gwen Moss)
20 North Ora
Pam - Thanks for the ideas. I love that Astilbe and have quite a few Hostas but would like some color. I might try that.
Judy
NanaDiana
Those are some of my favorites, too, Pam...and hostas...I love hostas. We still have snow banks and more snow coming this week- UGH- xo Diana
Melinda
I too like the Hostas.
Have not heard of the others.
M 🙂
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
So pretty, Pam! Astilbe and speedwell are some of my favorites here, too...I can't wait until we have something growing in the garden. The snow is nearly gone but now they are talking about a couple of inches tomorrow...at least it can't last long!
Tricia
I love astilbe and bleeding hearts too! I planted speedwell once and it spread everywhere so I ripped it out. I echo the last two sentences of Linda's comment...we're both in Minnesota.
Joanne Noragon
I once rehung a door to open the opposite direction in order to clear the hummingbird flight path to my coral bell plants. Years later it occurred to me I might have moved the plants, but I'm sure I would not have been so proud of myself.
Stacey
I love heucheras! I had lots of them in Oklahoma around our pond. You picked some good ones.
Jane
Great information! I'm not very good in the garden so I appreciate all the wonderful info. I'll check these out.
Jane
Jill
You're right, they are low maintenance plants, that's why I have them!!
Musings from Kim K.
You've listed all of my favorites. I simply can't wait for this weather to finally switch. Rumor has it snow is in the forecast later this week.
ThrifterSisters
Not in Zone 6 but still love to look at pretty flowers!
Thanks for putting me in a Spring-y mood:-)
Erica
Sandy aka Doris the Great
You're so fortunate; Mother Nature here has on rain boots and a woolen sweater yet. But I did get the opportunity to get out this weekend and rake the leaves off the flower beds to enjoy the crocus and greenery coming up.
Sally
Good info! I have bleeding hearts and astilbe, but they're not even up yet! I also have Hellebore, though a different variety. And the Speedwell is new to me. I'm going to look for that one! I am 6a too.
DaiseyJayne.com
Great selection, I love bleeding hearts 🙂
Carlene @ Organized Clutter
I have coral bells in a couple colors and astilbes. My bleeding heart and veronica actually died last year when we had no snow.
Michelle
Mulch , mulch, mulch! I live north East of Buffalo, .NY. Took me a while to get used to this zone. In the fall, after the ground is frozen add a good 3 inch layer over all but the crown of your perennials. Works wonders! It's like tucking things in for the winter. Must wait for the ground to freeze though. Otherwise you will also be creating the perfect environment for mice and moles who will happily eat roots and bulbs all winter. They will be happy, but you won't. Happy gardening and good luck.
Olive
I cannot live with out salvia. Of these I only have some speedwell. The deer will gobble up hostas here like a kid will est mac and cheese.
Olive
Eat...