Perennial Power: Five Flowers for Year-Round Garden Appeal

Transform your garden into a perennial paradise with these five long-lasting blooms that bring color and vitality to your space year after year. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or a green-thumb novice, these enduring perennials—Eastern Bee Balm, Coneflower, Hellebore, Solomon's Seal, and Black-eyed Susan—offer beauty and resilience with minimal maintenance. Discover how these hardy plants can create a garden that thrives through the seasons, providing a splash of color and attracting pollinators while standing up to the elements.

Eastern Bee Balm

Monarda bradburiana or Eastern Bee Balm is a great choice for a long-lasting, native perennial because it has 3 seasons of interest. I have several large groupings of this plant in my pollinator garden and am constantly impressed by its performance. It emerges in early Spring with interesting foliage followed by fringey pink flowers. After the flowers fade, the seed head left behind is still pink and globe-like. I just gave this plant the “Chelsea Chop” and hope to get another flush of flowers late this summer and into fall. You can grow the straight species or ‘Midnight Oil’ that features the slightest dark purple foliage. It grows well in poor soil conditions with full sun or partial shade and tops out at 1-2 feet tall and wide.

Coneflower

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a long-lasting perennial that has a wildflower, whimsey look. They come in almost any color imaginable from the traditional purple coneflower to ‘Green Twister’ that features hot pink centers and lime green edging on its petals. Different shapes and sizes from very open, pulled-back petals to double-flowered centers are available. There is a coneflower for everyone and breeding programs are coming up with new and exciting varietals each year. There has also been extensive pollinator and plant health research conducted through Mt. Cuba Center. Citizen scientists tally every pollinator visitor seen in their trial gardens and the results are reported to the public. Some of the best-performing echinacea included in their trials are ‘Pica Bella’, Sensation Pink’, ‘Santa Fe’, ‘Snow Cone’, ‘Glowing Dream’, E. ‘Purple Emperor’, ‘Fragrant Angel’, ‘Balsomcor’ (SOMBRERO® Hot Coral), and  ‘Julia’. Coneflowers grow 2-3’ tall and prefer full sun, but will also grow in partial shade. They are deer tolerant, adaptable to any soil type, and like medium to dry moisture conditions. Pictured here is ‘White Swan.’ I’m growing it in my pollinator strip because it has taller stems to match the height of neighboring plants. Here are some flowers in bloom and where I have removed the spent petals.

Hellebore

It can be difficult to find a perennial that is semi-evergreen, has a long bloom time, and performs best in the shade, but Hellebore (Helleborus orientalis) checks all of those boxes. It blooms in January when little else in the garden is blooming. The flowers age beautifully on this plant lasting for months. Many of the flowers still look great in my garden. It comes in several colors and flower shapes mostly in the red/purple, pink, and white family. I like the ‘Wedding’ and the ‘Ice N’ Roses’ series. ‘Viv Victoria’ is a burgundy red that can tolerate full sun. They grow 12-24” tall and 12-48” wide, however, they are fairly slow-growing and easy to divide. 

Variegated Solomon’s Seal

If you want to bring interest and light to a shade garden with something other than hostas, Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum 'Variegatum') is the perfect choice. It slowly spreads by rhizomes and can naturalize an area with a small initial clump in a few growing seasons. It grows 18-24” tall and its white and green leaves gracefully arch over the landscape. The plant is grown for its foliage although it has small bell-like flowers that develop along the bottom of the leaf that eventually become berries (do not eat them). The leaves turn an attractive, golden yellow in the fall before withering away for winter. Grow in the shade with moist, well-drained soil. 

Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan, also known as Rudbeckia hirta, is a vibrant and hardy perennial known for its striking, daisy-like flowers with bright yellow petals and a dark brown or green centers. This is a hardy plant! I rescued some that almost looked dead from the big box three years ago. Then we planted it in a back corner because we had zero gardens established at the time. We forgot about them and my husband mowed them for a season and a half before I realized it and they look amazing this year. If they can survive constant mowing, they can survive anything! This versatile plant is a favorite in many gardens due to its long blooming period, typically from midsummer to fall, and its ability to attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Black-eyed Susans are excellent for adding a pop of color to garden beds, borders, and wildflower meadows. Rudbeckia prefers full sun, but it can handle partial shade. I have some in my North facing garden and they have done totally fine. I took this picture last weekend at The Gardener’s Workshop Farm.

Incorporating long-lasting perennials like Eastern Bee Balm, Coneflower, Hellebore, Solomon's Seal, and Black-eyed Susan into your garden ensures a vibrant and enduring display of color throughout the seasons. These hardy plants not only enhance the beauty of your garden but also attract beneficial pollinators, contributing to a healthy ecosystem. With minimal maintenance, these perennials provide a reliable and stunning backdrop to your garden's ever-changing landscape. Embrace the timeless appeal and resilience of these perennials to create a garden that thrives year after year, offering joy and beauty with each bloom.

Keep Blooming,

Nicole Dillon | Breemar Flower Farm | Ashland, VA