Colourful hardy geraniums (Image: Vicki Grimshaw)
With summer on its way many of us are keen to get our garden or outside space looking colourful and inviting. Whether you’re planting into pots or directly into the soil, choosing a plant that will flower year after year is a great way to keep the colour coming back with each summer.
Some low-maintenance plants will work like a dream in your outdoor space, rewarding you with stunning blooms – and many of them are great for pollinators too. A selection of perennials – which come in varying sizes – are perfect for any garden, ensuring beauty each spring or summer. Although some perennials only last a few years, there are several hardy plants that come back to flowering with each season – many will die back each winter, only to return with the spring.
READ MORE: Five best companion plants to grow now for tastier tomatoes, squash and more
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Pink Single Peonies could give a pop of colour to your garden (Image: Getty Images)
We’ve rounded up six of the best for your outdoor area – and there’s sure to be something to suit all yards or gardens.
Peony
These blousy flowers come in various stunning shades of pink and red. The Gardener’s World website reports that they are “renowned for their longevity, and if planted correctly, should require little maintenance”.
These will flower from April to July depending on the variety – and every year you’ll be amazed by their huge flowers.
Real Simple Magazine describes them: “Peonies are one of the all-time most beloved garden flowers, and they’re made even better when you know you only have to plant them once in your lifetime. Peonies are known to live for not just decades, but in some cases, over a century.”
These plants ideally need a sunny spot to thrive in, so a north-facing garden may not suit these pretty plants. They also need a well-drained soil bed, but in the right environment, they’ll flower year after year.
Hardy geraniums are great for bees and butterflies (Image: Vicki Grimshaw)
Hardy geraniums
There’s an array of colour choice when it comes to deciding which hardy geraniums to plant in your garden. These stunning flowers are also a great source of pollen for bees and butterflies.
You’ll need to grow hardy geraniums in moist but well-drained soil. However, these perennials are generally happy to thrive in sun or shade.
Gardener’s World experts recommend cutting them back after flowering “to encourage a second flush of blooms”.
Composting them annually is also recommended with manure or your own homemade compost to feed the plants.
Aside from that, there’s not much tending to do, just enjoy the colourfulness every summertime.
Summer flowering Sedum ‘Indian Chief’ with vibrant pink flowers look beautiful in the sun (Image: Getty Images)
Sedum
Sedum varieties are succulent-leaved perennial plants which are also known as the ice plant. They prefer full sun and will generally only flower if placed in sunlight or partial shade.
Real Simple Magazine suggested that “if you’re looking for a groundcover that you can rely on year after year, sedum is a popular choice”.
These ice plants work really well in rock garden spaces and are extremely drought-tolerant.
The flowers come in several varieties and are a useful source for pollinators.
Real Simple Magazine reports that most hardy sedum species “will last for 10 to 20 years, if not more, and they’re about as low-maintenance as it gets”.
Rudbeckias
The Gardeners’ World website says these perennial rudbeckias are “ever-reliable and there are lots of beautiful types to choose from to suit different gardens”.
Rudbeckias thrive in a sunny spot and they meander into large areas, however you can also grow some types in pots.
Catmint
This sprawling plant will extend in areas it’s planted, but can also be contained in pots. You’ll not need to do a lot at all to keep Catmint going year after year as it “thrives on neglect”.
Real Simple Magazine explained: “Catmint has a lot to offer your yard. In addition to producing a dense bush of bright-colored flowers, it’s also aromatic, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and pollinator-friendly.
“A great choice for beginner gardeners, catmint thrives on neglect and can live for a decade.”
Aster
From the daisy family, Asters promise colour blooms of wonder year after year with the right care.
Purple and pink varieties along with white, red or yellow could all thrive in your summer garden.
They should be thinned out every few years to keep them healthy if growing in large areas.
There are varieties to suit most gardens though as some types are fine in the shade, others will keep going in pots, with some also being ideal for rock gardens – most garden centres should be able to advise the best variety for your outdoor space.