Many gardeners choose perennials not only for their looks, but because they can save time and money.
These plants live beyond one growing season and come back year after year—no replanting required. Plus, many perennials are fairly low-maintenance; they can thrive in less-than-ideal soil and don’t require lots of watering, but they still produce gorgeous greenery and flowers.
Take a look at the top long-blooming perennials that keep your garden looking beautiful:
Tickseed
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These hardy plants typically come into bloom in mid- to late-summer, and after that, the daisy-like flowers will just keep on coming well into the fall. “Like most long-blooming things, make sure you deadhead as you go,” says Elizabeth Brown, author of The Beginner’s Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Nourish, and Create Bliss Year-Round and owner of Foxglove Farmhouse.
“They also tend to get pretty big. In my experience, when I planted them too close together early on, in subsequent years, I’d have to move them and space them out.” There are dozens of varieties of tickseed. Petal colours include gold with deep red centers to white with pink centers, and solid yellow.
Salvia
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Salvia produces tall, boldly colored flowers and is a good choice if you’re looking for something easy to grow that will take up space and not require a lot of water.
Elizabeth says it’s so reliable that you can plant it and forget about it. Best of all, it blooms from spring to autumn (depending on the variety) and is a magnet for pollinators.
Yarrow
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Commonly found in grasslands and meadows, yarrow has fern-like leaves and clusters of tiny blooms that are most common in yellow or white, but they can also be pink or purple.
“It can flower for a long period of time, you can leave the plant to grow as-is or cut from it when it’s first blooming, and you’ll usually get a second flush later in the season,” says Elizabeth.
Black-Eyed Susan
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This sun-loving plant self-seeds, which means you’ll get bunches of blooms year after year. “I think that’s why they’re in everybody’s gardens. They last all summer long,” says Elizabeth.
Hydrangea
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With their poofy flowers and deep green foliage, hydrangeas are a popular shrub in gardens across the country. When the shrubs grow to a substantial size, you’ll have ample flowers for cut arrangements. “They’re hardy if you get them in the right spot, and will give you some blossoms all season long,” says Elizabeth.
Lisa Cericola (she/her) is a writer and editor who specializes in travel, food, and culture. A South Florida native, Lisa lived in New York City for 15 years and now resides in beautiful Birmingham, Alabama. She has been an editor at Southern Living and Food Network Magazine and writes for numerous publications including Garden & Gun and Late Checkout. When she’s not working on a story, or planning her next trip, Lisa is likely making and selling small-batch olive oil granola at her local farmers market.
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