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10 Perennials to Rival Annuals – Blooms All Summer

Does it have to be a trade-off between lifespan and seasonal color? I admit, when it comes to a peony or Siberian iris, annuals are far more colorful and floriferous over the length of the season. But many perennials come out swinging with early blooms in the cool season, and others naturally bloom all summer, repeat if deadheaded, or round out the seasonal color with foliage & form.

In this video, I’ll breeze through 10 perennials that I think take top marks for long-lasting color interest in the garden. If you have any recommendations of your own (I for sure know this selection isn’t exhaustive) feel free to drop them in the comments for other viewers.

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Photo Credits:
Dicentra King of Hearts, Nepeta ‘Blue Dragon’ Photo(s) courtesy of TERRA NOVA® Nurseries, Inc.
www.terranovanurseries.com
Butterfly weed by Derek Ramsey CC BY-SA 2.5
Asclepias incarnata by Cephas CC BY-SA 4.0
Nepeta by Cultivar413 CC BY 2.0
Monarda by Deb Nystrom CC BY 2.0
Brunnera Jack Frost by A. Barra CC BY-SA 4.0
Geum by the Greenery Nursery & Garden Shop CC BY 2.0
Agastache Blue Fortune by Yewchan CC BY-SA 2.0
Agastache Ambrosia by Cultivar413 CC BY 2.0
Palace Purple Heuchera by Patrick Standish CC BY 2.0

27 Replies to “10 Perennials to Rival Annuals – Blooms All Summer”

  1. Thank you for the timely top tip Jason! I've always loved the look of Nepeta but always stayed awayed as I was afraid they might attract cats in the neighborhood. Could you please share if you've had any cat issues with nepeta?

  2. I would suggest Perovskia, Echinacea, Buddleja… at least in my zone (9B – Italy). what do you mean for "cutting back"? Do you cut just the flowering stems or do you give a good cut to the whole plant?

  3. I have (had) all of them Agastache and Catmint I love, my cats are only attracted to one kind of Nepeta and I can't remember which one 😉 I loved my Geum double petals, but when they reseed they seem to regress to the "normal "one, I might have pricked out the wrong plant thinking it was a seedling 🙁 Great video and plant, I recommend them all too

  4. Agastache can be used in place of taragon in cooking. Taragon is not as cold hardy for the northern climates its a good choice !

  5. Hi Jason, how do you prevent downy mildew on the bee balm plants? ????????????

  6. This is a great list! Thanks Jason!
    I started some Geum from seed last year. Hopefully they’ll flower this season ????. And I just got some bleeding hearts, the standard type. Sounds like the fern leaf variety would be better in our dry summers.
    A lot of these would be great in my new cottage garden. Thanks again!

  8. some great choices there, thx Jason! I will have to try cutting back my monarda to get more blooms, didn't know I could do that.

  9. Catmint is so underrated but gives so much. I plant it out every year with my salvias. 🙂 Looks lovely with the cosmos.

  10. Me too! What a great list of tough perennials! I actually have several including “coconut “ Daisy.

  12. May I ask what cultivar is seen at 5:20?
    I'd plant that even if it didn't flower. Super cool stuff!

  14. Great list! I need to try geum. My favorite, hardy geranium, is another perennial that blooms all season.

  18. I'm going to have to try some catmint! I went to my garden to check, and my Jack Frost is already in bloom! It stays in bloom so long as it is; I had no idea it would rebloom if I cut it back. When do you recommend it be cut back? I'm in approx your zone, in Burnaby.

  19. One of the primary reasons to have perennials is they are an anchor feature type of plant much like roses, shrubs, and trees. They provide long reaching features that allow you accent with the annuals of your choice for added variety and yet maintain a certain amount of familiar feel to any space. I'm quite impressed by the amount of new variations which clearly brings them much more into the mix with annuals.
    The coconut daisy is one that I just might have to look into as a pollinators attractor.
    Surprisingly, the Lavender Angel Face rose (my newest addition) is the first to bud and flower. It is more pink than purple in the color spectrum, but definitely the most aromatic "Rose" scent of all my roses including Don Juan and Mr. Lincoln.

  20. A client of mine hD a white dicentra that holds its foliage for months. The standard pink dicentra only lasts a few weeks, but this white dicentra is apparent and attractive, in the fall.

  22. Beautiful choices. I’m adding some hardy salvias this year that are almost shrubby and have flowers that hopefully the hummingbirds will love. They should do great in a dryer, sunny spot.

  24. Have been growing Jack frost plant with little luck, twice they were attacked by bugs ,and the last time I tried baking soda and it also kill the plant, am going for container this time around

  26. Jason,
    Wow enjoyed seeing all those colorful flowers me and roses don't get along. Highly allergic to them. I finally getting my association to dig out my two pricker bushes. Have to get two bushes I have to buy. Zone 6. One gets morning sun then bright shade. The other gets afternoon sun and then evening sun depends on the trees. Thanks for a different kind of show

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