Are you looking to expand your perennial gardens with fresh new plants for the summer? Look no further! In the spirit of June being National Perennial Month, we’ve curated a list of our favorite perennials to give your garden beautiful color and summer interest.

Coreopsis ‘moonbeam’

Coreopsis are lacy, airy flowers that rebloom with ease in the summer heat! ‘Moonbeam’ features soft yellow blooms that are in color from late spring/early summer all the way through mid-fall! Keep them dry and hot for best results.

Geranium ‘Rozanne’

An excellent long-blooming option to get sought-after blue flowers in your garden! This stunning plant will give you color from early summer through fall. It is also a great pollinator plant while resistant to common pests and diseases.

Shasta Daisy

Shasta Daisies are a staple in the garden. These cheery white to pale yellow flowers typically bloom during the summer, but the exact time frame depends on the variety. Great for pollinators and cut flowers!

Digitalis ‘Arctic Fox Rose’

A true perennial foxglove! ‘Arctic Fox Rose’ blooms from late spring through summer and is an excellent option for attracting hummingbirds.

Lamium ‘Purple Dragon’

Lamium is the perfect plant if you’re looking for a long-blooming, groundcover option for part to full shade. ‘Purple Dragon’ shows off its magenta-purple flowers from late spring to fall and is also bee-friendly!

Are you looking to expand your perennial gardens with fresh new plants for the summer? Look no further! We’ve curated a list of our Top 7 Summer Perennial Must-Haves to give your garden beautiful season-long color and interest.
  1. Perennial Hibiscus – Show-stopping dinner plate-sized blooms in red, pink, white, including varieties that mix each color on every flower. Create your own backyard tropical paradise!
  2. Coneflowers – This is THE classic native flower. It comes in lots of colors including in pink, neon pink, yellow, red, white, and even orange. Plus, it blooms on repeat.
  3. Lavender – This is a super fragrant choice for that sunny, sandy, summer beach scene with lots of long-lasting flowers.
  4. Coreopsis – A lacy, airy flower that reblooms with ease in the heat of summer. Keep them dry and hot for best results.
  5. Daylily – This indestructible rebloomer does best along roadsides, walkways, and sunny hot locales everywhere.
  6. False Sunflower – You can get tons of long-lasting color from this tall, narrow plant that loves to bake in the afternoon sun.
  7. Black-eyed Susan – These bright yellow flowers bridge the gap between summer vacation and football season. Bring the summer to a close and ring in autumn all in one great plant.

Part of the reason why people can be so nervous to plant this time of the year is the heat! To put your mind at ease, why not bring on summer with these sun-loving, and heat-tolerant annuals!

Pentas – This is the best annual pollinator! if you have a butterfly garden, this is a must-have. It produces a large cluster of flowers that butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds just love.

 

Gazanias – Produces large vibrant flowers, which love to dry out in between watering.

 

Geraniums – An old favorite that’s drought tolerant and loves the summer heat.

 

Persian shield – A dark purple foliage plant with a surprisingly dark purple flower.

 

Portulaca – A great drought tolerant plant, that’s also highly recommended as a cemetery plant.

Lantana – It produces bright clusters of flowers that thrive on neglect. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this plant.

 

Heliotrope – A fragrant delight, with a deliciously sweet vanilla scent.

 

Evolvulus – This true blue flower loves extreme heat and summer sun.

 

Angelonia – A great thriller plant to add to your summer containers. It’s quite fragrant and produces color from head to toe.

 

Scaevola – A fan-type flower, that’s also super tough. It tolerates neglect and bounces right back.

 

Cuphea vermillionare – Hummingbird alert! This orange cigar plant is a must-have for any hummingbird lover to have in their garden.

lphenomenalWith the recent extended period of dry weather, I thought this would be a great opportunity to highlight some of our Van Wilgen Grown, drought-tolerant perennials. While during the planting period these plants require water, one established these plants can survive on minimal supplemental water.
English Lavender -Lavender is a great drought perennial. It really prefers the driest soil possible. We carry a variety of sizes and these plants are extremely fragrant that also make a great cut flower.
Sedum – These plants are commonly known as stonecrop. They typically grow between 12-18″ tall and will bloom in late summer through early fall. These plants are excellent pollinators for bees and butterflies. We have several different varieties to choose from and their flower color range from different shades of pink. It is a great plant for any fall garden.
Sempervivum – These plants are commonly known as Hens and Chicks. They are extremely drought tolerant and look just like desert succulents. They spread over time hence giving them their name of Hens and Chicks. We carry a cool line of sempervivums that are called Chick Charms which come in an array of bright colors.
Artemisia – These plants are commonly known as wormwood. They have silvery soft foliage that forms a great mound in the garden. They will grow 6-12″ tall and 18-24″ wide. They look great when planted in a mass in a border or cottage garden.
This is a small sampling of our drought-tolerant perennials. I encourage you to come to visit our garden center to see our full line of plants and see what would be the best fit for your garden!