Perennials are plants that continue to bloom year after year. Planting a bed with these flowers saves you time spent digging up and planting new flowers each year, and money spent on flowers that only survive for one season.
Create a lasting show of color by checking tags on the nursery plants you are considering for your sunny flower bed to find those with the longest bloom times.
Include these hardy perennials in your sunny flower bed area; zones 3-4.
Bellflower (Campanula) Height: 2 ft.; Spread: 18 in. thick clusters of pale pink flowers on sturdy stems.
Coreopsis "Moonbeam" H: 1-3 ft.; S: 2 ft. gold blooms; green or black stems.
Yarrow H: 2-3 ft.; S: 2 ft. Flat, light pink blooms on thin stems.
Scabious H: 4 ft.; S: 1 ft. tall, fragile, pale yellow flowers; ideal to complement stronger shades and shapes.
Lady's-Mantle H: 1 ft.; S: 2 ft. sprays of delicate yellow blooms and attractive rounded leaves.
Queen-of-The-Prairie (Filipendula) H: 3 ft.; S: 4 ft. handsome clumps of light green foliage with clusters of pink flowers.
Delphinium H: 3-4 ft.; S: 2 ft. spikes of cup-shaped or hooded flowers in shades of blue, scarlet, white, or purple; may need staking; needs full sun.
Tree Mallow (Lavatera) H: 4-8 ft.; S: 3-4 ft. thick, bushy shrub dotted with delicate 5-lobed flowers in red, lavender, or pink.
Coneflower H: 18 in.; S: 1 ft. drooping white petals and brown centers.
Sweet William H: 1-2 ft.; S: 2 ft. clump-forming perennial often treated as an annual; red, white, pink, or bicolored blooms.
Golden Sedum Gold, star-shaped flowers in spring to early summer; 6-9 in.
Scarlet Monarda Frilly red flowers in early and late summer; 3 ft.
Perennial Phlox Pink or red flower clusters in summer; 3-5 ft.
Choose your plants carefully for a yearly parade of showstopping blooms from eary spring until the first fall frost.