For summer to fall exquisite beauty on easy care plants, few perennials can compare with Aster x frikartii 'Monch' (Frikart's Aster). One of the first Asters to bloom, this lovely perennial plant creates a bold splash of color in the landscape over an extraordinarily long season with masses of attractive, soft lavender-blue, star-shaped blossoms, 2 in. wide (5 cm), with slender rays and golden-yellow centers. Such a gentle color that it blends with almost any other color in the garden. Free flowering, well-branched with sturdy stems that do not need staking, this aster is easy to grow, trouble-free, mildew-resistant and a great source of nectar for butterflies!

One of the tallest Yarrows, award-winner Achillea filipendulina 'Gold Plate' (Fern-Leaf Yarrow) is a showy herbaceous perennial boasting a profusion of impressive, mustard-yellow, long-lasting clusters, up to 6 in. wide (15 cm), from early to late summer. Sitting atop erect leafy stems, the blossoms float above the elegant, semi-evergreen, gray-green fern-like leaves. The foliage emits a spicy aroma when crushed. Easy care, drought, heat, humidity, and deer tolerant, this towering beauty is perfect for sunny borders, cottage gardens, or containers.