Bred by David Austin, Rosa Scepter'd Isle is particularly beautiful, with its small clusters of soft pink chalice-shaped blooms that open to reveal golden stamens. Elegantly held above a dark green, semi-glossy foliage, its medium-sized blooms (3.5 in; 9 cm) are delicately framed with paler outer petals. Its powerful and outstanding myrrh fragrance has earned it the Royal National Rose Society Award. A ravishing shrub with a bushy, upright habit. Flowers freely and continuously, providing a charming display. Excellent repeat bloomer.

Lychnis Coronaria (Rose Campion) is an evergray perennial that deserves a spot in the landscape. Very attractive with its erect, white-gray flowering stalks covered with a profusion of glowing magenta, pale pink or white trumpet-shaped flowers, it enjoys a long season of interest, is easy to grow, trouble free and not too fussy about soils or exposure. Grown as much for its decorative and abundant 1 inch flowers in bloom from late spring to late summer as for its basal rosette of woolly, silver-gray leaves which provides interest in the winter garden, it requires little maintenance, is drought tolerant and deer resistant.

A truly magnificent sight in the early to mid summer garden, award-winning Geranium x magnificum (Purple Cranesbill) is a hybrid hardy geranium forming dense mounds of large, 2 in. wide (5 cm), rich violet-blue, heavily veined, saucer-shaped flowers atop a velvety, deeply-lobed foliage that turns red in fall. While the flowering season of this geranium is fairly short (a couple of weeks), it is so intense and stunning that, coupled with this fall color interest, a garden spot should be dedicated to it.

A favorite of many gardeners, multiple award-winner Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' is a striking ornamental onion with perfectly round flowerheads, 3 in. wide (8 cm), packed with dozens of small, star-shaped, rich violet-lilac flowers. They are borne atop sturdy stalks, which arise from a group of 6 to 8 handsome, blue-green leaves. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this spectacular Allium enjoys long-lasting blooms and makes outstanding cut flowers that will last for 2 weeks.