A fabulous little plant that should not be overlooked! Basket-of-Gold (Aurinia saxatilis syn. Alyssum saxatile) is an enchanting low-growing, evergreen perennial that will charm your garden with its masses of shining, golden-yellow flowers on display for 4 to 6 weeks in spring and contrasting splendidly with its gray-green foliage. Particularly attractive in rock gardens or cascading over the edge of raised beds, this popular mat-forming plant will keep its good looks after flowering and turn into an attractive ground cover.

Tough and durable, Baptisia australis (False Indigo) is an upright perennial with a long season of interest. In spring, this native to the North American prairies bears spikes of pea-shaped indigo blue flowers, resembling Lupines. They last for about three weeks and attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. When the flowers fade away, the lovely blue-green, trifoliate leaves remain neat and form a lovely backdrop for the other perennials in the garden. If left untrimmed, the plant forms interesting seedpods turning deep black in the fall and persist into winter.

Prized for its flamboyant, rich blue flowers, Centaurea montana (Mountain Cornflower) is an erect, stoloniferous, clump-forming perennial with fringed, blue flowers, 2 in. wide (5 cm), adorned with reddish blue, thistle-like centers from late spring to early summer. Attracting bees, butterflies and other admirers, the thistle-like blossoms may bloom again in late summer-early fall. The flowers appear atop unbranched stems above the foliage of soft, gray-green, lance-shaped leaves. Native to Europe, this rhizomatous perennial will self-seed prolifically if not deadheaded and may spread fairly quickly to form colonies in satisfactory growing conditions.

Bushy, well-branched, with one of the longest blooming seasons, Red Valerian (Centranthus Ruber) is a popular perennial grown for its ornamental and showy star-shaped flowers. Fragrant, this border beauty is also easy to grow, fairly pest and disease free and attracts butterflies. What else to ask for? A prolific bloomer from early summer to fall, it produces abundant, rounded clusters of crimson ('Coccineus'), pink ('Roseus') or white flowers ('Albus'), rising atop a blue-green, lance-shaped foliage.

An excellent performer, award-winner Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' (Threadleaf Coreopsis) is a compact perennial forming a gorgeous mound of finely divided leaves. Blooming continuously from early to late summer, it gets covered with a profusion of 1 in. wide (2.5cm), buttery yellow blossoms. The airy clumps of fine, threadlike foliage on upright stems add a lovely delicate texture element to the landscape. Long-lived, this Tickseed is perfect for beds, borders and containers.

Dianthus 'Laced Monarch' is a very charming modern Border Pink with double purple-pink blooms richly laced with burgundy. Elegantly rising atop a compact cushion of evergreen, gray-green foliage, the delicately fragrant blossoms are enthusiastically produced in succession from late spring to late summer, making 'Laced Monach' an awesome addition to the front of the border or patio containers. Easy to grow, it attracts bees and butterflies into the garden. Growing up to 12 in. tall and wide (30 cm)

Tall and spectacular, award-winning Queen of the Prairie 'Venusta' (Filipendula Rubra) is a splendid herbaceous perennial with large, elegant sprays of small deep pink flowers borne on leafy stems well above the foliage from early to late summer. Pleasantly fragrant, the graceful blossoms mature to pale pink over time and are nicely complemented by deeply cut, bright green leaves that are equally fragrant. Tough, long-lasting, this U.S. native perennial is valued for both its leaves and its flowers. Growing up to 4-8 ft. high (120-240 cm), Queen of the Prairie is easy to grow, requires very low care and is pest and disease-free! Deer and clay tolerant too!

Valued for its showy fluffy vertical flower spikes contrasting with a lush, finely textured, grassy foliage, Gayfeather or Blazing Star (Liatris spicata) is a perennial of great ornamental value. Interestingly flowering in succession from top to bottom over 4 weeks and more, its button-shaped, purple, rosy red or white flowers resemble blazing stars (hence its common name). Attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, this beautiful native American enjoys a long season of interest from mid summer to fall and supplies winter bird food. The narrow, opposite leaves stay attractive all summer and turn a rich bronze in fall. Easy to grow and low care, Liatris spicata adds a strong vertical accent in sunny borders or prairie gardens. It helps create outstanding combinations with the warm golds of Rudbeckia or the purple blossoms of Echinacea.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) is a bushy, woody-based deciduous perennial with long terminal panicles of small, lavender-blue flowers, borne on thin white stems, clad with finely-dissected, aromatic gray-green leaves. Blooming for weeks from mid-summer to fall, this delicate-looking plant is a toughy that is resistant to drought, heat, pests and poor soils. Pretty and excellent for xeriscaping, its long blooming season, makes it an extremely valuable addition to the garden - even in winter when the stems create a beautiful feature in the landscape.

Lamb's Ears (Stachys byzantina) is a wonderful evergreen perennial, mostly grown for its rich rosettes of showy, velvety, silvery tongue-shaped leaves, resembling lamb's ears and bringing interest to the border. Pink-purple flower spikes appear in late spring or early summer. Their fuzzy flowers add textural interest, but cutting them off promotes foliage growth and improves the plant's vigor.

Named after Achilles, hero of the Trojan Wars in Greek mythology, who used yarrow to heal the wounds of his soldiers, Achillea is valued for its pleasantly fragrant, feathery foliage and its long-lasting, conspicuous, flat umbel flowers. Vital ingredient of herbaceous borders, cottage gardens, meadows or prairies, Achillea typically blooms for weeks from late spring to late summer, in a wide range of colors. Easy care, drought, deer and rabbit resistant, Achillea is rich in many qualities!

Eye-catching, Anthemis tinctoria is a vigorous perennial that will light up your garden throughout summer and sometimes into fall with its abundant blooms of shining golden yellow flowers atop a fragrant lacy foliage. A low-maintenance plant, it adds long-lasting color and contrast to the summer perennial border.

Aquilegia, commonly known as Columbine or Granny's Bonnet is an excellent garden perennial with attractive clouds of delicate, bell-shaped flowers and a wonderful lacy foliage that emerges early in the year. Blooming profusely for at least 4-6 weeks, from mid spring through summer (depending on varieties and regions), they provide a lovely and welcomed transition between the early spring bulbs and the peak garden season.

Providing an outstanding late season show with its masses of violet or lavender daisy-like flowers, New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae) is one of the tallest and most spectacular of the Asters. Native to North America, it is easy to grow, long lived, brings cheerful fall color and is a great source of nectar for butterflies.

When many perennials are fading toward the end of the season, New York Asters (Aster novi-belgii) burst into bloom and deliver an outstanding show of color in the late summer and fall gardens. Native to North America, they are easy to grow, long lived, bring cheerful color to the dull landscape and are a great source of nectar for butterflies.

Tough as nails, Coneflowers (Echinacea) are wonderful additions to the landscape with their brightly colored blossoms to be enjoyed over a long flowering season. Simple to grow, mostly trouble-free, thriving on neglect, these members of the Asteraceae family (along with daisies, sunflowers and asters), are reliable performers that are tolerant to almost everything! Loved by butterflies, birds and bees, Coneflowers have won the hearts and minds of many gardeners and are increasingly in vogue as garden perennials, as cut flowers or landscape plants. They enjoy such a long list of virtues that should not be overlooked!

Adding outstanding contrast, interest and color to the summer garden while being trouble-free and low maintenance, Echinops (Globe Thistle) makes an invaluable contribution to the landscape. Blooming from mid summer to early fall, their bold and ornamental, steel blue or pristine white, globe-shaped flowers (the size of a golf ball) are truly lovely and enchanting. Borne at the end of sturdy stems, they dance gracefully above their handsome foliage of thistle-like dark green leaves.

Adding fabulous color and form to the early summer border, hardy perennial salvias are mostly represented by the hybrids of Salvia x sylvestris (Woodland Sage) and Salvia nemorosa. With their vertical, densely packed flower spikes, ranging from rich indigo-blue to violet to purple, these hardy salvias contribute to create incredibly beautiful and contrasting combinations with other perennials and ornamental grasses. Butterflies and hummingbirds love them as they enjoy sipping the nectar from their tightly bunched whorls of flowers.

Sun-loving, easy to grow, hardy, heat and drought tolerant, False Sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) have plenty of qualities and appeal! Valuable additions to the landscape with their profusion of bright golden daisies (2-3 inches wide, 5-7 cm) on display for 6 to 8 weeks all summer until early fall, they also feature a lovely foliage that is pleasant to the eye. Use them to brighten up a sunny area of the garden or in a vase where they will last a couple of weeks!

Often called the 'perfect perennial' because of its numerous qualities: showy flowers, wide array of vibrant colors, drought tolerance, heat stress immunity, ability to grow in most hardiness zones and low care requirements, Daylily (Hemerocallis) is a remarkable and stunning addition to the garden! Each flower typically lasts no more than 24 hours, opening up in the morning and withering during the forthcoming night, possibly replaced by another one on the same flower stalk the next day.

Native to Japan, Japanese Irises (Iris ensata) are among the most elegant and breathtaking Irises. More refined and less conspicuous than the Tall Bearded Irises, these Beardless Irises feature huge orchid-like flowers that are a delight to gaze at. Usually ruffled and flat in form, they rise on erect, sturdy stems atop a dense clump of sword-shaped, linear green leaves, up to 24 in. long (60 cm), with prominent midribs. They have been cultivated in Japan for over 500 years and are referred to as Hanashobu in Japan.

Siberian Irises are terrific herbaceous perennials, rich with many qualities: fabulous looking, long display season, easy to grow, low maintenance and trouble free! Their exquisite flowers come in an array of gorgeous blue, purple, red-violet or yellow with newer cultivars in brown and orange shades, and can have a variety of forms from upright to flat and round. After blooming, their grass-like foliage of upright, blade-shaped leaves, is also one of their most attractive garden features as it remains fresh-looking all season.

Often associated with the famous purple fields of Provence, Lavandula angustifolia, also called English Lavender, is not native to England but to the Mediterranean. Ideal for garden borders, cooking and potpourri, this lavender also produces the best oils. Delightfully fragrant when brushed against or crushed, this lavender is celebrated for the wispy inflorescences that adorn the tip of each upright stem from late spring to late summer, creating lovely drifts of "cool" colors that sway in the summer breeze.

Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) is a highly popular herbaceous perennial valued for its prominent and spectacular floral display and its attractive, lush dark green foliage which provide weeks of color starting early or mid summer. Extremely easy to grow, there is a Shasta Daisy for every garden and every taste thanks to the profusion of cultivars presenting different levels of compactness, floral size, flowering type (single or double), longevity or repetitiveness of the bloom period.

Monarda has very distinctive, brightly colored flower-heads that create impressive border displays and provide a great impact when used in mass planting. The blooms consist of asymmetrical, two-lipped tubular flowers borne in dense, globular terminal heads, which rest upon a whorl of decorative bracts that attract scores of butterflies and hummingbirds. It is also grown for its aromatic foliage that can be enjoyed in salads or simply by passing by.

Peonies are a classic ingredient of the perennial border and have been in cultivation for over 2000 years. Beloved for their abundant blooms, the beauty of their exquisite flowers, their delightful fragrance, and their bold foliage changing shades over the seasons, peony flowers add a dazzling splash of color in the landscape. Virtually carefree once established, they live for generations, are deer proof and produce some of the best cut flowers - making them one of Nature's loveliest perennials! Peony bouquets are a favorite of florists and many brides-to-be.

Highlights of the garden from late spring to early summer, Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale) are truly eye-catching perennials with their huge, silky-satin flowers in shades of red, orange, white or pink. Planted in small groups, their bold blossoms will give a colorful punch to your borders and draw the attention! The seedpods that follow the fading flowers are also quite attractive and can be used in dried flower arrangements or left in the garden for the visual interest they bring!

With its showy, sweetly fragrant flowers and long blooming season throughout the summer until early fall, Phlox paniculata is a garden classic that is considered by many as the backbone of summer borders. Their full round heads of white, lavender, pink, rose, red and bi-color blossoms sway attractively in the breeze, adding a gentle fragrance that is always welcome. Rich of nectar, they are visited by hummingbirds, butterflies and birds which adore them! And so should you!

Providing fantastic warm colors in the late summer garden, Rudbeckia fulgida are herbaceous perennial boasting golden yellow flowers with prominent, brown or black central cones. Blooming profusely from mid summer through early fall, they are borne atop sturdy stems and literally cover the foliage of lance-shaped, deep green leaves. Their joyous color range is fairly limited - from yellow to orange-yellow - but they differ in height and habit. Extremely easy to grow, they look stunning next to the cool blue colors of Geranium, purplish Asters or the soft tan ornamental grasses.

Rudbeckia hirta, commonly known as Black-Eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy or Yellow Oxeye Daisy is a cheerful, widespread wildflower that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is renowned for its showy golden-yellow or orange-red, 2-3 in. wide (5-7 cm), daisy-like flowers with dark chocolate central cones. The single or double blooms rise atop sturdy, upright, scattered stems. Their foliage of oval green leaves is covered with bristly hairs that give it a slightly rough texture.

Sedums are almost the perfect plants. Vigorous, carefree, good-looking, with a season of interest lasting more than 6 months, who could resist? Even the bees and butterflies can't! These standout perennials grow more or less erect, up to 2 ft. (60 cm), and form a clump of thick, fleshy sage green to blue to dark red foliage topped with flower buds resembling broccoli. Gradually, these densely clustered buds reveal tiny, star-like flowers, in shades of white, pink or red, in late summer or early fall. As the weather cools, their colors grow deeper and richer. Both foliage and dead inflorescences remain attractive through winter, providing some additional interest.

Noted for their graceful and bountiful flowers, Speedwells (Veronica longifolia) are long-blooming, easy-care perennials that are prized by gardeners for the distinctive vertical lines they bring to the landscape. Their spiky flowers, in shades of white, blue, pink, purple or violet, rise like slender wands which enliven the garden with color and clouds of butterflies.