15 Beautiful Sun-Loving Perennials to Add to Your Garden

Recommendations help us when making decisions.  When you go to a restaurant, you might ask your waitress for recommendations from the menu.

I am going to give you some recommendations for choosing some great perennials for your sunny garden area.  They are tried-and-true, sure-to-please plants that will serve you well.  A perennial garden that is in a sunny area is your classic kind of perennial garden.  It can be full of vibrant colors and shapes.  A delightful sight indeed!  Many people find their true peace in a beautiful perennial garden.  As your Landscape Designer, I will be assisting you in choosing just the right plants for your garden.  There may be some things you want to think about first.  Do you prefer cool shade over hot colors?  Would you like the palate of colors to run in the bright yellow, orange and reds?  Or whites, blues and pinks?  These two pallets of color give two entirely different feelings.  Next, think about other considerations:  Are you allergic to bees?  If so, we should stay away from the plants that are most likely to attract bees.  If you have dreamed of attracting pollinators to your yard, then welcome the bees on in with a smorgasbord for them of their favorite nectars.  Are there any height restrictions for your flowers?  If so, maybe they all need to be under 18” high for some reason?  We can figure that out!  

If you are looking for a relatively easy maintenance garden (is that an oxymoron?), then lets consider using things like Ornamental Grasses and perennials that look good at pretty much any time of the year, such as Nepeta.  Sometimes, you want to pick a bouquet of flowers.  Don’t forget to incorporate perennials in your landscape design that make good cut flowers!

Here’s 15 of my favorite sun loving perennial recommendations:

1. ACHILLEA:  (a.k.a. Yarrow)  (Achillea ‘Saucy Seduction’)  This hardy perennial is drought tolerant, so that alone makes it a desirable selection in many instances.  ‘Saucy Seduction’ has fuchsia colored flat-topped flowers on top of 18”-24” tall ferny foliage.  Yarrow is also deer resistant and comes in many different colors.  Full sun.  Zone 4.

2. ASCLEPIAS:  (a.k.a. Butterfly Weed)  (Asclepias tuberosa)  If you’re into butterflies, don’t pass this up!  It’s a butterfly magnet.  This is a most desirable plant for pollinator gardens.  It grows 18”-24” tall and has Bright orange flowers that bloom in the summer.  This plant is native, so if you’re looking for native plants, this one is a great choice.  (Note:  If you want to attract butterflies, also consider a water source for the butterflies and a wind break).  Full sun.  Zone 3.

3. ASTER:  (Aster ‘Carmine Red’)  This is a large aster standing at 3’ tall.  Nice fall interest with vibrant, carmine-red blossoms, each with a tiny bright yellow button eye.  Full sun.

4. BAPTISIA:  (a.k.a. False Indigo)  (Baptisia ‘Pink Lemonade’)  3’-4’ plant with bicolor flowers:  yellow to raspberry blooms;  deep blue-green foliage.  Blooms in late spring.  Almost shrub like in appearance, except it is a perennial.   Full sun to part shade.  Zone 4.

5. ECHINACEA:  (a.k.a. Coneflower)  (Echinacea ‘Dixie Scarlet’)  This 2’ tall selection has scarlet flowers for most of the summer.  Very vibrant.  Plant in Full sun.

6. HEMEROCALIS:  (a.k.a. Daylily)  (Hemerocalis ‘Rosy Returns’)  This smaller size daylily stands 14” tall and has hardy rose-pink flowers with a yellow throat.  Continuous blooms for lots of effect!!!  This is a low maintenance perennial.  Lots of bang for your buck.  Plant in full sun to part shade.  Zone 4.

7. LAVENDULA:  (a.k.a. Lavender)  (Lavendula ‘Phenomenal’)  If you like lavender, why not plant a large sized one?!  This impressive lavender is 2’-3’ tall.  It’s zone 5 so be careful of that if you live further north.  Purple flowers bloom in mid summer.  Silvery green foliage.  Deer tend not to browse on this plant.  Plant in full sun.  Zone 5.

8. LEUCANTHEMUM:  (a.k.a. Daisy)  (Leucanthemum ‘Snow Cap’)  While a standard daisy can be much taller, this 12” variety makes a nice mound of single white flowers with yellow centers!  Blooms in mid summer.  Be careful!  Deer like to browse on this plant.  Plant in full sun.  Zone 4.

9. NEPETA:  (a.k.a. Catmint)  (Nepeta ‘Junior Walker’)  This nepeta is a little more compact and won’t lay down as much as the regular ‘Walkers Low’ Nepeta.  Nepeta is very satisfactory for its long bloom time.  Lavender flowers.  Minty fragrance.  Deer stay away from this plant.  When it’s done with it’s first major bloom, try giving it a hair cut and just watch how it bounces right back and provides you with another show of flowers!  Plant in full sun.  Zone 3.

10. PAEONIA:  (a.k.a. Peony)  (Paeonia ‘Coral Charm’)  This coral colored Peony is an unusual color to find for the garden.  It really is a beautiful selection.  Reaching to nearly 3’ tall.  Plant in full sun.  Zone 3.

11. PEROVSKIA:  (a.k.a. Russian Sage)  (Perovskia ‘Crazy Blue’)  This 18” plant is a sturdy, compact cultivar which resists flopping.  Silvery foliage.  Blue flowers.  Resembles a taller, more vertical Nepeta.  Deer resistant.  Full sun.  Zone 4.

12. PHLOX:  (Phlox paniculate ‘Starfire’)  3’ tall upright garden phlox has hot pink flower panicles.  Very bright, vivid and beautiful.  A classic perennial garden plant.  Deer will browse on this plant.  Plant in full sun.  Zone 4.

13. SALVIA:  (Salvia ‘East Friesland’)  18” Spikes of intense violet-blue flowers.  Deer resistant.  Interesting shade of purplish blue.  Plant in full sun.  Zone 4.

14. SEDUM:  (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’)  This is a favorite choice of Sedum for a good reason!  This beautiful, sturdy plant has a lot to offer.  Rosy clusters of flowers bloom August through November.  Showy for the fall garden.  Makes a good cut flower.  Plant in full sun to part shade.  

15. THYMUS:  (a.k.a. Creeping Thyme)  (Thymus ‘serpyllum ‘Coccineus’… Red Mother of Thyme)  Last but not least on this list is a 3” tall ground cover with glossy green leaves and rose purple flowers.  It is good for filling in between stepping stones.  ‘Steppable’ plant.  Full sun.

These perennial selections for a sunny garden will be sure to please.  Be sure to look up the specifics on any plant you are interested in to check on things such as if the plant prefers a moist or a dry soil, and if it is deer resistant (among other things).  Have fun and give them a try.  They will repay you with many years of beauty!  Be sure to ask me about incorporating your favorite perennials into your landscape design.