The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Perennial flowering plantsare the main dishes of a flower garden.
Divide them in fall to protect the spring shoots.
If you have deer in your area, be warned that they tend to love eating hostas.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Most hostas grow best in full to part shade but some varieties tolerate full sun.
Their only requirements are adequate sun and water, and well-draining soil.
They’re also resistant to most pests and diseases.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
But it’s a workhorse in the garden.
Long-lasting blooms, easily-divided roots, and a tough disposition make it a good choice for thecottage garden.
It comes in a wide range of colors.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Note that some newer varieties are not as cold hardy as others.
Bees are very attracted to the late-season, fall-blooming varieties.
Sedum comes in many sizes and shapes, from creeping ground covers to tall border varieties.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Sedums are easy to care for, pest-resistant, and drought-tolerant perennials.
Its vivid colors and fragrant blooms make it a favorite of pollinators, too.
They love full sun but will bloom in partial sun.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Once the flowers have faded, remove the stems and enjoy the dramatic green spikey foliage.
Heirloom varieties have a delightful sweet fragrance.
They like rich, moist soil, but are otherwisecarefree and easy to grow.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Leaving the flower spikes intact provides winter interest in the landscape.
Columbines (Aquilegia) reseed freely, and will even hybridize with each other, creating new color combinations.
They do well in sun or shade.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It naturalizes readily, increases each year and is easily divided.
They come in shades of white and pink with yellow centers.
There are two basic varieties: one that grows in a clump and one that spreads via thin roots.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Bees and butterflies love it, and the flowers remain colorful for weeks in mid to late summer.
They’re very hardy and the attractive foliage looks great even after the flowers have faded.
The clumps of stringy roots divide easily.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Colors range from rich blue to pale pink.
Echinacea
These colorful flowers offer plentiful nectar forpollinators.
They’re also long-blooming in mid-summer and are not too fussy about soil.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Newer hybrids come in a stunning array of colors.
It makes a great ground cover that’s also deer- and rabbit-resistant.
The delicate flowers appear in late spring in shades ranging from white to yellow to pink to orange.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Divide by cutting the roots into sections.
The clove-like fragrance is subtle and nostalgic, befitting a romantic perennial favorite.
It’s easy to grow and divide.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The airy flower spikes nicely fill out bare spaces in cottage gardens.
It has an herby, somewhat minty fragrance, and bright flowers ranging from pale pink to dark purple.
It lovesfull sunbut will tolerate some shade, especially in areas with hot summers.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Asters
These late-summer bloomers add color just when the garden needs it.
Ranging in height from ten inches to four feet, there are asters for every setting.
They’re super easy to grow and maintain: just deadhead spent blooms and watch more replace them!
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Asters attract a wide variety of pollinators and spread easily.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
