The secret to nearly nonstop color in this easy-care summer garden plan is overlapping bloom times. The low-maintenance perennials in this design produce a palette of pink, purple, yellow, and white flowers from spring into fall, but they're at their brightest during the warmest months. When one variety finishes flowering, another takes its place, while plants with staying power, such as yarrow and daylily, help bridge any gaps. You'll even get a post-spring encore in late summer when the reblooming iris produces a second flush of pristine white flowers.
Plants for Creating the Easy-Care Summer Garden Plan
While the plants in this garden plan aren't picky about soil, site them in full sun for maximum blooming. Keep them well watered the first year after planting. After that, these perennials will do their thing for years to come without needing much from you other than a spring cleanup.
- 3 Catmint (Nepeta × faassenii): Zones 4-9
- 2 Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Johnny One Note'): Zones 3-10
- 1 Bearded iris (Iris 'Immortality'): Zones 4-9
- 2 Perennial geranium (Geranium Rozanne): Zones 5-9
- 2 Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Merlot'): Zones 3-9
- 2 Blazing star (Liatris spicata 'Kobold'): Zones 4-9
- 1 Yarrow (Achillea millefolium 'Summerwine'): Zones 3-10
- 3 Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicfolia): Zones 4-9
- 2 Perennial sunflower (Helianthus multiflorus 'Flore Pleno'): Zones 4-9
- 2 Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora): Zones 4-9
If you aren't able to find the exact cultivars listed above, swap in others that have similar colors, shapes, and sizes to maintain the overall look of this garden plan.
Because some plants can become overly aggressive and spread out of control in certain conditions, always check which species are considered invasive in your area before planting.
Get the Free Easy-Care Summer Garden Plan
This garden design includes an illustrated version of the planted garden, a detailed layout diagram, a list of the plants as shown, and complete instructions for installing them.