The great thing about a perennial is that, once you plant it, you don't have much maintenance and you don't have to replace them each year. You may have to keep them trimmed or keep the dying blooms pulled off to encourage new blooms. (This is called "deadheading"). You may also have to dig them up every few years to divide a clump to keep it fresh or to keep it in check. But, unless something unusual happens and the plant dies, you won't have to replace it.

The initial cost of a perennial is usually more than an annual but you may have this plant the rest of your life. That sure beats having to rebuy and replant everything each year.

A tender perennial is one that may not make it through some winters, especially in some zones. Some can be helped my mulching but even then, making it through a winter may be iffy.

Achillea - Sun/part shade 12-24" Zones 3-9

Also known as Yarrow. Fernlike foliage, flowers in summer. Drought resistant and easy to grow. Comes in a variety of colors. Flowerheads are very dense with tiny flowers in goodsized clusters. The wild plant is the one called Yarrow and has been used extensively as an herb.

Low growing groundcover. A very dependable cover for shady areas where it is hard to find things that will do well. Blue flowers spikes in early spring. Really easy to grow. Highly drought tolerant.

Also called Columbine. There are many varieties, most of which have tiny cuplike petals with spurs on the backside. Blooms in early summer. Some varieties reseed readily. A gorgeous plant that produces many blossoms, it likes average water and soil that is not too heavy.

Grass-like foliage clumps produces spikes with ball-like clusters of flowers atop. They remind you of chives since most of them are different shades of pink. Makes a fantastic border plant.

There are many varieties of this beautiful plant. Perfect for the shady garden as it doesn't really like the sun. Tall, feathery plumes in early summer make this a very showy plant. Excellent for the back border of a perennial shade bed.

Also known as Dicentra. Unusual plant for the shady garden spot. Little heart shaped flowers hang down all over the plants. They bloom in the spring and are very lovely. They come in several varieties and colors. One has a fernlike leaf and is called - of all things - the fern-leafed bleeding heart.

Also called Gaillardia or the Goblin Blanket Flower, there are many varieties of this beautiful plant. The daisy-like flowers come in a variety of stunning colors and blends. They remind you of miniature Sunflowers.

Looks like a yellow daisy with a "black eye." And that's basically what it is. Very dependable and strong plant. Can be very showy when the clump grows large.

Excellent for the front of the spring perennial border, the small white flowers on the Candytuft contrast nicely with other plants of a different color. Works well with creeping phlox as they both bloom at the same time.

Many people have heard of the Purple Coneflower but don't realize that it comes in a variety of colors. There is even white and yellow. In the same family as the daisy, they are as easy to grow and just as dependable. One variety is the one used to make the medicine known as Echinacea, used as an herb by many.

One of the most reliable plants I have known, some varieties to the point of becoming a pest when they reseed everywhere. I have only had one that did that, though. They are all beautiful plants and do well in either the back of the bed or even in the front if it is a short variety. Very showy flowers.

One of the most beautiful - and misunderstood - of all the apring plants, Creeping Phlox has mistakenly been bought and sold as a groundcover that will take over weeds and cover hillsides in no time. This is not true.

What is true is this: It is a groundcover but it will NOT take over weeds and cover a hillside in a short time. When you plant it you need to keep the soil in the immediate area clear of weeds so it can "creep." If it stretches out and tryes to put roots down and finds a weed barrier, it cannot spread. It will grow to as much as triple its size in one season but if you want to fill an area quickly, you will need to plant more plants closer together. The gaps will be filled quicker that way.

It will HELP keep weeds out once it has spread because their seeds can't penetrate as easily as they could with bare ground so it is somewhat effective in this area. It is a beautiful plant and can be quite showy for about 3-6 weeks each spring if maintained correctly. You will need to pluck an occasional weed and also keep the area around its "creepers" clear so it can continue growing.

One of the oldest favorites, the Daisy is very bright and cheery and performs well in almost any situation. It is so common it is rarely thought of anymore but is an easily grown plant. And what better flower to use to answer the old question, "He loves me, he loves me not."

Almost everyone has seen the orange Daylily growing everywhere. Those are almost like weeds and WILL take over a bed if you don't watch them. They do have their uses, such as filling in a spot where hardly anything else will grow. The good news is that, there are hundreds of Daylilies and most of them are not invasive and are wonderful plants to have in the garden. There are so many colors and varieties now that it is hard to pick which ones you would like to have. All of them are fairly easy to grow and have minimal needs. There is a Daylily for almost every situation in the flower bed.

In the same family as the Carnation, Dianthus or "Pinks" look a lot like them. They are smaller and have less petals and aren't as showy as their larger cousins but they have a daintiness that makes them highly desired in the garden. They can form a carpet of beautiful blooms each spring and some even bloom all summer. They come in many different shades and some very nice color combinations on the same flower.

Ferns grow naturally in the woods so, when you are looking for a place to plant them, keep this in mind. They love shade and make a nice accent plant with other shade loving plants such as Astilbe and Hosta. Feather-like fronds can be tiny and delicate or very large depending on what variety you choose.

Also called Coral Bells for its tiny flowers, this plant is used mostly for it foliage rather than its flowers. It does have flower stalks that rise above the plant and bear tiny flowers in various shades, but it is the striking colors on the leaves that make it a wonderful accent plant.

Although Hostas do have flowers, some with very impressive ones, the usual reason to plant them is for the foliage which can be so varied. There are many varieties of the Hosta and they come in a wide range of colors and patterns. Some can be quite expensive. Some grow quite quickly and others grow slower and those are the ones that usually cost a lot but the coloring also can account for the price. There are a lot of them that are very reasonable, however, and almost anyone can afford to have this wonderful plant. They make great accent plants and will grow in places that sun-loving plants won't even think about.

When you say Iris to most people they think of the older Bearded Iris that you find everywhere but there are may species of Irises, not to mention all the many varieties within each species. They all have many of the same traits and are treated much the same. They love sunny places, and do not like to have their roots buried too deeply. Most of them bloom early in the year although some bloom off and on through the summer and some in the fall. The biggest problem with the Iris is that it doesn't last long. A couple weeks of explosive blooms are about what you can expect. They are worth that short period, it is just a shame it is so short.

Height 6 to 8 inches when used as a ground cover, can climb to 90 feet as a vine. One of the very best evergreen climbing vines and groundcovers. Rich dark green, glossy, three-lobed leaves make dense covering especially on brick or stone walls. Thrives in any good soil and under smoky city conditions. Is evergreen the year around. For walls, fences, etc. Especially desirable beneath shrubbery. Will not climb on very smooth or glazed surface. Space 6 inches apart.

Also called Monkey Grass, this plant make a wonderful border plant for the front of the bed. It makes a nice clump of grassy leaves, some which are variegated. Each summer, the clumps have stalks that shoot up and are covered with tiny flowers that give it an interesting look. The grassy leaves make a nice contrast against larger leafed plants.

Showy - that's the best word for this plant. Huge flowers each spring that you can see from a distance. The plant gets so thick as it grows that you could almost call it a shrub. It dies back each year but it will come back every year with more and more flowers.

LIke the Iris, the bad thing about this plant is the short duration of its blooming season. It only lasts a couple or three weeks. The spectacular tall stalks of flowers that seem to burst up out of the long leaves of its clump are very bright and make you think of a torch. Very exciting while it lasts!

This plant has mistakenly been called "Houseleek." The true Houseleek is one of its cousins, the plant called Hen and Chicks. The Sedums are a tough family of plants, consisting of many types and forms including groundcovers and upright specimen as well. They are so easy to grow. Basically you toss them in or sometimes even ON the ground, they take little care after that. They are highly drought tolerant. These are plants that are overlooked a lot but should be considered by everyone, especially those who say, But I can't grow anything!" This might change your mind.

An old garden favorite, Garden Phlox is almost completely different from its cousin the Creeping Phlox. It has an upright growth habit and has clusters of flowers that are extremely attractive. This plant is to die for! They come in a wide range of colors and are tall and stately. Butterflies love them, too. To me, a garden isn't complete without them.

An evergreen low-growing groundcover that is wonderful for filling in shady places since it doesn't like sun that well. Also called a Periwinkle and that is where we get the name for that color, from the color of the blooms. Blooms in early spring. Very nice.

The Yucca is a desert plant that doesn't mind if it lives outside the desert - as long as it isn't in a wet position or one that is too shady. Needs very little care. The flower stalk each spring can grow quite large and has many huge, bell-shaped white flowers hanging on it. The leaves are sword shaped with pointy tips and have actually been used for sewing since there are fibers in the leaves. You just pull the "needle" out, along with its "thread" and push it through fabric and sew. That's how it got its other name, "Adam's Needle."

BIENNIALS

A biennial is a plant that grows one year and blooms or fruits the 2nd year, then dies. Some reseed and the process starts again. If you have biennials that reseed, it is a good idea to plant some two years in a row so that the first year's plants are blooming while the 2nd year's plants are setting roots to feed the plant in the fruit year. Keep in mind that, if you want a plant to reseed, the seeds must hit dirt when they fall, not rock mulch etc.

Foxglove - Shade/part sun 12-36" Zones 4-9

The most commonly known varieties of Foxglove, or Digitalis, are biennials however, Digitalis comes from southern Europe and has some 20 species, mostly perennials. Some of the biennials will reseed themselves but care must be given to make sure that, when the seeds fall, they hit dirt and not mulch or another surface that will keep them from taking root. They grow either in sun or partial shade, which makes them ideal plants for woodland gardens.

Grows 5-8 ft. tall, blooms all summer long in a pretty mix of crimsons, pinks, yellows, creams and some newer colors that are very showy including a "black" that is so maroon that it nearly IS black.

One of the favorites in the old fashioned garden. Some varieties are single and others are double. Very eye catching.

In the same family as the Carnation, Sweet William looks a lot like them in miniature form. They are smaller and have a denser leaf. They can form a beautiful clump that will bloom in spring. They come in many different shades and some very nice color combinations on the same flower.