When it comes to creating a garden, the perennials you choose to plant will offer different colors and textures. Adding perennials in addition to your trees and shrubs will give you the variety you’re looking for years to come. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most beautiful perennial plants that are perfect for any garden!

Here are 20 of our favorite perennials:

Dicentra – Bleeding hearts
Sun Exposure: Part shade to shade.
Soil: Grows best in rich soils.
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer.

Dicentra is also known as Bleeding Heart for its heart-shaped dark pink and white flowers that bloom along horizontal stems. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage. It is a good choice for attracting birds and butterflies and will deter deer.

Brunnera – -siberian bugloss
Sun Exposure: Part shade to shade.
Soil: Average to fertile soil.
Bloom Time: Early to late spring.

Brunnera is also known as Siberian Bugloss, and it features sky blue flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the stems. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive heart-shaped leaves are completely unpalatable to deer, making this a good hosta alternative. The showiest varieties have silvery colored leaves with emerald green variegation throughout the season. 

Helleborus – Lenten rose
Sun Exposure: Part Shade to shade.
Soil: Grows best in rich soils.
Bloom Time: Late winter to early spring.

The flowers on a hellebore plant are large and dangling buttercup-type blooms, and they are one of the first flowers to come up in cool weather. They are evergreen, which is unusual for perennials and are great in woodland gardens and on shaded slopes. Another deer resistant choice.

Coreopsis – tickseed
Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall.
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil: Average soil.

Coreopsis has sunny daisy-like flowers that bloom in a variety of colors, such as yellow, pink, red or bi-color. The flowers are excellent for cutting, and deadheading the spent blooms will increase bloom time. They attract birds and butterflies.

Agapanthus Hardy Blue
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil: Normal soil.
Bloom Time: Mid-summer to early fall.

The fragrant flowers of each dainty blossom will bloom in your garden from summer to fall. The dark blue, almost violet color is stunning. Darrell states, “I really like it, because it’s like the purple Allium, but with an unforgettable blue color in the summer.” It’s pretty in a vase during the summer. As another pollinator magnet, the Agapanthus is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds as well as being ignored by deer.

Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ aka Golden Japanese Spikenard 
Sun Exposure: Part shade to shade.
Soil: Average to fertile soil.
Bloom Time: Mid-summer to late summer.

The very lush green-chartreuse foliage quickly form a large plant, which amazingly resists deer. In mid to late summer, tiny white flowers appear, followed by deep purple-tinted berries. The tiny white flowers attract honeybees, making it a go-to for those seeking a pollinator-friendly plant. The chartreuse foliage really stands out in a shady spot, but will turn more golden if given more sun

Allium Gladiator 
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil.
Bloom Time: Late spring.

The richly Amethyst pigmented flowers of an allium “globe” are hard to beat. The Gladiator allium is a hybrid of two large-flowered Central Asian alliums. Dense, rounded flower clusters grow on top of sturdy stems, and these flowers are on display from late spring to early summer. The drought-tolerant plant actually prefers a dry-ish summer. Another deer prof plan.

Sedum – Stonecrop 
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade.
Bloom Time: Late summer to late fall. 
Soil: Average soil.  

A highly desirable and popular upright plant or groundcover, stonecrop forms dense mounds that become completely covered in broccoli-like flowers which bloom in early fall, variegated, bluish, red,  green or yellow foliage is prominent all season; needs a dry and sunny location

Paeonia – Peony 
Bloom Time: Heavily in late spring to early summer.
Sun Exposure: Full sun or part shade.
Soil: Rich, fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils.

Beautiful, single or double blossoms come alive as fragrant bright flowers in a range of colors from pure white to pink, red and almost purple. The lush, dark green foliaged shrub can reach up to 36 inches in height and 30 inches in width. This tall perennial will make a statement in your landscape. Peonies attract butterflies and are deer and rabbit resistant.

Salvia – Meadow sage
Bloom Time: Mid spring to mid fall.
Sun Exposure: Full sun. 
Soil: Average soil.

Salvia, or Meadow Sage, attracts butterflies (while also deterring deer) with stunning spikes of long lasting flowers come in a range of colors from white, pink, blue to violet. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant narrow leaves remain grayish green in color throughout the season.

Campanula – Bellflower
Bloom Time: Mid spring to mid fall.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade.
Soil: Average soil.

Bellflower, or campanula, is a low-mounded plant that’s great for borders. It’s covered in stunning white or royal blue bell-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to late summer. Its round leaves remain green in color throughout the season. 

Clematis 
Bloom Time: Late spring to early fall. 
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade.
Soil: Average soil.

Clematis are vigorous climbers that produce spectacular large flowers, ranging in color from white, blue, purple, red and pink. It’s great for arbors, trellises, obelisks, pergolas, fences and mailboxes.  The colorful flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies and are resistant to deer.

Hosta
Bloom Time: Mid-summer. 
Sun Exposure: Partial shade to shade. 
Soil: Average soil.

Hostas feature dainty spikes of white bell-shaped flowers rising above lush foliage in mid-summer. Its attractive textured heart-shaped leaves maintain their color throughout the season. Hosta come in such a wide range of size from dwarf Pandora’s box to giant Empress Wu, and a seemingly endless selection of leaf coloration. Its texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

Geranium – perennial geranium
Bloom Time: Late spring to late summer.  
Sun Exposure: Full to part sun.  
Soil: Average soil.

Perfect as a groundcover, this low mounded variety has small, deeply lobed leaves that turn crimson red in the fall; bathed in beautiful saucer-shaped blooms throughout summer, colors range from pale pink, pink, blue to purple; deadhead spent flowers for re-blooming later in the season. It’s resistant to rabbits, but will attract butterflies to your garden.

Astilbe 
Bloom Time: Early to mid-summer. 
Sun Exposure: Partial shade to shade.
Soil: Rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil.

There are many varieties of Astilbe. Marked by their rainbow of plumes that range in color from pure white, pinks and reds, these plants will grow back each year a bit larger than before. Their deeply cut ferny compound leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season. They are perfect in a shady spot with dappled light.

Ferns 
Bloom Time: Grown for Foliage.  
Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Shade. 
Soil: Not Particular, but shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. 

There are many varieties of ferns available. Planting different varieties in your landscape to add different textures while remaining uniform in their lush green color. The Lady Fern is the quintessential garden fern. It’s airy, soft and grows quickly in attractive clumps. The Maidenhair Fern is instantly recognizable, because of its fingered leaf shape. The Ostrich Fern is a dense fern with a shapely form and gracefully arching fronts. All ferns bring an extremely delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

Phlox paniculata – Garden Phlox – tall Phlox
Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall.   
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade.  
Soil: Average soil.
Garden phlox features exceptionally long blooms of fragrant flowers that range in color from pink, purple, white and red. It’s great as a tall border in your garden, as well as cutting. 

Monarda – Bee Balm 
Bloom Time: Early summer.
Sun Exposure: Full sun. 
Soil: Prefers average, to dry locations. 

Tuck this early-blooming Bee Balm into the front of your flower border to create a colorful swath of flowers that come in colors from pink to red to purple. Butterflies and hummingbirds will adore it! Prefers rich, moist soil and full sun, but also grows well in part shade. Provide good air circulation to prevent disease.

Lavandula – Lavender
Bloom Time: Early summer to late fall.  
Sun Exposure: Full sun.  
Soil: Prefers average, to dry locations, dislikes excessive moisture, especially during winter. 

Lavender is a classic, beautiful and aromatic flowering perennial covered with volumes of deep purple or blue blooms through the summer. The beautiful spikes of fragrant flowers rise above the grayish green foliage. It’s an excellent choice for low, informal hedging and in borders and formal gardens. Try the new variety available at English Gardens, ‘Phenomenal.

Hibiscus- hardy hibiscus
Bloom Time: Early summer to mid fall.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade. 
Soil: Average soil.  

Hardy hibiscus loves full sun and attracts both hummingbirds and butterflies. They begin to bloom late in the summer and produce huge flowers in shades of red, pink or white. The plant dies back in the winter and is very late to break dormancy. It’s usually mistaken for dead, but give it time and you’ll be rewarded with spectacular color!

Heuchera – Coral Bells
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to full shade.
Soil: Average soil.  

Coral Bells are primarily grown for their beautiful foliage, which comes in a wide range of colors from light green to dark burgundy. It’s great as a border plant in sun to part shade areas. While they deter deer and rabbit, coral bells attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Rudbeckia – Black-eyed Susan 
Bloom Time: Mid-summer to early fall.  
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil: Not Particular, but shouldn’t be allowed to dry out.

Black-eyed Susans feature beautiful gold daisy flowers atop their tall stems. Its serrated pointy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season. When planted in full sun, it will reach to be about 24 inches tall, offering butterflies an optimal post to stop by on! You can also try the shorter variety, Little Gold Star.

Nepeta – Catmint 
Bloom Time: Early summer to fall. 
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade.
Soil: Average soil.

Catmint features beautiful spikes of lightly-scented powder blue flowers that rise above the foliage from early summer to early fall. Catmint’s relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage. Its small fragrant pointy leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the season.

Echinacea – Coneflower 
Bloom Time: Mid-summer to early fall.  
Sun Exposure: Full sun.
Soil: Not Particular, but shouldn’t be allowed to dry out.

Coneflowers are a mid-summer bloomer that make the perfect cut flower. There are two types of coneflower, singles or doubles. Single coneflower have the characteristic large brownish orange center button surrounded by colorful flower petals, while doubles have more colorful flowers in the center, effectively hiding the button. There are many different varieties of this plant, so you’re sure to find one that’s right for your garden. Coneflower is deer resistant and attracts butterflies.