How to Select Perennials for All-Season Bloom

Jack Frost Brunnera

Unlike annual flowers, which must be replanted each spring, perennials return to bloom again year after year. But while you can depend on annuals to bloom non-stop from early summer until frost, most perennials have a specific bloom period that lasts from two to six weeks. This means that without a little planning, your perennial flower garden could be wildly colorful in early summer and then nothing but green for the rest of the season.

By choosing a few plants from each of the following bloom-time categories, you can keep your garden colorful from May through September. Note that actual bloom time will vary somewhat depending on growing conditions and where you live.