If you crave color all summer long without the headache of frequent replanting, long-blooming perennials may be the plants you need. Careful selection and planning with many plants that bloom for a short period can result in the same continuous bloom sequence, but long-blooming perennials allow more room for error and require much less maintenance.

As with all flower gardens, you still have to do a little work:

• Weed Control
• Deadheading
• Dividing Perennials

Regardless, long-blooming perennials are worth the work.

Here are a few long bloomers that you may want to check out.

Garden Phlox – This lovely perennial is a perfect addition to any garden. If you’ve ever planted Garden Phlox before, you may be turned off by the powdery mildew disease that traditional Phlox develops. Don’t worry, there are new varieties of Phlox that are mildew resistant. Just ask your local nursery about these new varieties and enjoy the beauty of this long-blooming flower.

Stella de Oro – Stella de Oro is a kind of daylily. This compact and brilliantly colored flower is a great compliment to your flower garden because it blooms early in the season.

Shasta Daisy – There isn’t much that’s more summery than a daisy. Originally called “Day’s Eye”, this plant derives it’s name from none other than the sun. Don’t be fooled though. This delicate looking plant is actually very tough and resilient which makes for the perfect low-maintenance garden flower.

Long-Blooming Perennial Salvia – With regular deadheading, these tall beauties flourish all year. “Blue Hill”, “May Night” and “Cardonna” salvias are all long bloomers.

Russian Sage – Russian Sage is characterized by small blooms on a rather tall body. This sage is a great and tasteful filler for your garden.

Yarrow – Yarrow is an ‘herb’ plant, much like lavendar below. Once used for medicinal purposes, this plant has become a popular feature of many gardens for it’s low maintenance and beauty.

Lavender – Perhaps one of the classiest of all the long-blooming plants, the Lavender plant is also one of the most well-known. Lavender’s strong and fresh scent is all around us in sachets, oils, and potpourris; however, there’s nothing like this low-maintenance herb to add a touch of class to your summer garden.

Although plant hardiness of every zone varies, professional landscape architects like Botanical Concepts can help you create the most beautiful summer landscape for your business or residence. What’s more, these landscapers know what works best for your soil, climate and aesthetic.