A list of six tried-and-true favorite plants for beds and borders that bloom winter through fall. These are the shrubs and perennials to have in any garden, that will bring interest to your landscape through the seasons.
Winter and spring is a good time to plan new gardens and analyze existing gardens - what is and isn't working, and what new plants to add. It's smart to make plans in these 'quieter' months before it gets busier and also to take advantage of any sales that you may find at nurseries or online.
I've tried many, many perennials, annuals, and shrubs in our beds and borders through the years, choosing from things that I read about in books or catalogs or just happened upon at stores. But the plants that have worked out the best always seem to be what was recommended to me (or passed along) by other gardeners.
And so, as one gardener to another (or gardener-to-be), here are a few of my tried-and-true favorite plants for beds and borders, listed by season winter to fall.
I have found these to meet all my criteria for a great plant:
- Easy care, reliable bloom, pretty (of course).
- Easy to find (and thus, not expensive).
- Long-lasting bloom or good bones, if evergreen.
6 Favorite Plants for Beds & Borders
1. Hellebore (also known as "Lenten rose" or "Christmas rose")
A hands-down favorite winter blooming perennial, this plant starts budding in January here in Western Oregon, blooms all through February and into March - right when the garden is sorely needing some blooms.
I have two hellebore varieties, the white and creamy pink pictured, and both bloom about the same time. These plants never seem to mind any snow or freezing temperatures we might get, either - another great reason to grow them. After blooming, their leaves are a great backdrop for spring and summer blooming plants and they're almost evergreen, making them an all-around good plant to grow.
2. Hardy Geranium
This perennial comes in many, many different varieties now, but they all fill in garden beds nicely and usually have long lasting blooms through spring though fall, depending. The geranium pictured is called "Monster" with pink blooms from June all the way through October. "Rozanne" is also a long bloomer, as are many others.
I find these to be such easy care plants that all I really need to do is cut them back once in the early spring - and sometimes mid-summer if they get to be unruly. And that's it - no deadheading or anything. Love.
3. Roses
But not just any rose, though - shrub, floribunda, English, or any rose that's been bred to be disease-resistant and everblooming with less maintenance than a typical tea rose (the rose pictured is a floribunda rose called "Pretty Lady").
However, no matter what you may read, even these involve a lot of upkeep compared to the others on this list - if it's not pruning, then it's blackspot (every rose has blackspot in Oregon- every one that's not sprayed with chemicals, that is...) or bugs eating holes in the leaves. But you know what? Some things in life are worth the extra work and growing roses is one of them. The smell, the colors, the way they fill a vase...little compares.
4. Sunflowers
An annual that blooms in the summer and into early fall, these sweet, simple flowers can't help but make you happy. They are quintessentially summertime, aren't they? I like to grow the varieties (there are many - check them out in one of my favorite catalogs) that are bred for cutting more than seed production, and produce many blooms instead of just one.
Even though they have to be planted yearly, they don't need much care afterwards besides regular watering and I can stick a handful of cut blossoms haphazardly in a white jug and it's one of the most beautiful "arrangements" around. How many things can you say that about?
5. Hydrangeas
They start blooming midsummer, come into their glory until August and keep blooming (or changing color, depending on the variety, like everblooming "Endless Summer") until cut down by frost. I love, love, love hydrangeas.
You can grow them big, small, as lace caps, mop heads, or panicles - and the colors keep expanding by the year. Even though they don't look so lovely in the winter (think brown sticks...), no garden should be without at least one bush. "Little Lime" is my most recent acquisition.
6. Boxwood
An evergreen shrub that is so versatile it's another plant I recommend to everyone. They provide a wonderful backdrop to flowering perennials, make great foundation plants, fill spots in borders to perfection, never get nasty big, and can take sun or shade, depending on the variety.
You can prune them if you want or let them grow naturally, plus they provide the best cuttings for vase fillers, wreaths and Christmas greenery. Probably my favorite evergreen.
I hope you have discovered a new-to-you perennial or shrub to add to your landscape. I know I wouldn't have a garden without at least one of each of these plants. What are some plants you wouldn't garden without?
This article has been updated - it was originally published in March 2011.
Barbie says
I found you thru Cottage & Bungalows. Love that magazine! Love your floors featured in the April volume. My husband and I live on the Texas Gulf Coast and we are starting a remodel, we are so going to do that with our bedroom floor :)Please enter me in your give-a-way.
[email protected] says
Jami, I too love hellebores... mine were seedlings from a neighbors plant, and they took a few years to bloom, but they are glorious now. I would transplant those babies all over the place:)
I can hardly wait for my other early blooming favorite... the daphne odora, heaven scent for sure:)
Right now though, aside from the hellebores, I am enjoying some crocus and our daffodils.
Jami @An Oregon Cottage says
Lea- You caught me, I was hoping no one would notice that most of the 'weeds" growing under the white hellebore are seedlings...I'm awful at deadheading. *blush* The newspaper and mulch works on them as well. 🙂
Gee, Shannan- should I see if I can pot one up and get it to grow for you. 🙂 I do agree that there is a place for annuals, even though I only picked one for my list, I grow more for cutting and color, too.
Tootsie- Welcome! I have visited your Friday linky too before. 🙂 And I'll be back- you've got a great blog, too!
Linda G.- Oh yes, I think I go on and on about edibles here, so I thought I'd give some equal opportunity. 😉 Except for fruit trees...one day I'm going to do a post on how awful our fruit trees are doing. 😉
Linda G says
Don't forget plants that feed the body AND the soul! I am looking out at my beautiful nectarine trees in full blossom. ( We are a month or so ahead of you in OR down here in San Jose.) I have plenty of flowers, but I wish I had more room for edibles, so I tuck lettuce and strawberries under the roses and line the sidewalk with rosemary and lavendar. I now make sure that if I plant a tree or shrub in our small yard, it will not only be beautiful, but also provide food.
Shannan says
Oh - I do have one more thing to say - I also love annuals. Yes, they can be expensive and yes, you do have to replace them, but nothing beats annuals for bold bright punches of color. I do use seed packets to put in zinnias and marigolds, but I usually wait for sales and just go ahead and buy the primroses, petunias, and impatiens. I just love the colors!!
Shannan says
I agree with all of your choices as I have almost all of those growing my perennial beds!
Hellebores are my absolute favorite and that white one you have is glorious! I want! I want!!
I'm trying my hand at roses this year - just put in some bare root ones and hope that I can grow them successfully. Boo to black spot and here's hoping I can keep it at bay!
[email protected] says
Hi Jami, running to get kids, but will be back to read and comment further:)
Tootsie says
ya know...sometimes hopping around from blog to blog that you haven't been to before pays off!!! I am a new follower and am thrilled to be part of your Tuesday flower party...I host one on Fridays...and hope you will link in! I LOVE your blog!
I am putting your logo in the sidebar for this week...will add it to the actual post next week if that's ok...it is miserable to get them in on the program I use.
hugs!
Barb-Harmony Art Mom says
We are loving two plants in our garden:
Pink Princess Escallonia-fast growing shrub, low water need, pink flowers in the spring/summer (also butterfly attractive).
Concha Wild Lilac-another evergreen shrub, low water, blue flowers (not like normal lilac), and can tolerate sun and cold. It is just about ready to bloom in my yard.
These we picked up on sale at Home Depot for a great price last end of summer and they are doing great. We are going to be adding three more of the wild lilac in our sunny spot because the bees LOVE them.
Great post and I love the glimpse into your garden.
Beth says
What a glorious hellebore Jami - it has given you weeks and weeks of pleasure and is still going strong!
Athena at Minerva's Garden says
I love delphinium and roses together--if I had to choose, probably my favorite!
lea says
I love Hellebores too, I have some plants that were here when we moved in 40 years ago! They have increased beautifully. Which brings me to the question, are you SURE that those are all weeds around the white Hellebore? Some of my plants are prolific reseeders, and when I looked at your photo with a magnifying glass some of the seedlings look like my seedlings. Just a thought, Lea
La Vie Quotidienne says
All of the plants you mentioned are great ones and I can grow them all too even though we are much hotter than you...it just shows how deversified they are. Roses top my list. Thank you for hosting.(-:
Candi says
I love hellebores. We just visited Callaway Gardens and all of theirs are in blooms by the Sibley Horticulture Building. So pretty!