Do you ever retrieve yourself recommend the same smattering of plant life to friends and neighbour ? We do . These might not be the splashiest of industrial plant or even the one that you ’d found an total design around . But they are howling herbaceous perennials — the meat and potatoes of the garden . To make thing even more interesting , we limited ourselves to choosing just four of these go - to plants . Our selection have multiple seasons of interestingness , flourish under less - than - ideal weather , and in our mind , are substantive in any great garden .
Expert testimonial : Susan Morrison is a garden designer in Concord , California .
Danielle ’s List
‘ Festiva Maxima ’ peony ( Paeonia lactiflora‘Festiva Maxima ’ , Zones 3–8 )
Painted fern ( Athyrium niponicumand cvs . , Zones 3–8 )
Epimedium ( Epimediumspp . and cvs . , Zones 5–8 )
Eastern blue star ( Amsonia tabernaemontana , Zones 4–9 )
‘ Festiva Maxima ’ paeony
‘ Crested Surf ’ paint fern
‘ Spine Tingler ’ epimedium
easterly blue star
Steve ’s List‘All Gold ’ Japanese timber grass ( Hakonechloa macra‘All Gold ’ , Zones 5–9 )
‘ Sum and Substance ’ genus Hosta ( Hosta‘Sum and Substance ’ , Zones 3–8 )
‘ Millenium ’ allium ( Allium‘Millenium ’ , zone 4–8 )
‘ Six Hills Giant ’ catmint ( Nepeta‘Six Hills Giant ’ , Zones 3–8 )
‘ Millenium ’ genus Allium
‘ Six Hills Giant ’ catnip
Expert ’s listing
Mirage ™ Deep Purple autumn salvia ( Salvia greggii‘Balmirdepur ’ , Zones 7–9 )
‘ Moonshine ’ or ‘ Coronation Gold ’ yarrow ( Achillea‘Moonshine ’ or ‘ Coronation Gold ’ , Zones 3–8 )
‘ Walker ’s Low ’ Nepeta cataria ( Nepeta racemosa‘Walker ’s Low ’ , Zones 3–8 )
‘Festiva Maxima’ peony
California fuchsia ( Epilobiumspp . and cvs . , Zones 8–12 )
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‘Festiva Maxima’ peony
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‘Crested Surf’ painted fern
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‘Spine Tingler’ epimedium
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Eastern blue star
‘All Gold’ Japanese forest grass
‘Sum and Substance’ hosta
‘Millenium’ allium
‘Six Hills Giant’ catmint
‘Walker’s Low’ catmint
‘Coronation Gold’ yarrow
