Tami and Beth are our Sargent’s perennial experts! They add immense value to our team with their plant insight and helpfulness to customers and co-workers alike.
In this blog, learn about their carefully selected perennial ‘Top Picks’ for 2024 in the below categories.
We hope you enjoy learning about these gorgeous plants and why we love them at Sargent’s!
Springtime Perennials
Tami’s Pick
Brunnera
Brunnera has lush and detailed leaves that remain until fall, appearing almost frosty or crackled.
In early spring, this perennial has sky blue flowers that float above the foliage, adding a whimsical look to your garden.
Beth’s Pick
Cushion Spurge
This plant provides a beautiful, late spring burst of bright yellow and is also known for its showy fall foliage.
It’s low maintenance and thrives well in hot and dry sites. It grows in a mounding shape reaching an average of 18 inches tall and wide.
Deer-Resistant Perennials
Tami’s Pick
Astilbe
This perennial needs moist soil to thrive and adds a soft and colorful element to any garden. Other than watering, they require little to no maintenance once planted. It’s Tami’s top pick because although it is beautiful, deer don’t want anything to do with it.
Beth’s Pick
Munstead Lavender
Also known as English Lavender, this is one of the hardiest cultivars for northern gardens. This lovely perennial is highly fragrant with purple-blue spikes of blooms.
To increase its survival rate, don’t cut back. The dormant stems will eventually turn green in the spring as the weather warms!
Sun-Loving Perennials
Tami’s Pick
Monarda
Commonly known as Bee Balm, most varieties of this plant bloom from mid-summer to late fall.
Monarda is very sun-loving, heat-tolerant, and resistant to powdery mildew and deer. Tami loves it because it’s a hummingbird magnet!
Beth’s Pick
Salvia
Salvia has beautifully vibrant blooms with purple, blue, and white varieties. It loves the sunshine and has a long-lasting bloom life to color your garden all summer!
Beth loves these perennials because they are robust and lush, and pollinators love them.
Black Walnut-Resistant Perennials
Tami’s Pick
Phlox
Aside from being a favorite of pollinators, phlox is also a great perennial for gardens near walnut trees!
These flowers are resistant to juglone, the toxin produced by black walnuts, and they add color and interest to any landscape.
Beth’s Pick
Turtlehead
Also known as Chelone, this is an upright perennial with pink snapdragon-like flowers resembling the head of open-mouth turtles.
It blooms in late summer to early fall and is excellent for rain gardens.
Bird-Loving Perennials
Tami’s Pick
Coneflower
Also known as Echinacea, these flowers come in a wide array of pink, orange, yellow, and purple hues.
Their seeds are a great food source for birds, such as goldfinches! Many coneflowers are native to MN and thrive in full sunlight.
Beth’s Pick
Rudbeckia
This plant is commonly called Black-Eyed Susan, and is another native flower to MN!
Birds love rudbeckia because the seeds are a great late summer to early fall food source. Beth loves them because they add color to any garden!
Mid-Summer Perennials
Tami’s Pick
Allium
Allium is an ornamental onion with grassy leaves and purple flower clumps displayed on tall stems.
This is a deer-resistant and pollinator-friendly plant. It’s especially impressive when planted in groupings!
Beth’s Pick
Veronica
This plant provides long-lasting color in hues of blue, pink, purple, and white.
Veronica is easy to grow and virtually maintenance-free. These flowers make excellent cuttings and do well in rock gardens or as accents.
Shade-Loving Perennials
Tami’s Pick
Hosta
Hostas are a favorite among many gardeners and are a no-brainer when choosing easy-to-care-for shade perennials.
They sport many different leaf patterns and solid colors such as steel blue and chartreuse!
Beth’s Pick
Thalictrum ‘Black Stockings’
More commonly known as Meadow Rue, this perennial features tall airy clusters of pendulous lavender flowers.
They bloom from late spring to summer and make beautiful cut flowers.
Perennial Grasses
Tami’s Pick
Korean Feather Grass ‘Calamagrostis Brachytricha’
It is known as diamond grass because dew gathers on the tips and sparkles in the morning sun. It produces pink, feathery blooms on 3-4 foot stalks.
Korean feather grass is one of few grasses that bloom in partial shade.
Beth’s Pick
Little Bluestem ‘Blue Heaven’
This 4-foot-tall grass has almost iridescent foliage with a mix of blue, green, and purple hues.
It’s one of the best grasses for bird nesting and roosting habitat and serves as a host plant for skipper butterfly caterpillars.
Fragrant Perennials
Tami’s Pick
Peony
These flowers have a wonderful scent that greets us early in the season, around May and June. some describe the smell as feminine and romantic, with a subtle spicy note.
Peonies are a stunning addition to any garden or bouquet with their large showy flowers!
Beth’s Pick
Monarda
As part of the mint family, this flower gives off a minty, lemon scent. It comes in an array of vibrant red, pink, and purple hues.
Also known as bee balm, pollinators love it and it can also be used to create a balm that soothes bee stings.
Fall Perennials
Tami’s Pick
Anemone
This plant flowers in the fall and will last until the first frost. There are several species in the anemone family, but they all have basal leaf clumps from which long flower stems rise to support delicate flowers.
The plants contain a substance called protoanemonin, which makes all parts moderately toxic to humans and pets.
Beth’s Pick
Calamintha Nepeta subsp. Nepeta
This perennial presents a cloud of dainty, lavender and white flowers that begins blooming from August until frost. When crushed, the leaves have a minty fragrance.
They look great as edging with their dense foliage and upright flowering stems.
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