Got a sunny spot? Plant some perennials! The butterflies and bees and hummingbirds will love you. You will love it, too!

Oh how I love perennials!

Last fall I tore out some lawn and started a small perennial bed. My long-term plans include very little grass and LOTS of perennials. This is the first spring for these flowering wonders and I am not disappointed.

Why do I love perennials? In the winter the beds are fairly barren as many die back leaving wonderful seed heads. Then as spring approaches, tiny shoots start to appear beneath the leaves, and before you know it the bed springs to life.

One by one the plants come back to life, larger and fuller each year. Each starts their blooming season that often lasts well into late fall. Just watching the buds form and slowly open is a daily delight.

Speedwell (Veronica spicata)

My perennial beds are usually teeming with life as our pollinator friends find much needed sustenance. At any given time, you will find butterflies flitting about and spot a hummingbird or two. What’s not to love?

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Perennials are best planted in the fall when the earth is warm, the blooming season is coming to a close and the energy of the plant can be directed into building a healthy root system.

Salvia greggii

Don’t be afraid to add a few new plants in the early spring. Just know that you will need to keep them watered until they are well established.

Salvia May Night (Salvia x sylvestris ‘Mainacht’)Mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea)

Watching the buds form and anticipating the arrival of large, beautiful flowers is part of the fun of gardening with perennials.

Coneflower bud. (Echinacea)

This is the view out of my office window. Daily I get the pleasure of watching the flowers bloom, the butterflies dance, and the birds bath. This is what makes gardening so dang fun!

What are your favorite perennials? I have too many to count!

Need some resources? These are two of my favorites:

• Essential Perennials: The Complete Reference to 2700 Perennials for the Home Garden
• The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden

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Happy gardening!