Badda Bing Badda Bloom!

Meet the perennials who bloom like they are annuals.

Perennials can get a bad rap from people who are looking for non-stop blooming like they get with annuals. For me, I'd rather not have to plant year after year and I enjoy the change in the garden when certain perennials come into bloom. But there is something to say about those perennials that just don't seem to stop blooming.

We use these flower power perennials to anchor beds, allowing the ebb and flow of other bloomers to complement the colors and arrangement. We think you'll find some favorites to anchor a bed or two here as well.

Helenium ‘Salud Embers’ has fascinating blooms of orange streaked yellow and wonderfully detailed cone heads. It starts to bloom in summer and keeps going without deadheading or extra care. It's nice to have a plant make you look good without any added effort.

Every year Agastache earns my admiration. Easy care, extra attractive to pollinators and it blooms its heart out! The scent keep deer away (hooray!) so that you can enjoy the show. It's a versatile player too with loads of color variations from ice blue to deep purple, melon to deep wine.

When people ask for a long-blooming plant, one of our first recommendations is Gaillardia. Not only does it bloom all season long, even the spent buds retain color and look great. In full sun, expect Gaillardia to make a mound that is covered on all sides with flowers. You can deadhead if you want, but it's not necessary for a season of color.

Succulents are all the rage these days so a succulent with flower power ought to turn some heads. Lewisia looks very much like a typical succulent with foliage reminiscent of Hen and Chicks. But the similarity stops short when Lewisia starts to bloom! New varieties like 'Constant Fuchsia' have the flower power dialed up for an extended bloom time.