by C.L. Fornari



I love perennials that look good before and after they bloom, such as false indigo (Baptisia australis) or "Spring Symphony" foam flower (Tiarella). Other gardeners have different criteria for perfection.



When it comes to perennials, everyone has favorites. Pamela Burton, a professional landscape designer and owner of Room With a View in Newton, Mass., appreciates plants that perform with a minimum of water and care. She loves "Angelina" stonecrop (Sedum rupestre) because it has bright yellow-green foliage and is undemanding.



"If you were to look up 'sun-loving, drought-tolerant ground cover' in the dictionary, you might see a photo of Sedum 'Angelina,'" Burton says. "It has shocking, chartreuse color, unusual texture, is fast spreading, but easy to divide, and has no pests or diseases."



Equally carefree is the "Purple Dome" aster (Aster novae-angliae). "Just when you think the season is coming to an end - pow - Aster "Purple Dome" begins to bloom," Burton says, adding that the plant is short and has attractive foliage prior to flowering.



John Gallant, owner of highly rated Katsura Gardens in Plymouth, Mass., likes low-maintenance and long-blooming perennials. "Russian sage is a sun-loving perennial that's in bloom from July to frost," Gallant says. "And I love the ghostly white stems in the winter."



Two of Gallant's other favorites for sun are black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida "Goldsturm") and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutifolia "Karl Foerster").



"Black-eyed Susan has bright color and interesting seed heads in winter, and feather reed grass adds movement and a vertical habit," he says.



These perennials are perfect for sunny gardens, but what about those who plant in shade? Most gardeners appreciate Hosta, a shade-garden workhorse. This reliable perennial comes in all sizes, foliage colors and textures.



Gardeners need other selections to accompany these standard shade plants, however, and Burton and Gallant have suggestions. Both love Japanese Hakon grass (Hakonechloa macra "Aureola") for its butter-yellow color, texture and long season of interest.



It can be used as a specimen plant or massed as a ground cover. Plants with purplish foliage look especially good with the "Aureola" Hakon grass, and purple bugbane (Cimicifuga simplex "Brunette") is one that Burton favors.



"Bugbane is a wonderful perennial," she says. "The leaves of 'Brunette' are purple-black, and toward fall, tall spikes rise topped with bottlebrush shaped, pinkish-white, fragrant flowers."



Gallant favors another purple-foliage plant for shade, Ligularia dentata "Brit Marie Crawford." "The leaves are a bold maroon and the 3-foot-tall orange flowers brighten late season shade gardens," he says. "But these are just a few. When it comes to perennials, there's a perfect plant for every part of the garden."



C.L. Fornari is a writer, gardening expert, professional speaker and radio host who is dedicated to getting you into the garden. The Osterville, Mass., resident is a member of the Perennial Plant Association, American Plant Propagators Society, National Speakers Association and Garden Writers of America.