Perennial Flowers That Bloom Year-Round

Flowers are the beginning of new life for a plant. After flowering, the plant makes seeds and this leads to a new generation of plants. Unless you live in a place where there are no distinct seasons, you will find that plants will stop blooming and rest for a while. In climates that have a distinct summer and winter season, plants go through a dormant phase, a flowering phase and a seed phase. To add color to the garden, look for perennial plants that have flowers that last for a very long time. For winter color, look to plants like hellebore and forsythia to fill in the flower gap.

Corydalis loves the shade garden. This groundcover plant grows small, bell-shaped yellow flowers from June until frost and may continue blooming for a very long time in temperate climates. Grow corydalis in moist but not wet conditions. Corydalis also self-sows to create a blanket of yellow flowers in the garden.

Asters are a perky, daisy-type flower that grow abundantly in partial shade or full sun. The flowers often bloom in purple and pink tones. These flowers bridge the cooler season. New varieties, like monch and wonder of staffa, bloom for an exceptionally long time. Asters begin to flower in late summer. Some asters are biennial, some are annual and some are perennial.

Daylilies are proud and showy members of the garden. There are now long-blooming and repeat blooming daylily varieties. The most famous of these is the Stella de Oro daylily. This plant has brilliant yellow flowers that just keep going and going, and when they stop, more appear. The flowers bloom from early summer to the very late fall.

The sweet pink or purple blooms of the lavender plant are known for their lovely scent. These perennials are also one of the hardier plants around. Lavender will bloom in the spring and continue all summer into the fall.