My Favorite Perennials that I Recommend for a Beautiful Garden

I'm pretty much finished with the front side garden by our driveway. I was more careful in my edgingbut not pleased that I didn't cut in as crisp as I'd like, this is because I need to sharpen the blade of our spade, but due to impatience and my time schedule, this wasn't possible, I plan to go over the edge later this season, and again when it rains as ground is soft.

Due to our antique house being the unusual color of yellow ochre-(this colour was present in colonial times), selecting plants can be a challenge. However I was determined to select plants that were the same kind of colours one sees in a hand-painted vintage postcard, soft blues, violets, tans, yellows and rose pinks. Generous neighbors and friends offered me plants when we first moved here so not all colors fit this scheme. 

Below are perennials I am fond of and why they're the go-to purchase for all my area-gardens and why.

1. Cora-bells or Heuchera-These perennials come in a multitude of AMAZING colors, they're also evergreens in a lot of places, I've noticed my Citron Heuchera in back are pretty colorful even in the winter. They also look great in containers and they don't spread, so you're not ripping out tons as time goes on.

2. Lenten Roses or Helebores-These perennials bloom early, as early as February in the Northeast and stay blooming for awhile. They are considered highly poisonous so if you have a big dog that chews everything in site, or a young child that like's to put everything to the mouth, I'd advise against these. Their colors are beautiful and soft, and this is a winter evergreen as well.

3. Hydrangeas-all kinds I love and why? Gardening is GRUNT WORK, so much so that I want to be entertained visually for as long as possible for my efforts, thus I plant a lot of Hydrangeas and there's no beating their gorgeous showy colours.

4.  Stonecrop Sedum- I like Autumn Fire and Autumn Joy, these are sturdy perennials that won't get knocked down after a strong windy storm. They bloom later in the season first as chartreuse, then rosy pink, then blush red, and in the winter brown. I don't chop the blooms off in Winter as I like the look. Autumn Fire is more intense in colour. The Monarchs love these plants!

5. Angelina Sedum-This is one of my favorite groundcovers, the bright chartreuse color with yellow flowers literally makes my garden beds grow, AND they crowd out weeds,