Popular Perennials That Have More Than One Bloom Cycle Per Season
Why settle for one season of bloom when many of today's newest perennials and shrubs give you two glorious color shows every year? From Daylilies to Dianthus, the latest varieties "repeat" beautifully, extending their seasonal appeal in your garden.
Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
I call these Daylilies "rebloomers," but many are more like continuous bloomers — from early summer right up to fall, they'll toss up new flowers, with a heavy show at the beginning and end of the season, but plenty of "encores" in between as well. Why worry about staggering the bloomtimes of Daylily varieties in your garden — or be content with just a few weeks of color — when you can grow these high-performing, colorful beauties?
Hydrangeas
Until a few years ago, hydrangeas macrophylla simply wasn't worth growing north of zone 6. The plant itself was quite cold hardy, but late-spring frosts inevitably killed the flower buds (which arise on old wood). But some exciting new reblooming varieties have come along that bloom on both old and new wood, so even if the first set of buds is frost-killed, a second arises and bursts into bloom in mid- to late summer.
Clematis
Most clematis offer masses and masses of beautiful blooms over many weeks, the bloomtime varying from early summer to early fall. But a few varieties go this one better by giving two performances every year.
Lilies
Hardy, reliable, and vigorous, lilies require minimal care to reward you with an ever-increasing supply of blooms that are often delectably fragrant and always highly prized for long-lasting bouquets.
Dianthus
Dianthus is a diverse group of flowers, offering a wonderful range of colors and applications, from use in containers and mixed borders to cut flower, scented, cottage, butterfly, and heirloom gardens.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
Easy to grow, vigorous, heat tolerant, and close to indestructible, Lonicera (Honeysuckle) vines are beautiful and deliciously fragrant, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies all summer long. You may choose to grow your Lonicera along a trellis, arbor, or fence, or you can grow it without support as a groundcover to control erosion, and some will even thrive in containers. Lonicera bloom heavily in spring, with some extending their season into summer.
