Outstanding perennials - not just another bunch of pretty flowers

Gardeners want it all - flowers that bloom all season, sturdy plants that stand tall in the garden, fragrance, striking foliage and resistance to disease. After reviewing some of the perennials that will be on the nursery shelves this season, I'd say that someone out there is listening to us. Here's a roundup of perennials whose sole purpose in life is to pander to our horticultural desires.

Foliage over flowers Once upon a time, flowers were the only belles of the border. Rallying to the call for continuous bloom from spring until frost, gardeners planned the garden according to the bloom season of flowers. Sure, we still do this, but increasingly, we're weaving perennials with textured foliage, deeply veined leaves and variegations into our garden tapestries.

The chocolate-coloured, deeply lobed leaves of Geranium 'Elizabeth Ann' provide interest long after its pretty pink flowers have faded into summer while Geranium sessiliflorum 'Black Satin' has some of the deepest, darkest foliage of any of the hardy geraniums. Another wickedly dark-leaved perennial is Heuchera 'Black Beauty', its shiny, ruffled foliage glistens in the sun. And, the silvery, frosted foliage of Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice' features a web of raspberry black veins and deep burgundy undersides topped by swirls of two-toned pink flowers bloom from late spring until August.

Dramatic though the chocolates may be, perennials with chartreuse foliage vie for our attention, dazzling the eye with their striking lime-green leaves. Named hosta of the year, the heart-shaped, golden leaves of Hosta 'Guacamole' are framed with wide green margins. The bright chartreuse foliage of Centaurea montana 'Gold Bullion' provides a vivid contrast to its cornflower blue flowers. And, the citrus-coloured foliage of Heuchera 'Green Spice' is veined with deep maroon.

Not to be outshone by the chocolates and the limes, silver-leaved perennials like Pulmonaria 'Baby Blue'and P. 'Silver Shimmers' brighten shady spots in the garden while the textured leaves of Hedera 'Pink and Very Curly' blush grey-pink during the winter.

Flower show As important as foliage has become, we're not about to abandon flowers. Some that put on a glorious show of flowers include Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby', its ruby red flowers blooming from June until frost; Dianthus 'Pixie', a fragrant Cheddar pink that reblooms all season; Echinacea 'Ruby Giant' with its stunning, 18 centimetre (seven inch)-wide recurved red petals; and, Hemerocallis 'Daring Deception', its lavender flowers sporting a dark purple eye and matching ruffled petals.

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