Perennial Flower Combinations for Summer

Are you looking for beautiful perennial flower combinations? We’ve got several great ideas for your summer perennial flower garden in Lancaster, PA. Whether you’re looking for low maintenance, high color or a haven for wildlife, these perennial flower combinations will be gorgeous in your summer flower garden.

Please keep in mind that, unless noted, these perennial flower combinations should be planted in full sun.

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Low Maintenance

You probably like perennials because they come back year after year, saving you the headache of planting new beds every year. However, some perennials require more work than annuals. These three perennials are not only very low maintenance, but also very attractive when combined. Purple and silver aren’t always paired together, but they look marvelous.

1. Drumstick Allium – Tolerates deer, rabbits, drought and dry soil. Attracts butterflies.
2. Silver Feather Grass – Tolerates deer, drought and dry soil.
3. Russian Sage – Tolerates deer, rabbits, drought, clay soil, dry soil and salt. Attracts birds, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Colorful Border

Perennial borders are attractive and easy to care for when they’re used as borders along a driveway, sidewalk or patio. The combination of these sun-loving perennials will greet your guests with lovely color all summer long.

1. Maltese Cross – Tolerates deer, rabbits and drought. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
2. Daylily – Tolerates drought and rabbits. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
3. Sage – Tolerates deer, rabbits, drought, dry soil, Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
4. Common Evening Primrose – Tolerates deer, drought, dry soil and rocky soil. Attracts birds.
5. Golden Oats – Tolerates deer and drought. Attracts birds.
6. Mullein – Tolerates deer, rabbits, drought, dry soil, rocky soil and salt. , Attracts birds and butterflies.

Mediterranean Border

The coasts along the Mediterranean experience dry, hot air. Although Lancaster is far from the Mediterranean, the same plants that can withstand the blazing sun and heat there work well in perennial flower gardens here. These plants are drought-tolerant and enjoy full sun.

1. African Lily
2. Mediterranean Sea Holly
3. Lavender
4. Russian Sage
5. Tufted Hair Grass

Multi-Color Border

The perennial flowers in this brightly colored border are not only low maintenance, but also distasteful to deer and rabbits. That’s important in Lancaster, because our wildlife friends tend to graze on our flower gardens. The flowers bloom beginning in the late spring and early summer. This border will also attract butterflies.

1. Ornamental Onion – Tolerates deer, rabbits and drought.
2. ‘Fern Cottage’ Spurge – Tolerates deer and rabbits.
3. Marsh Spurge – Tolerates deer, rabbits, drought, rocky soil and wet soil.
4. Hedgehog Holly – Tolerates deer, rabbits, drought and salt.

Elegant Garden

If you’re going for a more sophisticated and formal style, these perennial flowers are the perfect combination. The roses and hydrangeas bring to mind an English garden. Coral Bells provide a contrasting background so that the brightly-colored flowers can shine. Although these plants and shrubs can take full sun, they do better in partial sun or dappled sunlight.

1. ‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea
2. ‘Ballerina’ Rose
3. ‘Deutschland’ Astilbe
4. Soft Field Fern
5. ‘Plum Royale’ Coral Bells
6. Black Cherry Plum

Moist Soil and Shade

The perennial flower combinations in this garden are perfect for those troublesome spots in your yard that are always a bit moist and in the shade.

1. Giant Cowslip – Tolerates deer and rabbits.
2. Big Betony – Tolerates  deer and drought.
3. Great Masterwort – Tolerates deer and wet soil. Attracts butterflies.
4. Astilbe ‘Snowdrift’ – Tolerates deer, rabbits and wet soil. Attracts butterflies.

High Heat

Here in Lancaster, summers can be intense. Record-breaking temperatures have gotten up to 101° in July! But the perennial flower combinations in this garden are happy to soak up the sun. This perennial flower garden isn’t for a beginner gardener. A slightly more advanced gardener will feel comfortable with the maintenance that the dahlias require.

1. Dahlia ‘Ambition’ – Attracts butterflies.
2. Dahlia ‘David Howard’ – Attracts butterflies.
3. Sneezeweed – Tolerates deer, rabbits, clay soil and wet soil. Attracts birds, butterflies and hummingbirds.
4. Choral Bells ‘Obsidian’ – Tolerates deer. Attracts butterflies.
5. Tall Verbena – Tolerates deer, rabbits and drought. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
6. Spider Flower – Tolerates drought and rabbits. Attracts birds, butterflies and hummingbirds.
7. ‘Firebird’ Beardtongue – Tolerates deer, rabbits, drought, dry soil and salt. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
8. ‘Cardonna’ Sage – Tolerates deer, rabbits, drought and dry soil. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
9. Hakone Grass – Tolerates deer.
10. ‘Francis Williams’ Hosta – (This is the only plant on this list that requires only partial sun.) Attracts hummingbirds.

We hope that this list of perennial flower combinations inspires your choices for your own garden. We would love to help you make your gardening ideas a reality. Please call us at (717) 951-5950 or contact us through this website.

See also:

Best Plants for Landscaping in Pennsylvania

What to Know About Perennial Gardens in Lancaster

DIY Landscape Design for Your Yard