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I'm a big fan of no-maintenance perennial beds myself. The list of full sun perennials is pretty long, but can I suggest roman chamomile, lemon thyme & bee balm, for the scented foliage. A couple of annuals you might consider, because they are so easy are mignonette, for evening scent, & calendula for the blooms. Both come easily/cheaply from seed, & the calendula is self-seeding in zone 5.

I love your gardens! They are neat but relaxed, lush but not crowded. Each grouping of plants is able to be appreciated.

Good luck digging out those onions. If they're anything like wild nodding onions, any tiny root left behind will come back as a new plant. It may be a several year process.

As far as what to plant, I'd encourage you to include some milkweed to support the Monarch butterflies. Asclepias incarnata is well behaved and a favorite for females to lay eggs on. Even if you don't get butterflies, the blossoms will attract hummingbirds and other beneficial pollinators. In fact, that spot would be a fantastic butterfly/hummingbird spot. You could plant salvias, monarda, penstemon, liatris, delphiniums, columbine, coral bells, and on and on. If you include annuals, the list doubles. Enjoy your project.

Martha

Perennial geranium (not the bright red annual polygonatums that you see everywhere) makes a nice, zero-maintenance filler/edger as does Nepeta (aka, catmint).

Caryopteris/blue mist shrub is low-growing & low-maintenance where I am plus it has a mild fragrance and attracts pollinators.

Chelone (turtlehead) makes an appearance in late season with pink or white blooms (shaped like--you guessed it, a turtle's head) when not much else is blooming + it attracts bees.

Dicentra/bleeding heart is a springtime bloomer that I've always found was high-impact but zero maintenance, either the species (red) or hybrid 'Alba' (white).

If you have a bit of shade, snakeroot (Cimicifuga racemosa) is zero maintenance. Its fluffy plumes of white flowers attract pollinators and is another late-season bloomer.

Another interesting perennial is Trycirtis hirta/toad lily--unique flower shape and one that blooms very late in the season. The bees love it. It prefers shade but I have it growing in part sun.

You might be interested in a book entitled 'Perennials for Every Purpose' by Larry Hodgson since it allows you to narrow in on what you're attempting to accomplish in your garden beds.

Bluebirdpeony, you certainly have some beautiful established beds at your new house! The previous owners were obviously accomplished gardeners, and it's nice that you are interested in gardening too.

How about a butterfly and hummingbird garden in your new bed? Ooops just looked up and Docmom suggested the same thing. So I second that!

Freki, what is a no-maintenance perennial bed? I don't have any of those.

Freki, what is a no-maintenance perennial bed? I don't have any of those.

LOL!! I was about to say the same. No such thing as a no-maintenance perennial. - low maybe: no-maintenance, no way! The only no-maintenance plants of any type I am aware of are those made of plastic :-)

Thanks, everyone! I actually love the idea of a butterfly and hummingbird garden!! Why didn't I think if that? We're in the country surrounded by a 600 acre cornfield. Our birds tend to be what I would call "farm" birds: blue birds, swallows, finches, etc. Oddly, we don't get any cardinals, robins or blue jays.

If we plant it will they come? Even thought we are more farmy and have no surrounding gardens? Thoughts?

Favorite hummingbird or butterfly plants other than those Martha suggested?

Thanks!!