For those of you who have no clue about Rita and me and the perennials, Rita was saying that she had some perennials besides all those daylilies and lilies and roses, but some she'd tried had not thrived and some she used to have were no longer there. I asked what four she thought she needs now.

I would keep, besides the lilies and daylilies and roses, all 5 of the four I told Rita I thought she could use:
Dianthus pinks, Perennial Phlox (P. paniculata I forgot to add), Iberis and blue/purples Stokesia or Salvia farinacea.

I am ready to give up Shasta Daisies forever, such water hogs. Echinacea is now restricted to the upper garden only, with Perennial Phlox, Stargazer Lilies and Magenta Pentas.

Oh, Wait! Strike Perennial Phlox. I forgot about My Texas Tropicals, Esperanza and Pride of Barbados. Strike Dianthus, too.

I feel like Frances of Faire Garden when certain Bloggers had the task of choosing just four of something -- she shamelessly listed eleven.

Final answer: Salvia farinacea, Iberis, Esperanza and Pride of Barbados.

Nell

Agastache
Echinacea
Nepeta
Salvia

Easy to decide!

Cameron

1)Veronica Spicata "Royal Candles"
2)Echinacea
3)Tall Scabiosas and....
(this is hard...)
4)Rudbeckias

Carrie

Cameron is picking out 6 different echinacea and at least a handful of different Agastache. We won't even talk about the salvia. But she can do that. It's not against the rule.

hardy geranium "Alan Bloom"
peonies
pulmonaria
phlox

But honestly, I can't stand to think about my garden without the flowering shrubs.

This might change as I want to try plants I've never grown before but for the present
Michaelmas Daisies
Leucanthemums
Echinaceas
Campanulas

Annette

So, Annette, give us four you haven't tried yet, but aspire to. Maybe that's another thread.

Nell

Huh, I'll get back to you in Fall. I am still waiting to see what performs in the new perennial border. Actually, I am still waiting to see what blooms 1st, and does best.

Nancy.

Daylilies
Salvias
agastaches
dianthus

This will pretty much give me color all year .....

Lynne

Uh, I know it's my game, but I want to add another. Monarda. Especially the red. I guess I could live without the hibiscus. Maybe we can consider them deciduous shrubs?

For me, In addition to my Belinda's Dream(s), and my lilies and daylilies, and hibiscus, I would have to have these;

plumbago
lantana
s. leucantha
and it would be a toss up between
s. uglinosa (bog salvia) and society garlic.

Janie

For me it would be:

salvia farinacea
salvia nemerosa
rudbeckias
echinaceas

I love phlox but it gets the most dreadfull mildew in our wet springs.

I will be digging all mine and relocating them so they get more air.....they are not to be crowded in our kind of weather. I lost David who did better and have two others that are supposed to be resistant, Robert Poore and one other??,

I forgot my favorite for height....almost a shrub:

Persicaria polymorpha.

Although I love Giant fleeceflower Persicaria polymorpha, that isn't on my top 4 list....but close.

Peonies
Bearded and siberian iris
Delphs
Daylilies and lilies.

Basic and reliable....and show stoppers.

Sierra

Salvia, daylilies, penstemon, dianthus.

1) Heliopsis
2) Maynight Salvia
3) Russian Sage
4) Asters
All easy care plants here..

Iris's all kinds
russian sage
cally lilies,the differen colored ones
hydrangeas

Kathi

Ok this one took me awhile to think about, I sure hope bushes are considered in this.

Shasta Daisy Silver Princess, cause its just toooooo cute!!

Shast Daisy Becky, cause its a great cut flower, and of course I love daisies.

Blueberry Bush, oh boy do I need to explain this one, lets just say blueberry pie, blueberry cobbler, blueberry jelly, blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins, blueberriessssss lol.

Passion flower, Passiflora Incartna (probaly spelled that wrong), I will tell ya I had no idea what this flower was when I found it. I was tromping through the fields when I saw something that looked like a daisy. I quickly ran to see what that white flower was, uhhh it was queens anne lace (invasive here). Well as I was walking away with disapointment I found this vine with this unusual but pretty flower I had to investigate. I picked it up and of course stuck my nose in it, yall I tell ya now I have never smelled such an enchanting smell. I couldnt keep my nose out of it it was wonderful. I came home and searched and searched and searched some more I finally found out what this wonderful flower was. Its evergreen around these parts, edible, and did I mention it smells wonderful, phlox aint got nothing on this smell.

Dont dare make me pick 5 it took me forever to chose these 4!

Uruguayan firecracker plant (Dicliptera suberecta) Orange blooms in summer, fuzzy leaves . . . tolerates shade

Mexican firespike (Odontonema strictum) Big red spikes in Sept/Oct . . . needs shade

Korean chrysanthemum (Dendranthema zawadskii 'Clara Curtis' aka 'Country Girl') Pink w/yellow centers in Oct/Nov

Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) Purple spikes in summer

All are reliable, easy and pest-free.

Roses for scent, Daylilies for wow factor, Lambs Ears to tie everything together, Hosta for calm.

The Fairy rose
Daylilies
Peony (tree and herbaceous)
Goldenrod 'Golden fleece'

Oh, gosh. How to decide...

iris, agastache, russian sage, lambs ear? Can I throw in some geraniums, too?

1) Daylilies- they're so easy and dependable
2) Salvias - butterfly and hummingbird attractors
3) Lantana - bloom endlessly from spring till frost, plus are butterfly magnets
4) Hardy hibiscus - the flowers are so huge and exotic

For my sunny and dry California garden:
Salvia
Stachys
Sedum
Centranthus

For my shady and dry California garden:
Geranium
Aster
Alchemilla
Digitalis

Hello my friends, its been a while. My favourite perennials the past few years were: Black-eyed-Susans, Giant Hyssup, and Beebalm. Although they've come back again this year, the Hyssup have become quite invassive, not that I'm complaining.

Great to see you all again,
Your resident Romanian gardener.
Mihai

foxesearth, my Shasta daisy "Becky" is running all over, wherever I put it, including just under the drip line of a maple, where the soil gets bone dry in a day, even after deep watering. They just keep blooming and spreading. Maybe that's a cultivar for you, if you really like the look?

Irises
Delphinium
Peonies
Lady's Mantle

All very reliable in this cold climate.

My top four perennials are iris, catmint, hardy geraniums, and lilies, but I must also have roses.