Seems the list works out better in the comment section. I have the same bad text programming problem others have, like Vapor from Ohio does, in accurately composing a message on Houzz. Crazy spell checks, duplicating paragraphs, difficulty making corrections, etc...so please overlook bad puncuation, incomplete sentences, spelling errors, etc.

Not in alphabetical order, but by height :

SHORT.

Prunella Loveliness and Pink Loveliness. 10". a much under used perennial.

Prunella Freelander. 10". most prolific bloomer, but the blue color receeds.

Sedum Midnight Velvet. 2".

Sedum Blue Elf. 3".

Sedum Dingleberry. 6"

Campanula carpatica blue or white, any named variety of C. carpatica, they are about the same performers.

Scabiosa Flutter Deep Blue 12". Prone to rot out over winter.

Achillea ptarmica. Ballerina. 12"

Coreopsis verticillata Moonbeam 12"-16" older variety, but still the best.

Tradescantia Blushing Bride 16", moist soil needed.

Heuchera 12" foliage height average, dark colored leaved ones more vigorous, tendency to die out in northern climes.

Salvia May Night. 18". Older variety, but still the best.

Salvia Marcus, 12" version of May Night.

Gaura Little Janie. 16"

Gaura Whiskers Deep Rose. 16".

MEDIUM & TALL.

Malva alcea fastigiata. 3-4'. (The artist Monet grew this in his garden.)

Malva moschata alba. 3' white flowered, less upright than fastigiata

Leucanthemum. Becky. 30". still pretty good.

Centranthus. Ruber. 28".

Echinacea. Magnus. 30"

Echinacea. Ovation. 30". just about the same horizontally held substantial petals as E. Magnus. All other Echinacea with the various colors and configurations are mostly, weaker and short lived.

Hyssopus officinalis. Blue or white flowered. 18 ". much overlooked perennial.

Sedum Autumn Joy 2'. needs no introduction!

Heliopsis Sundial. 4' semi double bloom.

Heliopsis Rays For Days (double), 2'.

Achillea ptarmica Angel's Breath. 2'

Gaura Whirling Butterflies. 3'.

Phlox paniculata David. 3'. still the best.

Perovskia. Blue Jean Baby. 30" best color.

Lythrum....outlawed most locales.....invasive, alien species.

There are many other good perennials, but their bloom season is not as long as the above, or look nasty after their blooming cycle concludes, sloppy growth, or a fungus afflicts them, etc...

Moses.

Moses, I forgot I asked this. [g] Great list, I'll take a good look at it and please, we all have issues posting to Houzz, we understand! I also need a new computer because the keys on the keyboard stick and I have to press so hard to make a capital letter, it's tiring. lol

I have not tried Prunella.

I haven’t had much luck with the Campanulas and I just tried another one last year.

I have one Coreopsis that I divided last year and two are coming back.

Heucheras…why oh why do these not like my garden? I must have bought 10 different varieties and I only have one left in the garden. It is the only one that was vigorous and continues to return every spring. I don’t know the name. I’m trying to divide it often and get it in more places.

I enjoy Salvias and I think I have May Night?

Gaura…I had Whirling Butterflies and it died over the winter 3 years ago. And it was big. I’ll take a look at the other two varieties.

Love Malvas…mine died out - need to try it again.

Yes, I LOVE echinaceas with roses and unfortunately so do the rabbits. One of their favorites, they chew it down to the ground.

Ditto the Phlox which I love too. I have ’Nora Leigh’ which is variegated and they seem to ignore that.

Have a few Sedum AJoy with grasses near the roses.

I’ll have to look for those Heliopsis, I like those too.

I had a Perovskia, I don’t remember what happened to it.

Thanks very much, great list Moses!

Prairiemoon,

You're welcome!

Perovskia sulks under growing conditions that roses relish. Think the same growing conditions that English Lavender likes: full sun, dry & lean, fast draining soil, moderate to low watering.

Give Heliopsis a try. You won't be sorry. An older variety, Heliopsis Summer Sun, may be what your nursery has...get it if necessary. Its smaller bloomed, but a great workhorse of a plant.

Malvas will self sow if some blooms are let to go to seed. Malvas are generally not long lived perennials. 2-3 years max, but they actually can self sow prolifically. They're not biennial. They can be started from seed in spring and bloom by August or sooner. A couple named varieties of Malva have been developed, some with great colors, but they are not very permanent in the garden, not as permanent as the species: fastigiata and moschata alba.

Some Salvias flop, like S. Blue Hill. It's a blooming machine, and the true blue color is refreshing. It flops in all directions away from the crown, which because light is now hiitting the crown, that stimulates new growth from it. These result in inferior center of plant flower spikes. The whole thing is a messy, sloppy look.

Salvia May Night dead heads nicely, making fresh lateral growth, and sends up fresh growth from the crown during the growing season as well. Few perennials do this. Most, even excellent perennials, pattern like this, good blooming first flush, then acceptable new lateral growth blooming for the rest of the growing season if faithfully deadheaded. Very few perennials send up fresh basal growth from their crowns during the growing season, very few indeed!

Heucheras' main fault is that their over wintering parts are above ground level, making them subject to severe winter damage which causes them either to grow backwards, or out and out die. The farther north they are grown, the worse their dying out is. It's the same for Dianthus grown in zone 6 or less....poor spring return.

Campanula carpatica need good drainage, quicker draining than roses require.

Remember, dead heading is the switch that turns on repeat blooming for most perennials. Exceptions are Phlox paniculata varieties, and some others who start their blooming season late like P. paniculata, which start blooming in about early July. It goes without saying that adequate watering must be maintained to get the required repetition.

Moses.