Plant a texture-packed perennial border
When designing a perennial border, keep in mind each plant's growth habit, branching pattern, and leaf shape. Large, solid leaves command attention and visually make a space seem smaller. In contrast, fine, delicate foliage seems to recede, creating a more open, spacious feeling. Grassy or swordlike blades add striking vertical lines.
When combined, this patchwork of varied plant shapes gives a garden depth as light and shadow play across the greenery. A garden with great texture is eye-catching, even when no flowers are in bloom. Explore the plants and design details behind this sunny perennial border created by Kansas gardener Joyce Householder.
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Create a terraced landscape to showcase perennials
Terracing on this slope helps to slow rainwater runoff and control erosion in Joyce's garden. The added benefit is a better view of the gorgeous assortment of perennials that grow here in full sun, shown above in late spring. Although flowers come and go through spring and summer, the constant is the contrast between the strappy bearded iris foliage, velvety Russian sage leaves and solid mounds of false indigo.
Plant care tips
- To encourage a light rebloom, cut back salvia, spike speedwell, bearded penstemon and catmint after the first flush of flowers fade.
- Snip faded iris blossoms to keep the plant tidy, but let spent false indigo flowers form black seed pods that look intriguing through fall and winter.
Fall cleanup
- Most of these perennials die back to the ground in winter, so cut off dead foliage in late fall after a frost or in early spring as new growth begins.
- Russian sage stems can stay standing all winter to provide structure. It’s semi-evergreen in warmer hardiness zones. In colder zones where it dies back, trim to 8 to 12 inches tall in spring as new leaves emerge near the base.
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Sunny perennial border plant list
A) Salvia (Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’)
Perennial; deep blue-violet flower spikes from early summer through fall above mounds of rough leaves; full sun; 18 to 20 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9
B) Speedwell (Veronica ‘Lavender Lightsaber’)
Perennial; lavender flower spikes in early to midsummer rise above clumps of medium green foliage; full sun; 28 to 30 in. tall, 18 to 20 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
C) False indigo (Baptisia ‘Sparkling Sapphires’)
Perennial; violet-blue flowers in late spring to early summer on upright, blue-green foliage; full sun to part shade; 30 to 36 in. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9
D) Bearded penstemon (Penstemon barbatus ‘Jingle Bells’)
Perennial; red-orange tubular flowers on long stems from late spring
to early summer above clumps of basal foliage; full sun; 18 to 36 in.
tall, 12 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9
E) Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Perennial; tiny lavender-blue flowers line tall stems of silver, fernlike foliage from mid- to late summer; full sun; 2 to 5 ft. tall, 2 to 4 ft. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9
F) Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Perennial; yellow daisies on long, thin stems from late spring to early summer stretch above a rosette of narrow, lobed leaves; full sun; 12 to 18 in. tall, 15 to 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9
G) Bearded iris (Iris ‘Obsidian’)
Perennial; deep purple to black flowers in mid- to late spring above swordlike leaves; full sun to part shade; 30 to 33 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9
H) Catmint (Nepeta faassenii ‘Cat’s Meow’)
Perennial; blue-purple flowers in late spring to early summer on mounds of dusky green foliage; full sun to part shade; 17 to 20 in. tall, 24 to 36 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9
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