While we would all ideally have gardens that look at their peak in every season, the reality is often far from that ideal. Very few of us have all the time in the world to dedicate to our gardens, and the hard truth is the planning and work that goes into gardening means we often only get one season where we can sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

As Executive Editor Danielle Sherry explains, “Winter is for planning. It’s when you really don’t want to be outside and when your time is better spent formulating the plan of attack to make your garden the best it can be. Spring is the working time period, when the bulk of your cleanup, planting, and projects get done. Fall is also a working period and is generally when you can revisit the things you didn’t get done in spring.”

After all of that prep and planning, you want to ensure your summer garden is at its prime when it’s finally too hot to toil. To help ensure your summer garden really shines, regional experts shared their favorite perennials for this peak season. Find picks for the Northeast below, and be sure to check out more fabulous summer selections in Peak-Season Combos.

1. ‘Kansas’ Peony

Name: Paeonia ‘Kansas’

Zones: 3–8

Size: 3 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Europe

This is a heartstring plant that makes everyone say “Aww” when they see it. The pink blossom hue is perfect—not too dark or too light. It gets absolutely covered with flowers by mid-June and reblooms into summer. This trait enables you to use it as a cut flower without sacrificing color in the garden, which is a cause of concern for many folks. My four-year-old plant provides more than enough blooms for me to fill a vase for my mom’s June birthday. Staking isn’t an issue with ‘Kansas’, thanks to its exceptionally strong stems. This old-fashioned cultivar has been around since the 1940s, and although some describe it as a double red, it’s more of a magenta to my eyes. The foliage is lush and maintains its dark green shade all season long.

2. ‘Pink Truffles’ Baptisia

Name: Baptisia ‘Pink Truffles’

Zones: 4–9

Size: 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil

Native range: North America

There have been a ton of new baptisia introductions the past few years, but one that I simply had to take home from our garden center was ‘Pink Truffles’. The soft pink to lavender spires of flowers remind me of lilac (Syringa vulgaris, Zones 5–7) and appear in late May. They almost always continue putting on a show into July too. This is a big perennial that is sometimes mistaken for a shrub. And it has a serious taproot, so wherever you choose to put it, be sure that’s going to be its spot forever. Baptisias are drought tolerant once established and aren’t prone to any pest or disease problems. In fall the blue-green pealike foliage is accompanied by showy black seedpods, which I leave in place to self-sow. Be warned: This is one of the last perennials to emerge in spring, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see pinkish-green shoots until late April.

3. ‘July Yellow’ Iris

Name: Iris ‘July Yellow’

Zones: 3–9

Size: 30 inches tall and 24 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun; well-drained

Native range: Eastern Mediterranean

For the most part, irises are known more as late-spring bloomers here in New England and not as peak-season plants. But there are a few exceptions. ‘July Yellow’ is a bearded selection that starts flowering in mid to late May and reblooms into July—hence its cultivar name. I got mine from a friend who cut me off a piece of rhizome from her plant in midsummer (not the time to be propagating) that took easily with little help from me. It sports a buttery yellow flower with dark yellow beards and also has a slight fragrance. The light green, broad strappy foliage is attractive, although it can succumb to leaf spot, like many other irises. Taller than it is wide, this perennial needs to be sited at the middle of the border, where it will politely stand upright until late fall.

4. ‘Ghost’ Painted Fern

Name: Athyrium ‘Ghost’

Zones: 4–8

Size: 2 to 2½ feet tall and 1½ to 2 feet wide

Conditions: Partial to full shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Hybrid

I appreciate the unique pale coloring of this fern, which makes it truly very ghostlike. You don’t often find that color in the garden, let alone in the shade. It consistently brightens up the darkest areas of my landscape. By early summer this perennial sizes up to an impressive 2 feet tall and wide. The structure is more upright than that of other ferns that have an arching habit, so it becomes an instant focal point. ‘Ghost’ doesn’t spread too much either, so you don’t need to give up much garden real estate to have this beauty in your beds. This fern is drought tolerant once established and therefore is a good choice for planting under trees.

Kirsten Lee-Smith Maskell is a co-owner of Smith’s Acres, a specialty garden center in Niantic, Connecticut.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.

Buy at Amazon

Organo Republic 16 Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix for Indoor & Outdoors

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Premium 16 Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix - Special Garden Flower Seeds Blend designed for planting indoor & outdoors across North America. With over 16 varieties and 100,000 wildflower seeds, this mix is the best solution to attract pollinators - bees, butterflies & birds are essential for garden plants health. Our Special Perennial Wildflower Seeds Mix Includes White Yarrow, Columbine, New England Aster, Siberian Wallflower, Shasta Daisy, Lance-Leaf Coreopsis, Sweet William, Purple Coneflower, Blanketflower, Gayfeather, Blue Flax, Lupine, Dwarf Evening, Primrose, Mexican Hat, Prairie Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan. Easy & Fun Growing Experience with our online guides - Don’t plant disappointment - Add more colors to your wildflower garden! We send only super hearty heirloom flower seeds with the highest germination rate and fast sprout. Our detailed growing guide helps you grow seeds the garden of your dream like a PRO. Colorful Wildflower Garden from Seeds - Grow wildflowers everywhere - Indoor in window garden or Outdoors Flower garden Garden make a beautiful design for your garden borders, pathways, field or meadow and attract pollinators. Made in the USA by Small Family-Owned Business - Quality You Can Trust - Our wildflower bulk seeds variety pack are tested at the highest germination rates before being sealed to last for up to 3 years before you need to plant. Each packet of our flower seeds variety pack is resealable to make it easy to store and has its own label with a QR code for the growing instructions.

Buy at Amazon

Bee Watering Station with Vivid Flower Design

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Thoughtful Combo: You will receive a bee feeder and 30 glass marbles. This thoughtful combo can provide clean water for the bees, you just need to put the marbles into the bee watering station, add water (note: the water level should not exceed the height of the marbles) and hang them in the right place. The round, colored marbles can provide a place for the bees to stand and prevent them from falling into the water, effectively keeping the bees safe. Fine Material: This exquisite bee bath is made of high quality iron material, smooth surface, rust and weather resistant, not easy to fade, sturdy and reliable. Bee cups for garden can well meet the drinking water needs of lovely bees, and it can also provide food for bees, such as sugar water, nectar, etc., attracting more bees to your outdoor area and making your garden full of vitality. Perfect Size: The butterfly watering station has an overall height of 13.4 inches, a bowl diameter of 9.4 inches, and a weight of 0.44 pounds. The bee cup serves the needs of the bees well without plunging them into dangerously deep water or taking up unnecessary space in your garden, and this compact and efficient design makes it a practical addition to any outdoor space. Elegant Design: Our bee watering cups are designed in unique flower shapes with vibrant and realistic colours to attract lovely bees to your garden and patio, bee feeders for outside are not only functional but can also be used as a landscaping element, their vibrant floral patterns enhance the beauty of your garden. Multicolored Decoration: Colorful bee water stations look like flowers in a garden, flower bed or pot and attract bees and butterflies. They can drink or bathe in bee feeders, which are highly decorative and practical.

Buy at Amazon