The most perfect perennial shrubs for your garden

Looking for that amazing “pop” of color in your garden or landscape? Want something that makes a statement and really stands out against your backdrop! Enter… perennial shrubs

Perennial shrubs add balance to your landscape. I love these flowering shrubs because they can really catch the attention of passerbys. If you’re following my garden pyramid for planting success, you have already chosen your trees and evergreen shrubs. Perennial shrubs make the perfect choice for right front of your evergreens. They will add tons of color and personality and are large enough to make a big statement. Set your perennial shrubs in front of a row of evergreens to really make them POP.

And… when they are done blooming, your sturdy evergreen foundation will keep your garden from looking bare and messy. Once you complete this step, you’ll see your landscape really start take shape.

Quick Tip: My landscape layering post will show you how to create a beautiful, four-season landscape, even if you’re a beginner gardener!

Let’s get to the fun stuff! These are my picks for the BEST perennial shrubs to add color and texture to your landscape.

Deciduous Perennial Shrubs To Add Color and Texture To Your Landscape

Knockout Rose Bush

Knockout or double knockout roses are easy to grow, don’t require special care and bloom up to 9 months of the year — literally from spring until the end of fall when it starts to frost. Knockout roses come in a variety of colors, most being in the pink (hot pink to blush) or yellow family.
Zones: 5-11 | 3-4’ H x 3-4’ W | Full Sun

Forsythia

The early-bloomer of the bunch, forsythia bursts with yellow flowers that signal the start of spring. Several would look lovely scattered throughout your landscape. Try the “Lynwood Gold” or “Sunrise” variety. There’s also dwarf varieties of forsythia with all the beauty and benefits of the full-sized version in a sweet little low-growing package. Zones 5-8 | 5’H x 5’W | Full Sun

What Blooms with What?

Never know what to plant together? Find out with this FREE Plant Pairing Guide and become a pro at combining plants for the best garden design possible!

Hey, since you're already signed up for my emails, you may be interested in my Printable Garden Planner Kit. It includes 5 printable worksheets that you can use to plan and organize your landscape. Check it out here.

Indian Hawthorne

Indian Hawthorne is a double bang-for-your-buck plant because it’s technically an evergreen shrub but is just as beautiful as the other perennial shrubs in this list. The Indian Hawthorne is a no-fuss small and slow-growing shrub native to southern China and Japan. It bursts with pink or white clusters of flowers in spring, which give way to dark blue berries that attract birds and other wildlife the rest of the year.
Zones 8-11 | Part-Full Sun | Shrub: 3-4’ H x 3-6’ W | Tree: 15-25’ H x 8-10’ W

‘Beyond Midnight’ Bluebeard

Bluebeards are lovely, vibrant green perennial shrubs swith a naturally rounded shape. In late summer, long stems shoot up, COVERED in deep blue
flowers. There are so many blue blossoms shooting from these long wands that it has the effect of turning the shrub into a big blue ball in your landscape. So cool! Zones 5-9 | 2-3’ H x 2-3’ W | Full Sun

Wrapping Up

For a 4-season layered landscape, plant your perennial shrubs IN FRONT OF your evergreen shrubs. Evergreen shrubs are the perfect backdrop for these blooming pops of color. A must have is the “knockout” or “double knockout” rose bush — these can bloom up to 9 months of the year and are very easy to care for. Forsythias signal the start of spring, with bright yellow flowers blooming on the branches of the plant, before the leaves even appear! Do you live in a warmer climate and are looking for something no-fuss? The Indian Hawthorne (Hardy to Zone 8) is the perennial shrub for you. These no-fuss shrubs are actually evergreens that look as beautiful as any other perennial shrubs. They come adorned with pink or white flowers and even have berries in the summer that attract birds. If you are feeling more adventurous, try the ‘Beyond Midnight’ Bluebeard. Beautiful mound-like green perennial shrubs, bluebeards burst with blue blooms on long stems in late summer, giving them the appearance of a big blue ball in your landscape.

What are some of your favorite perennial shrubs? Post your comments and pictures below and I’ll add them to my list!

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