Popular perennials
Perennials are an essential part of any garden, producing a dazzling display of flowers and bringing fabulous foliage to your beds and borders from April to November. They’re effective for providing structure to flower beds and inter-planting between shrubs for seasonal interest. Shade-loving perennials like hostas are perfect for under-planting below trees, while almost all popular perennials can be grown in containers or used to give an informal appearance in the cottage garden. Perennials survive the frost and live in the ground for more than 2 years, as opposed to annuals and biennials which last for one and two years. Popular perennials include rudbeckia with their long-lasting, daisy-like flowers from late summer through early autumn; geraniums, a diverse group of long-lived perennials perfect for tricky shaded parts of the garden; and saliva with its purple flower spikes that are highly attractive to bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. This section features our pick of the best popular perennials, which are favoured by many gardeners for good reason.