Fill Your Sun-Drenched Garden With These Perennials That Love Lots of Light

As spring has arrived, it's time once again to whip those gardens into shape. Before you hit the online nurseries, it's worth putting pencil to paper and drawing up a plan for things you would like to plant—don't forget to include ideas for ground cover plants! You should also consider the pros and cons of annuals vs. perennials. We vote that you check out the best perennial flowers and plants when drawing up your garden. Why? By definition, perennial plants last more than two years. That means that, in the long run, they're going to save you money. But they're not just practical—many perennials are easy to care for; produce amazing blooms; attract bees, butterflies, and birds; and offer a variety of colors, textures, and heights to your garden.

So what do you need to know before you make your final selects? First, you need to figure out what kind of soil you have, how it drains, as well as the PH levels of your soil, all of which can vary by region. You can send a sample of your soil—along with a few dollars–to your local Cooperative Extension, and they will tell you everything you need to know and everything you need to do to improve it. You should check where your location falls on the USDA's Hardiness scale, and then study how much sun your garden gets, in order to choose the right varieties for the site. "Full-sun perennials" need about 6 to 8 hours of direct light daily in order to thrive. If your garden is on the shady side, check out these best shade perennials. Plant tags will tell you everything you need to know about how much sun, what kind of soil, and ideal zones that variety needs. Don't have a a lot of land? No worries. Many of these will work just as well for container gardens. Here, some of the best sun-loving perennials.