Sun-loving perennials are a staple in the perennial border, but can also find a comfortable home as colour accents or filler in a shrub border or foundation planting.

‘Toffee Chip’ carpet bugleweed Ajuga reptans ‘Toffee Chip’ This small-leaved groundcover is a fun departure from Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’. Mature leaves have creamy gold margins around shades of gray green in the centre. New leaves display brown and khaki shades. Blue flowers bloom from 12.5 cm (5 in.) spikes. Grows 30 cm (12 in.) wide and 5 cm (2 in.) tall in full sun to part shade. Golden peachleaf bellflower Campanula persicifolia ‘Blue-Eyed Blonde’ Brilliant yellow foliage gives rise to large 2.5 cm (1 in.) bells of deep-blue flowers. ‘Lightning Flash’ tickseed Coreopsis tripteris ‘Lightning Flash’ ‘Lightning Flash’ is a new bold tickseed with striking gold foliage that stays gold all summer. It’s perfect for the perennial border, reaching over 90 cm (3 ft.). It thrives in heat and humidity. The yellow flowers are a bonus in late summer. Does best in full sun. ‘Summer Morning’ delphinium Delphinium grandiflorum ‘Summer Morning’ The Summer delphinium series brings the first pink flowering grandiflorum type to the market with the breeding breakthrough of ‘Summer Morning’. Like the pink skies of an early summer sunrise, Delphinium ‘Summer Morning’ paints the landscape with its delicate, light pink flowers over lacy green leaves. ‘Summer Morning’ is more heat tolerant and better branched than other delphiniums of this type. Early flowering, coupled with a strong, basal branching habit ensures that ‘Summer Morning’ will provide a multitude of flowers throughout the summer. ‘Sunny Jackpot’ sea holly Eryngium ‘Sunny Jackpot’ Blue flowers sit atop variegated foliage, making this variety very unique. Grows 50-65 cm (20-25 in.) tall. ‘Jenny Brook’ wallflower Erysimum ‘Jenny Brook’ Striking multi-coloured flowers top this tender, shrubby perennial. Purple buds open to peach flowers. It matures through rose and then back to purple, giving a full range of simultaneous colours. It grows 50-60 cm (20-24 in.) tall by 60 cm (24 in.) wide in full sun. This is eye-catching near the front of a border, or in containers. Shear if necessary to enhance plant shape after flowering stops. A tender perennial. Hartswood Ruby rockrose Helianthemum nummularium ‘Hartswood Ruby’ True red is a precious pigment for the perennial garden palette. Hartswood Ruby provides it on low-growing, easy-care plants. Saucer-shaped, 2.5 cm (1 in.) flowers of velvety true red with bright golden stamens persist form May into July — a month longer than other Helianthemum varieties. Shear in very early spring, cutting away dead foliage. Cut back hard every two to three years. Grows 35 cm (14 in.) tall by 55 cm (22 in.) wide first year. The plant thrives in well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil in full sun. ‘Low Down’ sunflower Helianthus ‘Low Down’ for adding a splash of bright colour to the front of a sunny autumn border. It forms a low mound of narrow green leaves, bearing sprays of bright golden-yellow single daisies with a brown eye in fall. Great in containers too. Height 15 cm (6 in.) in full sun to partial shade. Photo courtesy of Vitro Westland. ‘Pink Sapphire’ strawflower Helichrysum ‘Pink Sapphire’ An intriguing novelty tender perennial or annual, provides cute spherical flower buds that form pleasing clusters over silvery, woolly leaves. Buds open to small, stiff papery flowers that persist into summer. Its soft silver foliage begs to be touched. Grows to 15 cm (6 in.) tall by 30 cm (12 in.) wide in full sun. Unlike most garden plants, flowers are more interesting in the bud stage. Splashdown centre rose hellebore Helleborus Splashdown strain This is one in a new series of Hellebores by world-renowned hybridizer Marietta O’Byrne. Splashdown features bold strokes of burgundy, red and purple painted on white to ivory backgrounds. Best in full sun to part shade. Grows 30 cm (12 in.) tall and spreads 60 cm (24 in.) ‘Mahogany’ coral bells Heuchera ‘Mahogany’ ‘Mahogany’s’ ruffled, mahogany red leaves look like shiny rich leather with dense, shiny colour year-round. The foliage changes from spring purple tones to summer red tones. It’s fabulous in combination containers. Best in sun to partial shade. Grows 20 cm (8 in.) tall and 40 cm (16 in.) wide. ‘Alabama Sunrise’ foamy bells Heucherella ‘Alabama Sunrise’ ‘Alabama Sunrise’ is a spectacular variety that changes colour with the seasons. In the late summer, the leaves turn green with red veins. In the fall, the older foliage turns orange/pink. It produces small white flowers in the summer. Prefers full sun to partial shade and will grow to 30 cm (12 in.) and spreads the same distance. Tall bearded Iris ris ‘Enchanted One’ No garden would be complete without the tall bearded iris. It is a wonderful accent plant for the late spring garden. Sunny yellow standards stand tall above the amber rimmed falls with lavender centres. These sweetly fragrant blooms grow to 90 cm (36 in.) and bloom from late spring to early summer. In the late summer there is a dependable re-bloom that makes this variety a must-have for the garden. Plant in full sun to partial shade. ‘Vincenza Blue’ lavender Lavandula angustifolia ‘Vicenza Blue’ Fragrant and free flowering, ‘Vicenza’ lavender evokes the scents and appeal of a Mediterranean summer. Native to the Mediterranean region, ‘Vicenza’ is heat and drought tolerant. An attractive addition to fragrant gardens and patio pots, it adds a pleasing scent to a sunny setting. Large, lavender blue flower spikes form an abundant crown of flowers over fragrant, gray-green foliage. ‘Fata Morgana’ Asiatic double lily Lilium ‘Fata Morgana’ Soft lemon-yellow flowers in June and July. 120 cm (48 in.) tall. ‘Centerfold’ Asiatic lily Lilium ‘Centerfold’ White petals with maroon stripes and spots in June and July. Grows 60-90 cm (24-36 in.) tall. Pinacolada penstemon series Penstemon barbatus Pinacolada series This penstemon series flowers in its first year of growth and has great branching ability – giving more flowers per square inch. Available in Deep Rose, Red and Violet. Blooms in May and June, Pinacolada penstemon blooms best in full sun. Photo courtesy S&G Flowers. Error, /assets/1236447467.PO_024-02_Pinacoladaª_DpRose.jpg not found ‘Dark Towers’ penstemon Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’ Glossy bronze-red foliage is topped with masses of pink flowers in July and August. A tough and carefree plant, it tolerates high heat and humidity. It’s a perfect dark background plant for the border. Does best in full sun. Grows 85 cm (33 in.) tall and spreads to 75 cm (30 in.) ‘Singing In The Rain’ Itoh peony Paeonia Hybrid ‘Singing In The Rain’ Itoh peonies are rare and unusual hybrids, between garden peonies and tree peonies. Highly sought by collectors, they are easy to grow and very hardy. This selection forms an upright bush of lush green leaves. The very large semi-double blooms have creamy yellow petals, flushed with peachy salmon as they age. They have good long stems excellent for cutting. Recent innovations in tissue culture propagation have made this plant more widely available. Does best in full sun.  Grows 90-120 cm (36-48 in.) tall and wide. More correctly referred to as Intersectional Peony – Itoh Group. Photo courtesy Plantek Biotechnologies.