Choosing the Right Perennials for Spring

Nature Hills is shipping dormant potted Perennials and Perennial bareroot bulbs, rhizomes, and tubers as long as the weather is safe this autumn! So now is the perfect time to order all your favorites and start preparing for the spring season!

Budget-conscious Perennial plants come back year after year. You’ll be amazed at the new growth that jumps out of the ground each spring! Because reliable Perennials are also so easy to grow, fast-growing, and have so much variety, they make it possible to establish your dream garden quickly!

Plus, they like to be divided every few years, giving you free plants to fill in the gaps and expand your landscape with their beauty!

Collect all your favorites for a personalized landscape that makes you, your neighbors, and your wildlife happy!

So Many Choices!
How to Choose the Best Flowering Perennials for You
The Basics of Perennial Care
Why Buy Plants Online from NatureHills.com?

So Many Choices!

Let's get started on how to select the perfect Perennial for your needs because there is a Perennial plant for every niche area of your landscape!

Nature Hills has small perennials for container gardeners and tall perennials for high impact. Spreading perennials for groundcover, and tidy mounded shrub-like Perennials! You’ll want to check out some of our more Unusual Perennial selections, too!

Need plants that thrive in wet or dry soil, and sun or shade? Or native plants, and perennials for wildlife! Perennials are nectar and pollen-rich plants that support a vast array of bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects! Many are even highly attractive to Hummingbirds!

Many perennials have long stems and bountiful blooms for all your bouquet and floral design needs! Create gorgeous floral arrangements with the armloads of blossoms you’ll cut from your very own cutting garden full of perennial flowers!

Select spring flowering, summer flowering, fall flowering, reblooming, and long-lasting flowering times to ensure something blooming throughout every stage of the growing season! There are even perennials that provide winter interest too!

Need shade or sun, or something in between? There’s a wide range of cold and heat-hardy perennial plants, plus specific plants for every environmental situation! Maybe you just want a garden that the deer won’t treat as their personal dining room. Honestly, the sky’s the limit and your choices are vast.

Whatever nook and cranny you are trying to fill … Nature Hills has you covered! You’ll find whatever your heart (and garden) desires in our stunning collection of Perennial plants for sale!

How to Choose the Best Flowering Perennials for You

Hold onto those garden dreams for a moment… First, we need to know about your garden!

Every plant page has a Plant Highlights section for specifics on care. Enjoy the fun process of looking, considering, and choosing our lovely plants!

1. Sun Availability

Perennials are adaptable! Will you be selecting perennials for full sun? Or is your new perennial design going to be partially shaded? Or are you working in a completely shaded location? Some thrive in either, doing great in dappled sun, part sun/part shade. Maybe it’s morning sun and afternoon shade, or the other way around?

Study your landscape to see how much sun you have on an average day. Track how many hours of direct sun or shade your preferred planting area receives. Then use our Sun Exposure toggle to select the right plants for your location.

6 plus hours of direct sun means Full Sun
4-6 hours of direct, or dappled all-day sun means Part Sun/Part Shade
Less than 4 hours or shade all day means you have Full Shade

Too little sun and you’ll not get any flowers if the plant is a full sun plant. Too much sun for a shade-loving plant, and your leaves will burn, and the plant will dry out fast.

Remember to account for young trees - they will eventually grow and cast shade on locations around your yard that they don’t right now! This includes neighbors' plants and trees, too!

Situate larger perennials so they won’t shade out smaller ones, or tuck shade-loving plants in their shade instead.

2. Growing Zone & Location Needs

You'll also need to know your Growing Zone. Type your zip code into the Zone Finder above the Plant Highlights on the product pages.

Too hot and a plant will suffer, too cold for its roots and it won’t survive the winter. Planting the right Perennial for your growing zone and climate (taking elevation into account) is imperative! When in doubt… go native!

Most perennials are not as fussy as some trees and shrubs, but air circulation is still important to prevent many foliar diseases such as Powdery mildew.

3. Planning For The Mature Height & Width

Next, understand your available space by measuring your garden to get the length, width, and height limitations. Even if it's just one empty hole in the garden - measure it! This is an important consideration because these showy flowering plants come in various sizes when mature! Filter by Mature Height and Mature Spread.

A plant that spreads widely can become a hard-working mass planting for garden filler and privacy - or it can become an overwhelming troublemaker in the wrong setting.

Plan out if you want individual plants to show off on their own, or do you want the plants to grow together and touch. Create a solid fill by planting them closer than the smallest number listed on their Mature Spread.

Planting too densely can also create a competition situation where plants fight for moisture and fertilizer.

4. Soil & Moisture Needs

Next, you need to know your soil's drainage and soil type.

Maybe you have Clay soil that drains slowly.
Is it alkaline or acidic?

If your soil is soggy all the time, is located by the gutters or HVAC unit, or is near a water source - Create a Rain Garden!
Rocky, sandy, or grave-filled soil that drains fast? Is it sunny, hot, dry, parched, and barren? Start a Rock Garden! Maybe you need an Xeric garden or live in an arid climate?
There are hard-to-kill plants for that hell strip along the sidewalk, street, or driveway!

Some plants can handle these specific situations, and others, like clay soil, higher soil salinity if you’re by the ocean, or alkaline or acidic conditions. Other Perennials thrive in rich, organic soil, and others practically grow in the cracks of the sidewalk in urban areas!

If you can’t work in your soil - work around it! Creating raised gardens, planting in raised garden beds and planters, or creating a berm by hauling in the soil to mound up 18-24 inches higher than your native soil and planting into those mounds. This improves drainage and helps with soil compaction and poor soil.

If there is an underground pipe, septic tank, or utility line situation that you can’t dig through, working against the garden of your dreams, check with your local Diggers Hotline before picking up a shovel, then berm the area or choose another location.

Container gardens are another option for gardeners short on space!

Once planted, add a 3-4 inch layer of arborist wood chips over the top of the soil and around the plants, and maintain that mulch layer for incredible results. You can also work in some compost to improve moisture retention.

Check the Plant Highlights and each plant's needs for the right perennial for you!

The Basics of Perennial Care

Read everything you need to know about planting Perennials and Perennial care here. Perennial plants are among the easiest to grow and often the most low-maintenance!

With the exception of some water-loving and some very drought-tolerant plants, Perennials generally thrive in moderate, yet consistent moisture, well-drained, fertile soil, and appreciate a mulched bed.

Check on the Plant Page and the Plant Highlights section for pruning information geared toward each specific type of Perennial, too!

Why Buy Plants Online from NatureHills.com?

Our whole team adores Nature...that's why we choose to grow and sell plants! NatureHills.com wants to do the right thing to protect our beautiful planet as much as you do! Plus, we’re here to help you every step of the way! Check out our #ProPlantTips Garden Blog for additional help and resources!

Some plants behave wonderfully in many areas of the country. However, it can do too well in other areas. Nature Hills is the first company to use Plant Sentry™, which seamlessly helps us block shipments of regulated plant material into sensitive ecosystems.

Plant Sentry™ will alert you if we aren't able to send a plant to you that may be harmful to your area. We strictly adhere to all Federal and State agricultural regulations. Get in touch with our knowledgeable customer service team to find the perfect alternative should this happen.

Once you’ve ordered your Perennial plants from NatureHills.com, you’ll no doubt be waiting on the edge of your seat for your new garden gems to arrive! Track your boxes right to your house.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose perennials that will thrive in my USDA hardiness zone?

Nature Hills offers a wide range of cold and heat-hardy perennials suited to every USDA hardiness zone, from frigid Zone 3 climates to warm Zone 9 gardens. Each plant listing on naturehills.com includes specific zone compatibility information, so you can quickly confirm a plant will survive your winters and thrive in your summers before you buy. Use the search and filter tools on our site to narrow your selections by zone, sun exposure, and soil preference to find the perfect match for your growing conditions.

Where can I buy quality perennials online and get them shipped to my garden?

Nature Hills Nursery at naturehills.com is a trusted source for quality perennials shipped directly to your door. They currently offer dormant potted perennials as well as bareroot bulbs, rhizomes, and tubers for autumn shipping, with orders fulfilled as long as weather conditions are safe for transport. Their selection covers an impressive range of sizes, bloom times, and growing conditions to suit nearly any garden situation. Visit naturehills.com now to browse their full perennial collection and place your order while autumn shipping is still available.

Can perennials grow and spread in heavy clay soil?

Yes, many perennials thrive in heavy clay soil once established, including coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, daylilies, and ornamental grasses. Clay soil actually retains moisture and nutrients well, which can work in your favor with the right plant selection. To give your perennials the best start, amend your planting area with compost to improve drainage and loosen compaction before planting. Browse Nature Hills' full perennial selection and look for varieties specifically noted as clay-tolerant to set your garden up for long-term success.

How do I match perennials to the right light conditions in my yard?

Most perennials fall into three light categories: full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight daily), part shade (3 to 6 hours), and full shade (fewer than 3 hours). Before shopping, spend a day observing how sunlight moves across your planting areas and note which spots are bright in the morning versus the afternoon, since many shade-loving perennials appreciate gentle morning sun but struggle in hot western afternoon exposure. Nature Hills makes it easy to filter by light requirement so you can confidently match each plant to the right spot in your yard.

How do I choose perennials that suit my soil type and drainage conditions?

Matching perennials to your soil type and drainage conditions is one of the most important steps for long-term success. Nature Hills carries perennials suited to a wide range of conditions, including plants that thrive in wet, boggy soils as well as drought-tolerant varieties bred for dry, sandy, or rocky ground. Before ordering, take note of how quickly water drains from your planting area after a heavy rain, as standing water after 24 hours typically signals poor drainage that requires moisture-loving species. Browse the Nature Hills website using the soil and drainage filters to narrow your selections to plants that will genuinely thrive in your specific conditions rather than just survive.

Should I buy small starter plants, large container plants, or bare-root perennials for spring planting?

Each option has its advantages depending on your goals and budget. Bare-root perennials and dormant rhizomes ship well in autumn and early spring, establish quickly once planted, and are the most economical choice for filling large areas. Larger container plants give you a more immediate visual impact and a head start on the growing season, while small starter plants are ideal for container gardening or gradual landscape building. Shop Nature Hills now to secure your selections while inventory is available, and plant bare-root and dormant stock as soon as your ground is workable in spring.

How can I tell if a perennial plant is healthy and worth buying before I add it to my cart?

When shopping online at Nature Hills, you can trust that our plants are grown and shipped to meet high quality standards, but knowing what to look for helps you choose wisely. Focus on selecting varieties rated for your USDA hardiness zone, and pay attention to the mature size and bloom time listed on each product page to confirm the plant suits your specific garden conditions. Healthy perennials ordered in fall may arrive dormant, which is completely normal and does not indicate poor plant health. Cross-reference customer reviews on the product page and look for detailed descriptions of root structure, expected first-year growth, and wildlife or pollinator value to make the most informed decision before adding to your cart.

How do I find out how large a perennial will grow before planting it in my garden?

Each perennial plant page on naturehills.com includes detailed information about mature height and spread so you can plan your spacing and placement before you buy. Smaller perennials may top out at just 6 to 12 inches, while tall varieties can reach 4 to 6 feet or more, so knowing these dimensions upfront helps you avoid overcrowding or mismatched plantings. Before you order, check the product description for mature size, growth habit, and hardiness zone compatibility, then sketch out your garden bed to confirm each plant has the room it needs to thrive.

Which perennials bloom in spring and keep the garden looking interesting through summer and fall?

Spring-blooming perennials like Peonies, Salvia, and Catmint kick off the season beautifully, while mid-season bloomers like Coneflowers (Echinacea) and Black-Eyed Susans carry the color through summer, and Asters and Sedums keep things vibrant into fall. Choosing reblooming varieties, such as reblooming Daylilies or Coreopsis, extends individual plant interest across multiple seasons. Browse Nature Hills' full perennial selection and filter by bloom time to layer your garden so something is always in flower from early spring through the first frost.

How far in advance should I plan and order perennials to have them ready for spring planting?

Planning ahead by ordering your perennials in fall gives you the best selection and allows Nature Hills to ship dormant potted perennials and bareroot bulbs, rhizomes, and tubers while weather conditions are still safe for transit. Ordering months before spring ensures your plants arrive ready to establish roots as soon as the ground thaws, giving them a critical head start on the growing season. Shop now to secure your favorites before inventory sells out, and have everything on hand to hit the ground running the moment spring planting conditions arrive in your zone.

Plan Ahead for Spring: Choosing The Right Perennials