Looking for plants that will keep on flowering

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Hi everyone

I’m after a few plants that I can put in our beds (sunny, decent watering/drainage) and will just keep producing flowers for months without me having to do anything. Preferably perennials and with a bit of height, so not ground cover.

Some I already have which fit the bill:

convulvulus cneorum
creeping phlox (this is a bit short)
erigeron
salvia Amistad
geranium Rozanne
rock rose (a bit bigger than I’m after)

Any more along these lines?

Lavender should work in theory but always seems to just go leggy and woody, maybe I’m not pruning it enough

Thank you!

I've found Erigeron to go on from June-ish to October. If you protect it over the winter it usually survives unless it's a hard frost, but sometimes self-seeds.

Sorry! Just seen you put Erigeron on your list!

Salvia hotlips

Alstroemeria flowers for months and months, right into October. You have to pick it, though.

They also last very well as cut flowers and spread by themselves pretty happily.

Salvia can't survive a harsh winter in my experience (Yorkshire) but all the geraniums are tough as anything. I've got about 6 different varieties (including Rozanne)

Gems and verbena boneseris (sp?) both indestructible and prolific

Gems = geums

Violets are short but you can get heavily scented varieties and winter and summer flowering varieties.
Carnations (can get scented varieties).
Columbines flower from spring to summer
Cranes bill geranium has a long flowering season in the spring to early summer.

Nemesia. They can also smell gorgeous. The Wisley vanilla smells like play doh to me.

Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve' never stops flowering

Some roses flower their socks off, rosa mutabilis and rosa Bengal Crimson both flower for months on end, even in winter, in my garden. Maybe a bit big for the space you have in mind though?

Thank you all!

Geums are gorgeous. And useful that they flower early ish. Definitely on the list

Verbena is a bit tall for the raised beds but could go in a lower bed that needs a bit of colour

True our salvia Amistad did die over the winter, but it was in a small pot so more exposed and other Salvias have come back. London garden pretty sheltered.

I love columbine/aqueligia and used to have some, I think the snails got them. I will try again as we’ve taken a few anti snail measures since then.

I have that erysimum already! It is a good one!

Nemisia are pretty, somehow I always end up
buying salvias instead. But the nemisia may stand up better

and roses we have quite a lot already mostly as climbers. Again there may be space in a lower bed for another though

Ok so shopping list (for my own reference!)

Raised beds: geums, nemesia, maybe violets if they will be visible enough.

Lower bed: verbena, or maybe scabious/knautia. And just remembered rose campion which I love although it does take over a bit. Taller salvia like Amistad. Possible rose.

I used to have a little alpine that flowered for ages, like pink pom poms. Need to look that up

Armeria!

What a lovely and helpful thread

I have a range of marguerites that flower and flower and flower. Even better if you cut some (or at least deadhead) - the less “fancy” ones seem to do better for me but all of them seem to like sun and not too picky about soil.

Dahlias. You might have to think about lifting the tubers over winter.

Nepeta - constant flowers until winter!

You could also think of introducing self seeders that will flower on and off over time.

It will depend on your location and soil, but foxgloves, poppies, nigella for example can pop up happily in your beds without your input.

I had a border of marigolds last year and they flowered all summer. I planted the seeds directly in the ground in the autumn but you could do it now and they'll be flowering in a few weeks.

Geums every time

Hebe. Ours goes from June until November and the bees like it

Anemones flower in late summer, but mine last right up until November

They’re absolutely beautiful in October or so

Second salvia hot lips.

It's outlasted, hebe, multiple lavender, Erysimum Bowles Mauve , a variety of other salvias and lots of other things I've tried and failed with even Dahlias. It's about to flower now and will carry on until at least September flowers are red now, then red and white, often pure white in the summer and change back to red and white as sun hours decline. I've taken loads of cuttings (passed some on to family) and planted a second one which seems indestructible, I planted it in the wrong place really but it just keeps on surviving. I've cut it back hard when it's starting to look leggy/scraggly and it just grows back and carries on flowering. The bees adore it.

I tend to stick nasturtiums’ seeds anywhere it looks a bit bare.

They come in different colours and generally look after themselves.

Nicotiana, mine are about to flower already, and will continue until frost. Smells lovely in the evening and has height. They survive mild winters (down to about -5).

For less height I'd get osteospermum. Mine started flowering a few weeks ago and will continue until frost. Perennial in my garden, but again that might depend on your local climate.

Erysimum comes in other colours besides Mauve. I have some bright yellow ones and a rusty colour. It flowers probably 10 months of the year, is very easy to propagate and lives about 3 years.