A great Texas garden uses perennials for structure and annuals for color punches.

Perennials that earn their keep

These come back year after year with minimal fuss.

• Salvia — many varieties; all attract hummingbirds and pollinators
• Lantana — blooms in extreme heat; available in spreading and upright forms
• Black-eyed Susan — golden summer blooms, native
• Coneflower (Echinacea) — daisy-like blooms, pollinator favorite
• Daylily — virtually indestructible
• Iris — spring blooms, bulletproof rhizomes
• Russian Sage — silver foliage, blue blooms, drought-tolerant

Spring & summer annuals

For full sun:

• Petunias and Million Bells — spring through early summer
• Vinca (periwinkle) — laughs at July heat
• Zinnia — easy from seed, great cut flower
• Marigolds — pest-repelling and reliable
• Pentas — butterfly magnet

For shade:

• Impatiens — classic shade bedding
• Caladium — tropical foliage, no flowers needed
• Begonias — color in difficult spots

Fall & winter annuals

When summer annuals fade, replace them with:

• Pansies and Violas — bloom all winter
• Snapdragons — surprise spring blooms
• Ornamental Cabbage and Kale — fall and winter texture

A simple plan

Devote 70% of your bed space to perennials and 30% to annuals. Refresh annuals in spring and fall and you’ll have color essentially year-round.