A Prairie Planting Idea with Easy Care Annuals and Perennials

Perennial Combinations, Plant Combinations, Prairie Planting Ideas, Summer Borders

Summer borders, Garden Ideas, Border ideas, Perennial Planting, Perennial combination, Prairie Planting, Penstemon,Beardtongue, Salvia nemorocsa, Purple Sage, Stipa Tenuissima, Achillea, Kniphofia, Queen Anne Lace

This soft, naturalistic planting is designed to inspire gardeners to support local wildlife. Incorporating wildlife-friendly areas into our gardens is very important. Bees, bugs, and butterflies all help in the pollination process, as well as creating balanced ecosystems. This luminous prairie-style planting associates a wonderful mix of easy-care annuals, perennials, and ornamental grasses for a long-lasting summer display.

Most plants are recipients of prestigious awards and are drought tolerant. Enjoy!

Garden Information

Hardiness	7 - 8
Exposure	Full Sun
Season of Interest	Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Maintenance	Low
Water Needs	Low, Average
Soil Type	Loam
Soil pH	Neutral
Soil Drainage	Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Attracts	Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Landscaping Ideas	Beds And Borders
Garden Styles	Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow

Plants In This Garden

Kniphofia 'Tawny King' (Red Hot Poker)

Tall and free-flowering, Kniphofia ‘Tawny King’ features bronzed stems bearing attractive terminal spikes of tubular, cream flowers gradually opening from apricot buds. Native to South Africa, this eye-catching plant provides weeks of color from mid-summer to early fall. Changing color as the flower matures, this robust perennial displays the deepest shades in bud and fades as the flower opens, resulting in a bicolor look.

Hardiness	6 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Characteristics	Plant of Merit, Showy

Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' (Woodland Sage)

Multiple award-winner, Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ is a favorite of many gardeners for its unique, glowing dark purple stems and stunning, vertical spikes of rich, violet-blue flowers appearing in late spring or early summer

Hardiness	4 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy

Hemerocallis 'Golden Chimes' (Daylily)

Award-winning Hemerocallis ‘Golden Chimes’ is an outstanding early midseason Daylily that produces an abundance of small, graceful, star-shaped, deep yellow flowers, 3 in. wide (5 cm), with distinctive reddish-brown reverses.

Hardiness	3 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid)
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Characteristics	Plant of Merit, Showy, Semi-Evergreen

Helenium 'Waltraut' (Sneezeweed)

Helenium ‘Waltraut’ is highly prized by gardeners for its extremely long blooming season, large blossoms (3″ wide or 8 cm) and its unique and outstanding color.

Hardiness	3 - 8
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy

Penstemon 'Rich Ruby' (Beardtongue)

Award-winning Penstemon ‘Rich Ruby’ is a bushy semi-evergreen perennial with erect purplish stems boasting large, bell-shaped, burgundy-red flowers with distinctive white stamens in the lower throat.

Hardiness	7 - 10
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy, Semi-Evergreen

Ammi majus (False Queen Anne's Lace)

Adding a delicate airiness to borders or fresh bouquets, Ammi majus (False Queen Anne’s Lace) is an upright, hardy annual with large domed umbels, densely packed with pristine white flowers. Borne on tall, branched, slender stems, the lacy blossoms mingle gracefully with the other plants in the border.

Hardiness	2 - 11
Plant type	Annuals
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Characteristics	Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy

Achillea 'Coronation Gold'

Performs like a star! Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’ is a spectacular yarrow that is extremely easy to grow and provides outstanding results even if neglected.

Hardiness	3 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Characteristics	Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy

Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' (Threadleaf Coreopsis)

An excellent performer, award-winner Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ (Threadleaf Coreopsis) is a compact perennial forming a gorgeous mound of finely divided leaves. Blooming continuously from early to late summer, it gets covered with a profusion of 1 in. wide (2.5cm), buttery yellow blossoms.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy

Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass)

Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass) is a beloved ornamental grass known for its silky texture, glowing seedheads, and effortless drought tolerance. Perfect for borders, meadows, xeriscapes, and containers, it brings elegance, motion, and year-round charm to any landscape with remarkably little maintenance.

Hardiness	7 - 10
Plant type	Ornamental Grasses
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Characteristics	Plant of Merit

Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum' (Plume Thistle)

A very desirable garden plant, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’, commonly known as Plume Thistle, is a tall, branching, upright perennial exhibiting strong, leafless stems with pincushion-like, deep crimson flowers, up to 1 in wide (3 cm), atop a large basal rosette of soft green leaves. A magnet for bees and birds!

Hardiness	4 - 8
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun, Partial Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late)
Height	3' - 4' (90cm - 120cm)
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Showy

Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted Hair Grass)

One of the few ornamental grasses that grow well in moderately shady locations, Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted Hair Grass) is a clump-forming, cool season, semi-evergreen grass forming a low and dense tussock of narrow, dark green leaves, up to 18 in. tall (45 cm). In early summer, elegant clouds of delicate feathery panicles of purplish-green to tawny flowers emerge on arching stems rising 3 ft. (90 cm) above the foliage.

Hardiness	4 - 9
Plant type	Ornamental Grasses
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height	2' - 3' (60cm - 90cm)
Characteristics	Showy, Semi-Evergreen

Sedum 'Matrona' (Stonecrop)

Long-lived and drought tolerant, award-winner Sedum ‘Matrona’ is a fabulous sight in the landscape with its masses of pale pink flowers, densely packed in large umbrella-shaped flowerheads, and showing off atop sturdy ruby stems that keep them perfectly upright, coupled with the fleshy, purple-veined and purple-tinged leaves

Hardiness	3 - 9
Plant type	Perennials
Exposure	Full Sun
Seasons	Summer (Mid, Late), Fall, Winter
Height	1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Characteristics	Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy

How Many Plants Do I Need?

Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas

Coreopsis (Tickseed) Helenium (Sneezeweed) Hemerocallis (Daylily) Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) Penstemon (Beardtongue) Salvia (Sage) Sedum (Stonecrop) Stipa (Feather Grass)

Get Garden Design Ideas

Search Gardens

Alternative Plants to Consider

Penstemon ‘Garnet’ (Beardtongue)

Kniphofia ‘Timothy’ (Red Hot Poker)

Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’ (Threadleaf Coreopsis)

Salvia x sylvestris May Night (Wood Sage)

Learn About These Genera

Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)

Coreopsis (Tickseed)

Hardy Perennial Salvias (Sage)

Sedum (Stonecrop)

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.