Ive added dafodills, peonies, Daylillies, and looking to add more of the same and other low maintenance flowers. Any sales with large numbers of bulbs? Was trying to find traditional purple iris and others but they are not sold anymore. Wanting to plant something that i can plant and forget. In Kansas not much survives unless its pretty strong.
Clark,
Black eyed Susan is care free, late summer blooming. It will spread quite quickly. In a few years, you will have a whole field of Black eyed Susan.
You will need some care free flowers for the fall.
By the way, if you move the thread to General Gardening, there will be many flower lovers there to help you out.
Thanks @mamuang black eyed susans, echinacea, sunflowers, daisies all grow wild here so we dont plant them. We bale fields of them up with the hay in the summer. I see them in flower beds when i visit other locations. We do consider them nice in the meadows where they grow. We also have lots of yarrow. Mullein grows in poor soil spots. Guess im so used to posting in growing fruit i put the post in the wrong spot. These are our wild flowers listed by color http://www.kswildflower.org/byColor.php
My Hyacinths do very well and most Lantana get very big here…Butterfly bushes, shoal trees, fringe tree, seem to all do very well. Hibiscus really like it too…
Lantana is not cold hardy for zone 6.
Hibiscus that are cold hardy for zone 6 are Rose of Sharon and Rose Mallow.
Lantana and the Hawaiian type of hibiscus need to be treated as annuals in zone 6.
Hostas, salvias, clump grasses
Not a perennial per se, but I’ve always enjoyed marigolds (Tagetes patula). Although the are an annual, a small patch can quickly become a large patch in a couple of years because they can self-fertilize. The Latin patula means “with a spreading habit”.
Joe Pye Weed…worth adding…are 3 to 5 feet tall and bloom Sept.
Some of the more ornamental milkweeds?
How about California Poppy? They are annuals but self-seed and you can even get multiple colors other than traditional orange/yellow (via Botanical Interests or other online seeds companies). Attractive pollinators and have a long blooming season.
There’s a variety of variegated Joe Pye that has white flowers and smells so nice. I have never seen more bees on a plant before- they made an audible humming sound as they worked it. Tough plant, too.
Some roses are pretty darn tough too.
Russian sage
The swamp milkweed might be a good one. The typical milkweed seems invasive’ish… i’ve been getting rid of it the past few years. I think the birds eat all my monarch caterpillars anywas so i’m not sure i should even be growing it (we would see them one day and the next they’d be gone).
I love echinacea for its flowers…
The swamp is good, the butterfly is good - I love the color.
I also note that echinaceas have been bred to have interesting colors and double flowers - and will clearly thrive in that climate
I don’t know if iris would be happy in Kansas - they like more water
I have seen differing opinions on iris, and I think it may depend on the species as to if it prefers wet or dry. Siberians can do either wet or dry, bearded like dry and hot (monty don of gardeners world told me so it must be true ) and then there are japanese water and louisiana iris which grow in swamps. Versatile groups of plants!
I like Siberians, not bearded, but I’ve always felt they wanted more water
If bearded do like hot and dry, they’d doubtless like Kansas
Dont forget Hardy Geraniums (pelargonium), Violas, Anise Hyssop (Amazing bee plant), Bee balm (Bergamont / Monarda), Mint of all kinds, Low growing Thyme, Scabiosa , Delphinium and lavender.
With all due respect, I am totally against the suggestion of planting mints or mint family. It is very invasive plant and is very difficult to get rid of.
Anyone wants beautiful purple flowered creeping Charlie? Free of charge.
Monarda is doubtless one of those natives that get mowed down wholesale in Kansas
Anise Hyssop is a great one to have. Nice looking flowers and many uses. Mint family, but not aggressive at all.