Perfect Perennial Pairings for Summer Color in the Sun

Posted by Annie Algren on Mar 31st 2025

Perfect Perennial Pairings for Summer Color in the Sun

Summer is the season of vibrant colors, and there’s no better way to take full advantage of the sunny days than by filling your garden with perennials that thrive in full sun. With the right pairings, you can create a garden bursting with energy, from bold and dramatic blooms to softer, more delicate flowers that complement each other beautifully. There is a wide array of plants to choose from that offer bright summer color, but a few of them stand out against the rest by providing the longest blooming season and enormous benefits to pollinators in the summer. These three perfect perennial pairings will keep the color coming late spring into late summer and entice all your favorite pollinators!


Coneflower (Echinacea)

Attributes

Upright, bright flowers with cone-like, concentrically blooming centers atop rigid stems

Growth Habit

Clumping

Soil Type

Sandy loam, will tolerate clay

Bloom Color

Red/Orange/Yellow/Purple/Pink/White

Size

18-36” H x 12-24” W

Bloom Time

Early Summer to Fall

Use

Long-lasting color in sunny garden beds and pollinator gardens

Maintenance

Deadhead spent flower heads to encourage blooming, Cut back to basal growth in late winter or early spring

Benefits

Tolerates drought, Deer resistant, Great as a cut flower, attracts a wide variety of pollinators, long lasting blooms that offer summer and winter interest


Meadow Sage (Salvia)

Attributes

Lightly fragrant, gray-green foliage and numerous bright flower spikes

Growth Habit

Clumping

Soil Type

Loam, sandy loam

Bloom Color

Pink/Purple/Blue/White

Size

12-36” H x 12-24” W

Bloom Time

Late Spring to Late Summer

Use

Mass plantings, mixed borders, cottage gardens, and pollinator gardens

Maintenance

Benefits from a hard trim after blooming to promote a flush of bushy new growth and summer color

Benefits

Tolerates drought and salt, resistant to deer and rabbit, attracts a wide variety of pollinators, aromatic


Bee Balm (Monarda)

Attributes

Fragrant green foliage and large clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers

Growth Habit

Mounding, spreading

Soil Type

Loam, will tolerate sand and clay

Bloom Color

Red/Pink/Purple

Size

18-48” H x 24-48” W

Bloom Time

Mid-Summer to Late Summer

Use

Pollinator gardens or massed together, slowly spreading to form small groupings over time

Maintenance

Remove spent flowers to encourage reblooming, cut back in late winter/early spring, divide every 2-3 years to control spreading

Benefits

Tolerates black walnut and drought, deer and rabbit resistant, medicinal properties, repels mosquitos, attracts a wide variety of pollinators


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