Question and recommendation on perennial to plant?

Question

i am going to be tilling an area in my garden that will cover a fairly good side of my back yard and am wanting to pick out a good perennial to grow there. It gets partial sun (6 hours) and it is in a temperate climate . I have a leaning towards a Salvia called "Ostfriesland" (East Friesland) and it looks so beautiful. But I think it only blooms for the months of June and July, so would like to know from any garden experts, if it would be a good idea to plant something in with it to give that area of my yard extra bloom time. I was think of possibly just throwing some zinnia seeds among it or planting another perennial in with the salvia. Is this advisable? what other suggestions you might have?
I also like the way Alysum or Artemisia look.
Basically I want something that blooms good and for longtime which is elegant. And does not look just awful in winter time.

Answer 1

Since you love the salvia, let it be your base plant. Go backward from the June bloom time and use bulbs to extend the bloom into February or March. Maybe start with Tommie Crocus, then early daffodils like February Gold, then Muscari neglectum, then species tulips like Tulipa clusiana that are perennial (not the regular tulips that don't last very many years past the first), then alliums, and German Irises.
Pick back up after July with hardy summer bulbs like Yellow Crocosmia and Surprise Lilies (Lycoris squamigera); then, for fall, sternbergia, Saffron Crocus and colchicum. You will have a rest period after these until the Tommie Crocus in late winter. Just about your only choice for bloom then is pansies or violas, Violas will give you the elegant look better than pansies. Plant them in October for bloom almost all winter in most places. Make sure the color violas you pick look good with the colors of the last few fall bulbs and the first few spring ones.
Plant your Salvia this spring when they become available, but kinda far apart like maybe 20-24". Decide what bulbs you want (these are just suggestions) from a mail-order catalog like mzbulb.com. Be sure to arrange the taller bulbs toward the back when planting those that will bloom together or consecutively. I believe you must order the Crocosmia in spring but the others should all be available as a fall order. Plant the fall-bloomers with a flag immediately, and plant the other with the violas in October. Cut the salvia back to about an 8" wide "pillow" (they should still be green) and fill in the gaps between all the salvia with the rest of the bulbs. Next year it should be glorious the whole year. In some places, if the violas are happy, they will reseed and after a few years you may not even need to replace them every October.

Answer 2

Although alyssum is an annual, it is great to use as an elegant filler in a large space if you plan on having multiple types of perennials there over time. Alyssum re-seeds itself freely, but not to the extent of being a weed. Get a good mix of lavenders, soft pinks and whites - one there's a good patch going, they seem to bloom forever like little white clouds! Intersperse with some bold zinnia is a great idea as well.

Answer 3

I love the salvias! You could use different kinds of salvias, zinnias are good (and easy), artemesia because the grayish color will help blend all the other flower colors, daylilies, coneflowers, and alyssum or moss rose as an edging.
This garden will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. And requires little care.
Good luck!