Transforming your backyard into a beautiful, low-maintenance oasis doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Perennials are a great investment because they come back year after year, saving you time and money. There’s also the fact that perennials are some of the best-looking flowers out there.
With that being said, there are some perennials that can be very expensive, although if you look hard enough, you’ll find affordable ones too. In this article, I’ll share 10 inexpensive perennials that will add color and charm to your backyard with minimal effort.
1. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
As far as low maintenance gardens are concerned, Black-Eyed Susans are fan favorites. These flowers are extremely resistant to a variety of conditions and about as hardy as it gets. They can easily tolerate many different soil types, heat, and drought.
This not only makes them ideal for beginners, but also in terms of an investment, because even if you don’t look after them that well, they’ll still survive.
These are great flowers to have not only for their hardiness, but also because of their stunning appearance. They feature golden yellow petals with dark black centers. These bright and cheerful flowers generally bloom from the late summer through the fall, providing your backyard with a burst of color even when all of the other plants have finished and withered away.
Black-Eyed Susans prefer full sun, but can also survive in partial shade. What many people like about these flowers is that they can easily spread and fill gardens, not to mention that they are great attractors of pollinators and are very dear resistant as well.
2. Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
Next on the list of inexpensive perennials you can get for your garden are daylilies, and these are also known for their ability to thrive in various conditions and their extraordinary resilience. They’re one of the most popular types of perennials for low-maintenance gardens due to this.
They can easily survive poor soil, heat, drought, and general neglect. This makes them an efficient investment, even for people who spend minimal time in the garden.
Not only are these plants very resilient, but they also come in many different colors, including vibrant purples, Reds, yellows, oranges, and more. If you need something for colorful ground cover, for borders, or mass plantings, then daylilies are one of your best options. As long as you provide them with well-drained soil, they should do just fine.
3. Hostas
Another inexpensive perennial to consider is the hosta. If you have a garden that features a lot of shady spots, then hostas are a great way to go, as they do well with minimal sunlight. Although they don’t need much sunlight, they still produce a whole lot of foliage, and this can be deep and vibrant green, along with hints of blue, yellow, and white.
These perennials feature very wide, heart-shaped leaves that are about as visually appealing as humanly possible. During the summer time, they also produce small flowers that resemble lilies.
Many people prefer having hostas in their gardens because they can survive in poor soil conditions and in limited sunlight. They’re ideal for use in containers, along shady borders, or for creating green carpets in various areas. You’ll also appreciate that hostas are very deer resistant. As long as you water them regularly and provide them with some mulch, they’ll survive perfectly fine.
4. Sedum (Stonecrop)
We then have sedum, a type of succulent also known as stonecrop. When it comes to inexpensive perennials that are ideal for low-maintenance gardens, sedum is a fantastic option to consider.
Sedum features star-shaped flowers that add a whole lot of texture to borders, rock gardens, and garden beds. They also feature fleshy and drought tolerant foliage, as many other succulents do.
What you need to realize about these plants however is that they require full sun and well-drained soil. They are ideal for areas that are very dry and hot, where other plants that require more moisture and less heat might struggle.
There are many types of sedum, including low growing varieties that serve well as ground cover to much taller varieties that serve vertical purposes in your garden.
The flowers tend to bloom in the late summer and early fall, and they act as excellent butterfly and bee attractors. These plants are also very easy to propagate, making them an affordable option for large areas.
5. Coneflower (Echinacea)
Next on the list of inexpensive perennials is the coneflower, a flower well-regarded for its vibrant colors and easy care. These flowers look kind of like daisies, and they come in plenty of different colors, including white, pink, purple, and more.
One of the defining features of the coneflower is that it is very deer resistant, making it a good investment for areas with deer, not to mention that it attracts pollinators as well. Well you might also appreciate in terms of their ecological value that coneflower seeds are eaten by birds and other animals, making these flowers very wildlife friendly.
The cornflower is quite hardy and doesn’t require all that much maintenance, although they do prefer well drained soil and full sun. However, they are quite drought tolerant and sturdy in general. Expect them to bloom anywhere between Midsummer and fall.
6. Lavender (Lavandula)
If you’re looking for something that has a great odor, then the fragrant purple flowers of lavender are best for you. Lavender features a perfectly beautiful violet or perfect color, along with a fantastic smell. Lavender is the kind of thing that you can smell from far and wide.
Not only does it smell good, but it looks amazing as well, and that’s not just because of its purple color, but its spikes of flowers as well. Lavender works really well in containers, borders, and in herb gardens.
Although lavender is also known as a pollinator attractor, one of its biggest benefits is its ability to repel a variety of pests like mosquitoes. Many people also prefer lavender due to its low maintenance nature, as it just needs a bit of pruning and watering. Although there can be some lavender varieties that are quite expensive, there are also much more affordable options.
7. Catmint (Nepeta)
If you’re looking for an inexpensive perennial, catmint is something else to consider. Catmint Produces blue and lavender-like flowers on spikes all throughout the growing season. Interestingly enough, the foliage is a combination of green and gray, providing for great contrast with the flowers.
These perennials also produce a whole lot of flowers at once, making them very visually attractive.
Not only are they inexpensive to purchase, but they’re also very resilient to poor soil conditions, various moisture levels, and varying temperatures and some light levels as well. When it comes down to it, these flowers should be able to survive in virtually any conditions.
If you’re looking for something to work as ground cover, for rock gardens, or as borders, then this is a great plant to consider. It spreads quite quickly, and is therefore also ideal for filling in gaps. Being deer resistant and a pollinator attractor are just two other benefits you get with catmint open
8. Yarrow (Achillea)
Yarrow is a plant that features foliage that looks like ferns, combined with tiny clusters of flowers that bloom in white, red, pink, yellow, and other colors. If you’re looking for something very colorful and bright, this is it.
Not only is Yarrow inexpensive to purchase, but it’s also very resilient to various conditions. It’s very low maintenance, drought tolerant, and thrives in well drained soil as well as full sun. When it comes to attracting butterflies, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects that can control pests in your garden, Yarrow is also a prime choice.
9. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
If you’re looking for a very tall flower that comes in the form of airy spikes with lavender-blue colors, along with silvery and aromatic foliage, then Russian sage is the way to go. These plants bloom from the Midsummer to fall, and they add a whole lot of texture to any garden.
They work well as a backdrop for short plants, and they do well as border plants as well. Russian sage requires well drained soil and thrives in full sun, although it is also drought tolerant, which means that it is ideal for dry and hot climates.
Russian sage is also extremely resistant to deer, and it is a great attractor of various pollinators such as butterflies and bees. This is a very low maintenance plant that really just requires a bit of watering and pruning.
10. Coreopsis (Tickseed)
Finally, we have tickseed, a plant that produces flowers that resembled daisies, and they come in various shades of pink, red, yellow, and orange.
These plants also require well drained soil and full sun, but once they’re established, they’re extremely drought tolerant and low maintenance.
If you’re looking for something colorful that is ideal for wildflower meadows, cottage gardens, and borders, then this is it. This inexpensive perennial is also great at attracting pollinators while resisting deer.
Final Thoughts
There you have it folks, 10 inexpensive perennials that work well for virtually any garden. Just consider the conditions present in your own garden, and you shouldn’t have any problems choosing the right perennials.
Jamie is the founder of The Backyard Pros. When he was 15 years old he started working at a garden centre helping people buy plants, gardening products, and lawn care products. He has real estate experience and he is a home owner. Jamie loves backyard projects, refinishing furniture, and enjoys sharing his knowledge online.