We polled our go-to garden experts for their hardy and inexpensive favorites.
Genus: Antirrhinum majus ‘Snap Daddy’
Zones: All Zones
Cost: $6
Expert says: “This long-blooming snapdragon has bright flowers and variegated foliage—and flourishes in cool and hot temperatures.” —Dennis Schrader, nursery owner, Mattituck, New York
Genus: C. varieties
Zones: All Zones
Cost: From $8
Expert says:“Caladium brings color to a shady garden in the heat of summer. And some newer varieties can even take a little more sun.” —John Dromgoole, nursery owner, Austin
Genus: Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii
Zones: 3 to 9
Cost: From $8
Expert says: “The showiest of my self-seeding perennials, these golden daisies bloom from mid-July through mid-September and beyond.” —Patricia Hill, garden designer, Elgin, Illinois
Genus: Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’
Zones: 5 to 9
Cost: $9 to $12
Expert says: “This grass forms a light, airy four-foot-tall mound and grows really well in otherwise tough and dry sites.” —David McMullin, garden designer, Atlanta
Genus: Hemerocallis varieties
Zones: 3 to 9
Cost: From $4
Expert says: “Daylilies are gorgeous and easy to divide. You can build a fine collection of colors and shapes by acquiring a few plants each year.” —Barbara Damrosch, farmer and author, Harborside, Maine
Genus: Ilex vomitoria
Zones: 7 to 10
Cost: $12 to $30
Expert says: “This drought-tolerant Texas native can grow to 15 feet or taller. In winter, its attractive red berries feed birds.” —John Dromgoole
Genus: S. nipponica ‘Snowmound’
Zones: 3 to 8
Cost: $7 to $40
Expert says: “The tiny cascading summer blossoms are spectacular. But the wild waterfall-like shape of the stems gives great ‘fill’ to landscapes year-round.” —Rebecca Cole, garden designer, New York City
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