you might try the Missouri Botanic Garden's Kemper Center plant search (linked below) you can enter type of plant, zone, month of bloom ect. You might also take a look around the Chicago Botanical Garden's webpage where you'll find a section on 'what's in bloom now' and a list of the best plants for Illinois.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant search

'Justmetoo' thanks for the great suggestion. I don't know why Chicago Botanic didn't occur to me!

And 'cheerpeople', thank you for sharing your notes with me. They *re very helpful (and you are very generous)!

Saponaria is in full bloom now in my Z7 garden. Bloom started about 2 weeks ago & will continue for another 2-3 weeks depending on when the weather turns stupid hot/humid? It's a wonderful low-growing pink groundcover, especially nice, IMO, at the feet of roses.

I've had hardy geraniums in bloom also for about 2 weeks. By having many different types you can have blooms from the end of May through fall. Some are even evergreen. Others have fragrant foliage. 'Rozanne' starts blooming a bit later (mid-June) but then continues non-stop until a hard freeze.

Veronica 'Waterberry Blue' is another great groundcover & filler. It's in bloom here now & will continue through June. I always get a few blooms in early May but the plant cover itself in blue flowers for the entire month of June (Z7).

Pulmonarias are great for May blooms & the silver splotched leaves expanding after bloom are equally great. Pulmonarias bloom for about 4-6 weeks from end of April through May in our gardens.

For a much underused shrub...Kerria (China rose) is hard to beat. I much prefer the single form rather than the double pom-pom type. The stems are bright green & retain their color all winter (actually, the bright green is enhanced during winter). It starts blooming about 10 days after forsynthia & blooms 2-3 weeks. Then, unlike forsynthia...Kerria will bloom on/off all summer long. I like the later bloom (as compared to forsynthia) & find it an easier shrub to maintain without getting overgrown. Kerria is also a fantastic shrub for shade! I've got one planted under a limbed-up white pine & it blooms heavily.

Huecheras have been in bloom a good 2 weeks now & will continue another month (at least) if I dead head the older flower stalks. Many, many wonderful foliage colors to choose from. I plant huecheras primarily for foliage but the flowers (of some) do add a nice airy display for the front of the border.

A reliable rose for your area that is coming into bloom now, again in my Z7 coastal garden, is from the Canadian Explorer series...'William Baffin'. This is either a climber or a large shrub rose. Strawberry pink & cover itself in flowers mid-June with no effort on your part...no spraying required & even living 100' from the shore...I've never had black spot. Japanese beetles also leave it alone! Blooms hold 2-3 weeks. Immediately following bloom, 'William Baffin' throws its new annual canes...stand back! They grow 18-24" overnight...literally! I have this rose planted as an arching unstaked shrub & it's a traffic stopper. It grows into an 8-10' tall arching shrub if left unpruned...great easy June bloomer.

By the 3rd week in June, you can have fragrant deciduous azaleas in bloom. The fragrance alone is enough, IMO, every garden should have multiple plants. Many are the result of Weston's breeding program. A few of my favorites are 'Weston's Innocense', 'Parade', 'Pennsylvania', 'Lollipop', 'Popsicle', & 'Lemon Drop'. These azaleas also turn burgandy, yellow, & orange in fall. They're hardy as a musk ox also! Part sun/part shade...moist but not wet organic soil & they'll be a star in your late spring to early summer garden. Bloom time varies from the 3rd week in June through mid-August. They grow between 3-5' tall & make wonderful foundation plants and/or great anchors in a perennial bed.

Daphne 'Carol Mackie' is hardy in your zone & blooms mid to late spring with extremely fragrant white/light pink blooms. Again, fragrance alone warrants giving space to this shrub. Some report daphnes as being finicky but I've never had a problem. Again, small enough sized to be effective as a perennial bed anchor. Also, very tolerant of half shade & stills blooms well.

Well, that's a few to consider. I'm the opposite of you...I need to work on late summer/early fall stuff!

/tricia

I recently purchased a book by Pam Duthie "Continuous Bloom." A wonderful resource that lists plants by bloom time along with the care of them. Good stuff.

If you near Chalet nursery, they have info with bloom times, in the their "lecture hall"
You have to realize that no 2 gardens will be alike- my neighbor and I have as much as 2 weeks difference in blooms