Last spring I started some (non-WS) lupine seeds. They bloomed in June from seeds sprouted in March. What a lovely surprise. They were from a pack of mixed colors and I got blue and pink and white. And now I see this year they are returning with lots of vigorous growth.
Kris

shasta daisy, agastache, hollyhocks,certain types of salvia all are good perennials for me. Not sure if they flower the first year for you, though.
Duane

duane - my hollyhocks I started from seed last year did not bloom but will this year. they have lots of good growth on them now.
Kris

thanks everyone!!

I am doing better than I thought. I have sowed the below already in WS containers.

lupine
Malva
Shasta daisy
agastache
hollyhocks
Salvia (not sure if perennial type)

I guess I planted more perennials than I thought I did. Plus I am unfamiliar with all of the above and have never had them before.

I was worried that I would not get many repeat plants next year. I guess I need to stop worrying!!
Karen

My favorite last year was Arizona Sun gaillardia. It bloomed from July through October. Also liked Rudbeckia Prairie Sun and Coreopsis Early Sunrise. It looks like they are all coming back this spring. I didn't expect the Prairie Sun rudbeckias to come back.
Last year my shasta daisy foliage was very healthy, but only one bloom. Should put on quite a show this year.
This winter I wintersowed gaura, agastache, penstemon.
Here is a good link for perennials that bloom the first year.
http://www.dianeseeds.com/flowers/first-year-perennials.html

thanks, rdgteacher!
Karen

I winter-sowed 3 species of Asters and although they didn't get huge they all bloomed the first year. Very pretty lavender, purple and pink. The Aster oblongifolius (Aromatic aster) had lots of blooms and they are already sending up lots of little shoots this year.

Also, most of the Rudbeckia hirta cultivars (Indian Summer, Irish Eyes, Capuccino, etc) bloomed great and many of them have a bit of green foliage this year. One Indian Summer looks like it's coming back for a 3rd year.

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed) bloomed a little the first year, and they were nice because I found a couple of Monarch caterpillars on the young plants (which hopefully grew up to be butterflies).

This is my first year winter sowing, but I put out some phlox and really am hoping to get lots of them this year. It has to be my favorite garden flower. I bought a purple phlox from a garden center a few years ago and it has come back every year in a patch twice the size as the year before...blooms from early summer in waves, all the way until late fall. Aside from the cheery smiling zinnia, my phlox were one of the biggest show stoppers in my garden last year.

I sowed Asters and Phlox, I guess I sowed more perenials than I realized!

That is good news. I am glad they put on a show the first year!

I can wait 2 years but I want to see some things now.

Karen

Last year was my first year WS and I was really pleased with my anise hyssop. They all grew to around 3' and filled in my side yard quickly. The butterflies and bees loved the fragrant purple flowers which appeared late summer. This year several of these plants are already about 6" tall. Of course we have been having really nice weather here in St. Louis.

Karendee - what all did you WS this year? If you are looking for lots of blooms and lots of show, you won't be disappointed with the phlox. I have never grown asters before, so I don't know much about those.

I also love cottage garden staples like foxgloves, hollyhocks, and canterbury bells, but they are biennial and won't bloom the first year. I didn't think about that when planning my garden this year, and have lots of them winter sown out back, but I think I may just buy one or two established plants to put in with the seeds I sowed, so I can still enjoy them this year.

Another favorite perennial that doesn't look like much from the picture, but blooms like crazy and really is just gorgeous in my opinion are balloon flowers. You can grow them from seed or buy them pretty cheap at the garden center, and mine have gotten huge over the years. I love the gorgeous shots of blue where they grow in my garden.

thanks quilt mommy! I did sow some phlox so I am good in that department. Below is my seeds I sowed or plan to sow.

Wow, I cannot believe I plan to have all of this sowed! I did most already but still have a lot!
Karen

4 o'clock mirabilis - 2
4 o'clock mix
agastache foeniculum
agastache foeniculum
agastache, apricot sprite
amerarthe red 4'
arctotis venusta, blue eyed daisy
asarnia, chickabiddy vine
aster Crego
aster, dwarf mixed
baby blue eyes
basil
bean, purple bush
beans poledaylilly
beans, Kentucky pole
beans, tender green bush
broccoli
bunny tails grass annual
butterfly bush, purple
cabbage
calendula, green heart and pink surprise
canterbury bells
canterbury bells
celosia
celosia, plumosa
chico tom
Cilantro
cleome - spinosa
cleome - spinosa
cleome violet queen
cleome, purple, pink, white
columbine purple
coreopsis
coreopsis tinctoria
coreopsis yellow
coreopsis, dwarf red
coreopsis, gold and reds
cosmos
cypress vine, red
datura hybrid
delphinium
dill
Dill- bouquet
Echinacea purpua
echinecca unknown
eyeball plant
fennel
feverfew
Gaillardia Blanketflower
garlic chives
globe amaranth purple
globe amaranth strawberry fields
glorosia daisy - black eyed susan
goldenrodd, rough stemmed
gourd
heliopsis
hibiscus manihot
hollyhock - majorette
ice Plant -mixed
incarvillea sinensis, cheron
ipomoea, alba moonflower
jewels of opar
jobs tears annual grass
joe pye weed
kiss me over the garden gate
larkspur
liatris spicata
lime basil
love lies bleeding
lunaria silver dollars
malope, glacier fruits
malva pink, false mallow
malva sebrina
malva, white perfection
marigold, tagetes
Melampodium butter daisy
mexican hat
mexican sunflower -tithonia
millet limelight, spray type
Nicandra shoefly
nicotiana alata
nicotiana, deep purple
nicotiana, variegated green flowers
opal cups
peas, little marvel
pepper, colored bell
pepper, early jalape
pepper, hot wenks yellow
pepper, mini bell
pepper, red ruffled pimento
pepper, sweet cho
petunia - purple
petunia mix
phlox, drummondi
poppy California
poppy California
poppy fairy wings, mix
poppy, pink peony
Portulaca
pumpkin, round medium size
rose of sharon - mix
Russian grass
rutabaga
salvia blue bedder
salvia, coral nymph
salvia, lady in red
shasta daisy
snapdragon, mix
snow on the mountain euphorbia
Spearmint
squash, yellow crookneck
sugar snap peas
sweet basil
sweet pea vine
takota daisy
thyme, orange
toadflax, baby snapdragons
tom giant paste
tom golden jubille
tom Jeff's mystery pink oxheart
Tom lil pink
tom mortgage lifter
Tom nyagous
tom orange banana paste
tom red home sweet
tom roman candle
TOM spear Tennessee green
tom super sweet cherry
tom tigerella
tomato ace 55
trumpet vine
turnip, purple top
vinca
Virginia
yarrow
yarrow mixed
larkspur
Amsonia tabernaemontana
False Indigo, Blue Wild Indigo-Baptisia australis

Best online site for First Year Flowering Perennials I've found is by Raker. All the information you need. It can be found at:

http://www.raker.com/NR/rdonlyres/8A5B5F5F-E59E-4E2F-8FFF-1398268B3A01/0/FirstYearFloweringPerennialSchedule.pdf