What are your favorite colors? I agree about shrubs, such a pain. But Hydrangeas are great, i have a lime light i am in
love with! It is nice and lush. Id plant some phlox, in the back because they get tall and are great in some shade or sun.
I also think gaura is fabulous to attract bees and butterflys.A moon beam coreopsis is great for a globe of color, and i love salvias and agastaches too. I think you need a large specimen for sure! And a birdbath maybe, or a shepards hook with a feeder. Thats what id do! Is the bed against your house or in the middle of the yard?

I would suggest you re-consider your apprehension regarding shrubs. A perennial bed without shrubs tends to look a little empty during certain times of the year.

In any case, here are some of my current favourite perennials:

Lilium 'Orania' (sun)
Heuchera 'Rave On' (partial shade - sun)
Geranium 'Rozanne' of course (sun)
Sedum 'Angelina' (sun)
Campanula 'Sarastro' (partial shade - sun)
Nepeta 'Blue Dreams' (sun)
Aquilegia 'Little Lanterns' (partial shade)

Here's to dirt under your nails. ;)

I agree with coolplantsguy about the shrubs. I think a perennial bed seems naked without shrubs, it helps bring focus. My favorites are columbine, toad lilies and ferns. Meadow sage, guara blooms all season but self seeds like crazy but I don't care just pull them up and lavender but its consider a subshrub

Now is the time to think in terms of foliage texture and color and plant shape. If you plan a bed in these terms, the blooms will be the frosting on the cake, and the entire bed will be attractive for a much longer season. Think, for example, of the round leaves and mound shape of tall Sedums with grasses. Or how the big, felty leaves of Stachys set off the finer leaves of other plants. Think of purple foliage with pink blooms in front of it, or how silver foliage plants tone down bright colors.

One of my most successful combinations is three Sedum 'Purple Emperor' behind the low groundcover shrub Spirea 'Golden Elf', In front is Sedum 'Fireglow'--the color and texture contrasts are fabulous and it looks great from spring through fall.

Why don't you start with one of those "perennial starter" gardens? I know many of you will cringe at this suggestion, but it's only being used as an example, White Flower Farms sells "Perennial Starter Garden Packs" and a few different size ones for smaller gardens to larger.
I, myself find WFF way too expensive!
Anyways, some of my favs are hosta's, heuchera, tiarella, brunnera "Jack Frost" for the part shade. For the sun, why not daylilies, coreopsis, veronica Sunny Border Blue, achillea, gaillardias, or salvias?

One of my Brunnera Jack Frosts
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Peach Flambe Heuchera
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Sunny Border Blue Veronica
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Don't forget hosta-they can take more sun than some people realize (I just learned that this year!). Great foliage contrast with heuchera, carex, and sedges.

Oh, and don't forget about bulbs... lots and lots of bulbs. ;)

Echinaceas
Gaillardias
Rudbeckias
Salvias
Sedums
Hesperaloe parviflora is also an awesome plant...
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Except not very hardy (re. Hesperaloe parviflora).

It's hardy to -20 degrees according to Daves Garden. I've had mine 3 years and it's done well here. I don't know how cold it gets there, but if it gets colder than -20, you have my deepest sympathy. LOL.

Zone 7 is very different than zone 5, which is where the OP is from.

I'm not sure where Dave's Garden gets its information, but most of the comments are from gardens in zones 8 and 9.

In any case, it's not a plant I would recommend for a garden in zone 5.

Sorry to hear that. They must have the info wrong. They do say it's hardy at -20 degrees to Zone 5a but I have no idea if they are correct or not.

Reading all the suggestions, you may need to make your bed bigger before you even start-LOL!

I can't imagine having a new bed without at least one rose as an anchor. To me a nice disease resistant continuously blooming rose trumps all other suggestions. But then my two favorite things are roses and daylilies (which also should be given consideration IMHO), so I'm prejudiced.

According to High Country gardens, Hesperaloe parviflora will indeed overwinter in zone 5. Apparently it's much more cold hardy than originally thought.

I think I'm going to try to find a place for it next year.

I have Hesperaloe parviflora here in zone 6. It handles below zero temps with no problem at all. What it does need is very good drainage.

Whether or not you use shrubs may depend on how large the bed is....You might check out Bluestone Perennials. They are having a 50% off sale on some items. I think they also offer garden package deals too.

Here are some very easy care perennials: Sedums, perennial sages, rudbeckias, echinaceas, shasta daisies, mums, some asters, iris and daylilies, yarrows, clematis on a trellis for height, ornamental grasses come in all sizes (might be a better choice for us instead of shrubs).

Don't forget you can always fill in with annuals next year if the perennials haven't filled in enough for you yet.

Good luck.

Look in some garden design books for ideas and get paper and pencil to start some lists of plants you wish to consider purchasing or otherwise obtaining from friends. Start a SUN list and a SHADE/PART SHADE list. Mark heights, colors and bloom times next to the plants. If you don't know these details, it is easy to "google" the name of the plant to see pics. and info. That will help you make a basic plan or sketch of your new garden. Don't rush into this. Take your time. Remember to leave room to plant lots of bulbs. Fall bulbs can go in now, even before your garden plan is complete. They can easily be moved in the spring to a different location. If you decide to use some shrubs, check into the ultimate size of each plant being considered. Again, "google" the name of the plant. Overly large shrubs not only take up a lot of garden space, but they can suck up a lot of moisture and nutrients from the soil. Also, they can shade your perennial bed.

Make a spread sheet if you can of plant heights, bloomtime, spread, sun requirements, and anything else you need. I did that to my planning. ontnative was right about making a list of SUN plants and Part sun/part shade plants. Then you can start to make a sketch. I used Paint on my puter to actually make a sketch of my plans for each area.
Even then, you will probably end up moving things and changing out things as you go. Happens every time! lol