Here is a picture from a couple years ago, probably in May. It is mostly the same now.

Walker's Low catmint is a favorite of mine. Blooms late spring and then again in the summer if you give it a shear after the first bloom. I have tons of it, super easy.

Indian blanket flower (Gaillardia) blooms like a champ in our area from June to October. Only problem is they're short-lived and we've had a problem getting any of ours to overwinter. But others on here know the varieties that are most likely to make it a few seasons through our cold winters.

I second Veronica. :) I love mine, full sun and part shade. Too bad your dianthus didn’t come back. That’s a favorite of mine, all sorts. May indicate drainage issues, so I’d probably steer clear of other plants that require excellent drainage such as penstemon and guara, just in case. Not sure about Russian Sage. I’ve never grown it, but it does well in my area and looks great most of the year. There are always the common but useful reblooming daylilies such as Stella d’Oro and the like. For long season Spring bloom, if you’re wanting to do that, I’d recommend Perennial candytuft, bleeding hearts, columbines, astilbe (astilbe is only low maintenance with adequate moisture). Clematis is also a good option, with some blooming longer than others.

I second the recommendation for the Rozanne cranesbill and coreopsis. Coreopsis come in different flower forms, all long blooming. I have had the best luck with a yellow threadleaf coreopsis called Zagreb. It's supposed to be extra hardy.

I have also had bad luck overwintering Gaillardia. I had five Arizona Red Shade plants last year, and all of them died over the past winter.

I also second the recommendation about the reblooming daylilies such as Stella D'Oro (golden yellow). They are very long blooming, and they should be fairly easy to find and probably cheaper than some of the fancier daylilies. There are other "Stella" varieties in other colours, too: I have purple and red Stellas. Up here, I see Stella D'Oro daylilies planted in places like shopping mall parking lot medians. That says something about how low-maintenance and useful these plants are. I doubt they get a lot of TLC in places like that, and they probably provide colour more cheaply than annuals that must be replaced every year.

Some salvias are relatively long blooming, especially if you cut off the old blooms. Blue Hills salvia and East Friesland salvia have been good for me, but there are probably others that also bloom well. Salvia are pretty tough.

Hi...I'm new, and love the pictures. I think I have found the reason they won't

return for you, though....it might be that Blue sign with the big Gold M in it? LOL

(Sorry, couldn't resist (Sparty is my friend). Have you thought of putting in

a few annuals around instead of all perennials? That way, you could kind of

change up your color schemes from year to year. But, the day lilies are a

good idea...they are so dependable...just a little deadheading keeps them

beautiful...make sure your have a variety. Good luck.

I like the tall varieties of astilbe because after bloom, the dried flower stalks stay beautiful all year. Same with tall sedums. Daylilies only bloom for a couple weeks and then they're just leaves. Stella D'oro has a longer bloom.

Small flowering shrubs are nice. Calicarpa blooms and then puts out tiny bright purple seed clusters along the branches that last a long time. You have to cut it way back to about 10 inches in late spring.

I know they're overdone, but the salvias, like 'May Night', are so easy for beginners, have a long bloom time, and pollinators love them. Lots of color choices with the annual sages too, and they should bloom like crazy.