Darrell Gulin//Getty Images 1Forget-Me-Not Flower
Federica Grassi//Getty Images When it blooms: Spring
Why we love it: These adorable pink, white, or blue flowers are charming at the front of borders. Make sure to plant one of the native species, Myosotis alpestris, laxa, macrosperma, or verna.
If you chose the non-native species, Myosotis sylvatica, plant in containers or deadhead before it seeds; this plant is considered invasive in some states.
Read more: How to Grow Forget-Me-Not Flowers
2Daphne Shrub
Photos from Japan, Asia and othe of the world//Getty Images When it blooms: Late winter to early spring
Why we love it: The sweet scent of daphne flowers is like no other, bringing color and fragrance to the late winter or spring garden. Its pretty blooms remind you spring is coming!
Read more: How to Grow Daphne Shrubs
3Snowdrop
Jacky Parker Photography//Getty Images When it blooms: Late winter
Why we love it: Charming, nodding little heads pop up when snow still is on the ground in northern climates. These darling flowers, which are fall-planted bulbs, are deer and rabbit-resistant, too.
Read more: How to Care for Galanthus, or Snowdrop Flowers
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4Bearded Iris
Jill Shepherd//Getty Images When it blooms: Late spring to early summer
Why we love it: Irises come in every imaginable shade from palest pink to deep purple and even nearly black. They're easy-care perennials; plant the rhizomes in the fall, and you'll have flowers for years.
Read more: How to Care for Irises
5Dahlia
Serhiy Lukovenkov / 500px//Getty Images When it blooms: Late summer to fall
Why we love it: The sheer number of varieties of dahlias are astounding. You can grow everything from tiny pom pom shaped balls to dinner-plate sized blooms in every color of the rainbow. They're perennial in the South, but the bulbs must be dug up in the fall in northern climates and replanted in the spring.
Read more: How to Care for Dahlias
6Winter Aconite
Kerrick//Getty Images When it blooms: Late winter
Why we love it: Winter aconite is one of the earliest blooming flowers, offering precious nectar to pollinators very early in the season. They're also deer and rabbit resistant. Plant the bulbs in fall for brilliant late winter color.
Read more: 38 Deer Resistant Plants Bambi Won't Go Near
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7Fritillaria
Mantonature//Getty Images When it blooms: Mid-spring
Why we love it: Fun bell-shaped flowers nod atop long, grassy foliage on these unique spring bloomers. Plant the bulbs in fall for spring color. Big plus: rodents tend to leave these bulbs alone.
Read more: 13 Best Spring-flowering Bulbs
8Helenium
Jacky Parker Photography//Getty Images 9Love in a Mist
Pedro Liborio / 500px//Getty Images Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
10Clematis
mikroman6//Getty Images When it blooms: Spring to late summer
Why we love it: Clematis is a beautiful vine for fences, arbors, and lamp posts. But be patient: it often takes perennials such as clematis several years to get established.
Read more: How to Plant and Grow Clematis
11Cornflower
David Burton//Getty Images When it blooms: Early to mid-summer
Why we love it: The fringed flowers of cornflower add cheery color to summer borders. You'll find them in shades of pink, white, and of course cornflower blue. This annual is easy to grow from seed. Deadhead the blooms to keep the plants flowering.
Read more: How to Deadhead Flowers and Why It's Necessary
12Bleeding Heart
cjmckendry//Getty Images When it blooms: Late spring
Why we love it: Tiny heart-shaped flowers are reason enough to love this perennial, but the beautiful blooms also offer food for hummingbirds early in the season.
Read more: 17 Showy Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds
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13Lavender
Caroline Gauvin//Getty Images When it blooms: Summer
Why we love it: This incredibly-scented perennial is gorgeous when planted in large swaths. Make sure you choose a variety that will survive winters in your region.
Read more: How to Grow Lavender
14Azalea
Rosemary Calvert//Getty Images When it blooms: Spring
Why we love them: These pretty shrubs tell you spring is in full swing. They're gorgeous when planted in masses with other spring-flowering perennials. Some types bloom again later in the season.
Read more: How to Plant and Grow Azaleas
15Autumn Sedum
Ron Sutherland//Getty Images When it blooms: Late summer to early fall
Why we love them: This autumn perennial blooms just as everything else is fading in your garden. They are tough as nails, drought-tolerant and you almost can't kill them! Plus, they make long-lived cut flowers and provide late season food for pollinators.
Read more: How to Care for Autumn Joy Sedum
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16Nasturtium
Elena Shutova//Getty Images When they bloom: Summer
Why we love them: These cheery flowers come in fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow, hot pink and salmon. The pretty round leaves and the flowers are edible, too, so toss them on salads and or use them to decorate cakes!
Read more: How to Grow Nasturtiums
17Mandevilla
Blanchi Costela//Getty Images When it blooms: Spring to fall
Why we love it: This vining plant needs a trellis to show off its gorgeous trumpet-shaped blooms. They come in shades of pinks and reds. You even can bring it indoors to winter it over until next spring, but give it tons of bright light (and expect it to drop some foliage).
Read more: 20 Best Flowering Vines to Add Color to Your Yard
18Cranesbill
Iva Vagnerova//Getty Images When it blooms: Late spring to early summer
Why we love it: The delicate pink, purple, or white flowers bloom in profusion atop dainty fern-like foliage. Cranesbill is a super-hardy ground cover plant that has a pleasant, minty scent that causes deer and rabbits to leave it alone.
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19Icelandic Poppy
Jacky Parker Photography//Getty Images When it blooms: Spring
Why we love it: The papery blooms of this delightful flower almost don't look real! They come in every color imaginable. Perennial in cool climates, they are grown as annuals in hot regions.
20Elderberry Shrub
Klaus Honal//Getty Images When it blooms: Early summer
Why we love it: Clusters of lacy white or pink flowers appear in early summer. New varieties of this fast-growing shrub boast striking dark burgundy or lemony-gold foliage. It's also deer and rabbit resistant.
Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
Terri Robertson is the Senior Editor, Digital, at Country Living, where she shares her lifelong love of homes, gardens, down-home cooking, and antiques.
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