Starting a Simple Perennial Garden in Chicago (Zone 5): Top 10 Reliable Plants and Spring Bulbs

Top 10 No-Fuss Perennials for Zone 5

1. Asters (Michaelmas Daisy) — fall bloom
2. Yarrow (Achillea) — summer, reblooms
3. Daylilies — summer, many colors
4. Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) — spring
5. Garden Pinks (Dianthus) — spring/summer
6. Spiderwort (Tradescantia) — early summer to frost
7. Purple Coneflower — summer, may rebloom
8. Clematis vine — summer + fall
9. Sedum (all types) — drought-proof, late summer
10. Evening Primrose / Missouri Primrose — summer

Bonus: Creeping Phlox — early spring, evergreen foliage, pairs with bulbs.

Spring Bulbs (Plant Now)

Daffodils, Grape Hyacinths, Scilla, Chionodoxa, Lily of the Valley.

Shopping Tips

• Buy at local nurseries — better prices, zone-appropriate stock.
• Avoid tropical greenhouse plants — they won’t survive winter.
• Online: Bluestone, White Flower Farm, Van Bourgondien, etc.

Soil First

80% of success is soil prep. Amend with compost, manure, sand, Milorganite before planting.