If you would like to enjoy year-round color in your flower beds, you have to go to the garden center in the spring with one concept foremost in your mind: a continuous sequence of bloom. Simply picking out plants that bear great-looking flowers in late spring will not get the job done. They look wonderful at the time, but you must think ahead to when they will not be in bloom.

What will take their place as a color provider? Happily, some plants flower both before and after them, so the key for beginning gardeners is to become aware of these choices. Foliage plants can pick up some of the slack, too. You also must add some evergreens to your landscaping to have visual interest in your yard 365 days a year.

Indeed, planting trees and shrubs is a great idea to achieve year-round color. They offer interest through their form and foliage as well as through their flowers. Any gardener seeking great color needs perennial flowers, so let's learn about eight outstanding choices cold-hardy to at least USDA planting zone 5.