Instant impact plants!

When you think of instant impact, do annuals come to mind? They only have one year to show off, so they bloom like mad while they can. But an annual garden needs to be updated each spring, which gets time consuming and expensive.

The next time you’re looking for a pick-me-up plant for your space, try one of the 5 stunners ahead. They may not reach full size within the first year, but they hit the ground running — you’ll get bright flowers and bold foliage in no time!

Shasta daisies
Leucanthemum x superbum

To get lots of vigorous blooms like the ‘Alaska’ daisies here, pick the flowers or keep them deadheaded.

Type Perennial

Blooms White with yellow centers in summer

Light Full sun

Soil Well-drained

Size 10 to 40 in. tall, 12 to 36 in. wide

Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 9

Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1

Modern shrub roses
Rosa hybrids

Pest- and disease-resistant, modern shrub roses, like DayDreamâ„¢ to the left, have all the beauty of traditional roses without all of the extra work.

Type Shrub

Blooms Clusters of single or double flowers in every color except blue from late spring through fall

Light Full sun

Soil Moist

Size 2 to 5 ft. tall and wide

Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 9

Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1

Bloody cranesbill
Geranium sanguineum striatum

Cranesbill is durable but does best in early summer’s cool weather. If the foliage begins to lag once the blooms have finished, shear back the leaves to the plant’s crown to encourage new growth.

Type Perennial

Blooms Pink to purple in early summer

Light Full sun to part shade

Soil Moist, well-drained

Size 6 to 9 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide

Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 8

Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1

Bugleweed
Ajuga reptans

Bugleweed does just fine in part shade, but its foliage gets the best color in full sun. Choose from cultivars with bright, glossy green to deep purple-black to green-brown leaves, like ‘Toffee Chip’ here sports.

Type Perennial

Blooms Blue or pink in spring

Light Full sun to part shade

Soil Well-drained

Size 3 to 10 in. tall, 10 to 24 in. wide

Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9

Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1

Blanket flower
Gaillardia x grandiflora

Drought-tolerant with an extremely long bloom time, blanket flower should be divided every spring to help keep it going strong, just like Goblin (‘Kobold’) at left.

Type Perennial

Blooms Red flowers with yellow centers or yellow tips in early summer to midfall

Light Full sun to part shade

Soil Moist, rich, well-drained

Size 1 to 3 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide

Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 10

Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1