I have an asymmetrical flower bed in front of my house. It faces southeast and the house is white, with reflection of light. I purchase plants for full sun but they tend to get fried. I am interested in finding perennials to provide interest 12 months of the year. I prefer shrubs with a variety of texture. Plants that attract butterflies would be nice, and any grasses that are known not to grow out of control. What plants do you recommend that would give me a lush, year-round garden?
You may want to plant a mixture of perennials and shrubs, particularly those which tolerate bright light. An excellent book full of lists of plants is Ray and Jan McNeilan’s Pacific Northwest Gardener’s Book of Lists (1997). This book includes lists such as Shrubs for Interest in Each Season (pp.62-64), and Herbaceous Perennials for Full Sun All Day (pp.138-139).
I think you may find many of the other lists in this book valuable as you design your flower beds.
The Great Plant Picks website has lists of many different plants that do well in Northwest gardens, including pictures and descriptions.
There are quite a few books which address the issue of providing year-round color and interest in the garden, such as Adrian Bloom’s Year-Round Garden: Colour in Your Garden from January to December (Timber Press, 1998) and his Bloom’s Best Perennials and Grasses : Expert Plant Choices and Dramatic Combinations for Year-Round Gardens (Timber Press, 2010). The Miller Library also has booklists on topics like Winter Gardening and Perennials which may be of use to you.
And, here is an article entitled “Create a Butterfly Garden” (S. Lamb et al., January 2002) from Oregon State University.
Visiting local gardens throughout the year and noting the plants that appear to be thriving may help, and a trip to your local nursery can give you lots of ideas and information. The Center for Urban Horticulture and the Washington Park Arboretum both feature seasonal plant highlights.