Internationally recognized perennial expert Roy Diblik specializes in growing traditional and Midwest native perennials that are used extensively in thoughtfully designed, sustainable plant communities. He explains his Know Maintenance approach in detail in his book, The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden (Timber Press, 2014.)

Diblik believes every gardener, regardless of their level of skill or size of their space, can grow an ecologically directed, aesthetically pleasing garden with four season appeal. Over the past three decades of growing and designing with hardy perennials, he’s developed a list of favorites that complement one another in sustainable communities. The list includes a mix of natives, drought tolerant species, pollinator hosts and food sources, and plants with multiple seasons of interest.

Scroll through our database of all Roy Diblik’s favorite plants here.

Download a printable pdf of Roy Diblik’s favorite plants here.

Roy Diblik’s Favorite Know-Maintenance™ Perennials
Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’
Allium s. ‘Forescate’
Allium ‘Summer Beauty’
Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’
Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia
Aster divaricatus
Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta
Dianthus carthusianorum
Eupatorium d. ‘Baby Joe’
Geranium m. ‘Bevan’s Variety’
Geranium sanguineum var. striatum
Geranium s. ‘Max Frei’
Grass-Calamagrostis x a. ‘Karl Foerster’
Grass-Carex f. ‘Blue Zinger’
Grass-Carex pensylvanica
Grass-Panicum v. ‘Northwind’
Grass-Sesleria autumnalis
Grass-Sporobolus heterolepis
Heuchera v. ‘Autumn Bride’
Limonium latifolium
Monarda bradburiana
Nepeta ‘Early Bird’
Penstemon d. ‘Husker Red’
Perovskia atriplicifolia
Perovskia a. ‘Little Spire’
Phlox p. ‘Blue Paradise’
Salvia n. ‘Blue Hill’
Salvia n. ‘Caradonna’
Salvia n. ‘East Friesland’
Salvia n. ‘Wesuwe’
Solidago s. ‘Golden Fleece’
Stachys m. ‘Hummelo’
Vernonia l. ‘Iron Butterfly’