We Asked a Gardener: 4 Overrated Perennials to Skip in 2024

Show summary

Why We’re Rethinking Perennial Favorites This Year
Meet the Expert: A Gardener Fed Up With The Same Old Plants
The 4 Perennials Our Gardener Says You Should Think Twice About
The Risk of Blindly Following Garden Trends
Smarter Swaps: The Plants Worth Your Time This Year
Would You Dare to Break Up With These Perennials?
FAQ

This spring, garden centers are bursting with so-called “must-have” perennials. But are all those tried-and-true favorites really worth the space in your beds? In our feature, We Asked a Gardener Which Perennials Are Overrated—4 She Says You Should Skip Trying to Grow This Year, we hand the mic to a gardener who’s spent decades digging, editing, and sometimes regretting her perennial picks. She’s not shy about saying which overrated perennials should be benched in 2024 — and her reasons might have you rethinking old habits.

If you’ve ever felt let down by drooping peonies after one rainstorm or battled endlessly with finicky delphiniums, you’ll want to hear her candid take. Beyond the hype, she challenges why some perennials are granted unearned star status, even as easier, more inspiring options get overlooked. With honesty (and a pinch of tough love), this article promises practical garden wisdom, alternatives you’ll actually enjoy, and a bold invitation to leave disappointment behind this year.

Why We’re Rethinking Perennial Favorites This Year

Even the classics in your perennial garden can let you down. More gardeners are voicing frustration as once-beloved perennials wilt under modern pressures: erratic weather, stubborn pests, and unexpected maintenance. As gardening trends shift towards resilience and time-saving choices, expectations are changing fast.

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The truth? Some “reliable” perennials are struggling to keep up with climate unpredictability and evolving ideas of hardiness. The reality is, the plants that thrived a decade ago may now demand more effort than they’re worth. Deliberately seeking out low-maintenance plants isn’t just a trend—it’s beginning to look like common sense for a better garden in 2024.

Meet the Expert: A Gardener Fed Up With The Same Old Plants

Our featured garden expert, Marta Powell, has spent over two decades knee-deep in horticultural experience, coaxing beauty and bounty from everything from wild soils to finicky raised beds. Marta isn’t shy about challenging old garden wisdom when practical gardening disappoints. Her take? Perennials should pull their weight, offering more than just bland reliability. She wants plants that pay back in color, habitat, or easy care, not ones that leave you frustrated or underwhelmed come midseason. Prepare for a refreshingly blunt perspective on what really earns a spot in her beds.

The 4 Perennials Our Gardener Says You Should Think Twice About

The first perennial Marta singles out is the humble daylily. Yes, they survive nearly anything and bloom without fail, but Marta confesses most sprawling daylily clumps leave her cold. Their brief flush of color is quickly followed by months of limp, unremarkable foliage that sprawls listlessly across the landscape. For small gardens and design-focused beds, they just take up precious space that could go to truly transformative plants. Still, for absolute beginners or those desperate for low-maintenance toughness, daylilies can still have a place—just don’t expect visual fireworks all season. Instead, Marta suggests trying coreopsis for months of cheerful color and reliable performance.
Next up: hostas. Often hailed for their bold texture in shady spots, hostas have become a go-to, but Marta is firm—enough is enough. “If you’re in slug country, you’re just growing a salad bar for your garden pests,” she quips. On top of being maintenance-heavy thanks to their constant need for protection from nibblers, too many hostas can make a border look dated and monotonous. Gardeners with deer or slug issues, especially, may want to sit this perennial out in 2024. In their place, Marta champions hellebores and epimediums, both offering far superior disease resistance and more dynamic all-season interest.
Shasta daisies get their moment next, with Marta bluntly calling them more trouble than they’re worth. Despite their nostalgic charm, she points out how these daisies are prone to flopping, rampant reseeding, and are notorious for being susceptible to fungal diseases. “They rarely look as crisp in a home garden as they do in catalog photos,” she warns. Gardeners seeking that bright daisy look with fewer headaches can opt for leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’ or, for a complete shift, try native coneflowers which excel in landscape performance and attract wildlife.
Finally, Marta’s wildcard pick this season: peonies. She acknowledges their rabid following, but boldly calls them overhyped. “Yes, they’re gorgeous for two fleeting weeks, but then you’re stuck with peony foliage that usually mildews and collapses by midsummer,” she explains. For those short on patience or prone to disappointment from disease-prone plants, she suggests switching to itoh peonies for better reliability, or investing in long-blooming salvias for sustained color and “none of the diva drama.”

The Risk of Blindly Following Garden Trends

Viral garden myths and glossy magazine spreads can turn certain perennials into instant “it plants”, but hype rarely reveals the headaches. Trendy plants often come with hidden demands—think persistent pest issues, fussy soil preferences, or relentless deadheading—that social media never warns you about. Too many gardeners learn the hard way that chasing every fad leads to wasted time, recurring failures, and regret over what could have thrived instead. The smarter move? Prioritize resilient varieties tailored to your space, not just the ones gracing your feed or garden center display.

Smarter Swaps: The Plants Worth Your Time This Year

Instead of coddling fussy perennials, Marta Powell recommends championing drought-tolerant perennials like agastache and salvia, which shrug off dry spells and deliver showy blooms with barely any extra care.
Native plants, such as echinacea and little bluestem, outperform imported novelties, supporting both low-water gardens and neighborhood pollinators.
What sets these swaps apart? They’re reliable through summer’s extremes and don’t collapse when you leave for a week. The difference in workload is immediate—less deadheading, less disease, and far more reward. If you’re tired of babysitting needy garden divas, these pollinator-friendly stunners just might change how you think about perennial gardening for good.

Would You Dare to Break Up With These Perennials?

Rethinking your garden design can feel radical, but it often leads to better results and real joy. Still, every garden is unique. Draw from personal experience, weigh what matters in your space, and do not shy away from swapping overrated perennials if they are not earning their keep. Sometimes, the boldest gardeners have the prettiest borders.

FAQ

What makes certain perennials overrated in today’s gardens?

Overrated perennials often demand high maintenance, underperform in challenging weather, or fail to deliver lasting value. Many gardeners find that these plants no longer meet the expectations set by their past reputation.

Are there better alternatives to overrated perennials for low-maintenance gardens?

Yes, replacing overrated perennials with varieties suited to your climate and soil can reduce effort and improve results. Look for drought-tolerant or native plants that thrive with less intervention.

How do I know if a perennial is overrated or not suitable for my garden?

If a perennial repeatedly struggles with pests, disease, or requires constant staking and coddling, it may be overrated for your conditions. Listen to local gardening experts and observe which plants truly thrive in your area.

Can overrated perennials still add value to some gardens?

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Absolutely—what’s overrated for one gardener may work well for another, depending on microclimate and design goals. The key is to choose perennials based on your own garden’s specific needs and your willingness to maintain them.

Why are some popular perennials now considered overrated?

Gardeners’ expectations have changed due to busier lifestyles and climate shifts, so plants that once seemed reliable can now feel like more trouble than they’re worth. Overrated perennials often fall short in resilience or ease compared to newer or lesser-known options.