What makes a plant a good buy? It's not purchase price alone. Value is best measured by how a plant performs once it's in the ground. "A bargain doesn't need lots of attention, isn't prone to disease or insect problems, and spreads on its own," says Lexington, Kentucky-based landscape designer Jon Carloftis. And while there's no question that annuals deliver the most bang for the buck in a single season, perennials, shrubs, and trees provide long-lasting structure and color to the landscape. We polled our go-to garden experts for their hardy and inexpensive favorites in all four categories.


Amazing Annuals

Genus: C. varieties
Zones: All Zones
Cost: From $8
Expert says: "Caladium brings color to a shady garden in the heat of summer. And some newer varieties can even take a little more sun." -John Dromgoole, nursery owner, Austin




Perennials With Personality

Genus: Hemerocallis varieties
Zones: 3 to 9
Cost: From $4
Expert says: "Daylilies are gorgeous and easy to divide. You can build a fine collection of colors and shapes by acquiring a few plants each year." -Barbara Damrosch, farmer and author, Harborside, Maine




Surprising Shrubs

Genus: C. alnifolia varieties
Zones: 3 to 9
Cost: $10 to $25
Expert says: "One plant will perfume a whole yard in August, so I have what my father jokingly called 'a plethora of clethora' next to the porch." -Barbara Damrosch




Tremendous Trees

Genus: Quercus bicolor
Zones: 3 to 8
Cost: $25
Expert says: "On a dollar-per-square-foot basis, oaks are an incredible bargain. They may grow 60 feet or more and live for 300 years." -Steve Castorani, nursery owner, Landenberg, Pennsylvania


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