Stalwart plants can be the star players in your borders—Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’, Geranium ‘Rozanne’, Alchemilla ... foliage from hardy geraniums are perfect for covering up the leaves of spring ...
Look out for robust perennials, such as nepeta and geum, in small pots in spring time ... buy ‘bare root’ (without soil), which is cheaper and helps the plants to establish much quicker. Like this ...