If you are looking to fill your first garden with perennials that are easy to grow and require very little maintenance, you do have several lovely plants to choose from.

Allegheny Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifolia)
Zones: 3-9
Bloom Time: Late spring and early summer
Growing Conditions: Prefers shady, woodland settings
Care: These plants, which contain white or pink flowers that look like fuzzy spikes, spread quickly but do not crowd out other plants. Therefore, it is an excellent groundcover and provides color and interest to the garden for all four seasons.

Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Zones: 3-9
Bloom Time: Mid-summer through fall
Growing Conditions: Drought tolerant and capable of growing in most types of soil, despite being native to marshy areas.
Care: Liatris spicata provides continuous spiky blooms atop grassy foliage. Taller varieties may require staking, so choose those that are low growing or compact to avoid staking.

Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro)
Zones: 3-9
Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall
Growing Conditions: Does well in all soil types, even dry and poor soil.
Care: Globe thistle is not invasive or weedy. In addition, it does not require dividing. In fact, it has a long taproot and prefers to be left alone. It blooms for a long time and the seed head is just as attractive as the bloom, which means it does not require deadheading in order to stay attractive.

Hosta
Zones: 3-9
Bloom Time: Mid-summer
Growing Conditions: Partial shade, though golden leaf varieties can also handle sun.
Care: The foliage of hostas grows mostly in the early part of the season, during which time they can be a bit attractive to deer and slugs. Therefore, you may need to apply deer deterrent to the flowers early in the season. Growing hostas with thicker leaves will help combat slugs.

Meadow Rue (Thalictrum aquilegifolium)
Zones: 3-9
Bloom Time: Late Spring
Growing Conditions: Will grow in nearly any soil condition.
Care: Meadow Rue pops up late in the season and seems to bloom almost immediately. It only has one bloom, which are fuzzy puffs and do not have petals, but the bloom lasts for many weeks. In addition, the bloom remains attractive throughout the entire time, as does the foliage. It usually does not require dividing.

Peony (Paeonia)
Zones: 2-9
Bloom Time: Late spring and early summer
Growing Conditions: Requires a bit of sun and will grow in most soil conditions.
Care: Peonies come in reds, pinks, whites, and yellows and is an oldfashioned garden favorite. It prefers to be left alone once established and does not adjust very quickly when divided. Peony varieties with double blossoms may need staking or nearby plants to lean on. Single flowered varieties, however, are generally capable of standing on their own. The bushy foliage left after blooming is complete remains attractive throughout the growing season.

Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Zones: 3-9
Bloom Time: Mid-summer to fall
Growing Conditions: Russian Sage prefers well drained soil and full sun
Care: These blue flowers continue to get brighter as their blossoms open throughout the season. They get woody stems, which may die back to the ground if planted in a colder climate. In early spring, they should be pruned down to eight to ten inches in order to encourage profuse blooms and new growth. Very few pests are attracted to the plant, not even deer. It does not need to be divided.

Sea Thrift
Zones: 4-9
Bloom Time: Spring to early summer
Growing Conditions: Capable of growing in rocky soil and can withstand sea spray and high winds
Care: These flowers, which come in lilac, pink, red, rose, and white, rest atop stems that shoot up from foliage that looks like a bed of grass. Will continue to bloom if deadheaded and the entire plant can be refreshed by cutting it down to its basal growth, though it is not necessary to maintain the plant.

Siberian Iris (Iris siberica)
Zones: 3-9
Bloom Time: Late Spring
Growing Conditions: Grows in just about any conditions, though prefers a bit of sun. Will spread quickly if grown in moist conditions.
Care: Siberian Irises look like other forms of irises, but their leaves do not flop or become scorched following blooming. Therefore, they add texture and interest to the garden long after the blooms are gone. They do require division if they become crowded and they may rebloom in the fall when grown in warmer zones.

Turtlehead (Chelone lyonni)
Zones: 2-9
Bloom Time: Late summer to late fall
Growing Conditions: Capable of growing in most any condition, though they will require a little bit of extra moisture if you grow them in a hot, sunny location
Care: These flowers come in red, pink, and white varieties. Deadheading is not necessary, as the seed heads are quite attractive. These plants are long lived and will reach their full size within three to four years.