How about Dianthus? Mine has been beautiful for the last two weeks. There are also lots of varieties in different colors and sizes. Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:242892}}

Depends on the color you are looking for but right now blooming in my garden are:

Coreopsis 'Zagreb'
Callirhoe involucrata
hardy Geraniums
Clematis
Asiatic Lilies
Tanacetum niveum
Hydrangeas
Penstemon pinifolius 'Nearly Red'
Coreopsis lancelota
Yarrow 'Moonshine' and the light yellow one, whose name escapes me at the moment.
Kniphofia

My catmint (nepeta, Walker's Low) is blooming like crazy right now, as are my siberian iris and chives. Dianthus and May Night Salvia are just starting for me and some peonies are almost ready to pop.

ThinMan

June bloomers depends on your location. I'm a zone 5 too, but my Dianthus are just starting to bud up, same with the Coreopsis and Yarrow. The things blooming for me right now are:

Penstemon pinifolius 'Compactum'
Sedum kamtschaticum 'Variegatum'
Geum 'Fireball'
Geum 'Mango Lasi' (just about done)
Aquilegia chrysantha
Gaillardia 'Oranges and Lemons'
Delosperma congestum
Delosperma kelaidis 'Mesa Verde'

Tons of things are starting to form buds, but it looks like it will be July before my garden reaches its full glory this year. It's been a cool spring here though. I've been thinking that I need to plant more early bloomers too, so I'm hoping you get some good responses!

Bonnie

I would recommend that you take a trip to a local botanical garden where they will have the names listed on the plants. See what's blooming there and you'll know what will work in your yard right now. Bloom times vary somewhat by region, amount of sun and even which side of your house they are on.

Some great ideas! I do have quite a few of the mentioned plants in other gardens around my yard and it's funny that some of those still haven't bloomed for me...and others have been done. Quite a few of the suggested plants (such as dianthus and catmint) are great plants, but way too low. I'm trying to post a pic so you can see the size of the other perinneals in this particular garden. In the very front there are nasurtiums (I realize these are annuals). I plant them every year, but in early June they are tiny. This is the spot where I need some color.
{{gwi:242894}}

In bloom here now:
Centranthus ruber 'Coccineus'
Clematis 'Etiole Violette'
Clematis 'Niobe'
Delosperma cooperi = Hardy Purple Ice Plant
Delosperma nubigenum = Hardy Yellow Ice Plant
Gaura 'Pink Cloud'
Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink'
Geranium 'Johnson's Blue'
Iris pallida 'Variegata' (and a 'name unknown' huge white bearded one just finishing)
Kniphofia Uvaria (Red Hot Poker)
Penstemon barbatus 'Rondo Mix'
Penstemon tubaeflorus
Salvia nemorosa 'May Night'
Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue'
Spirea 'Little Princess' (I know it's not a perennial but fits right in with them).

Starting in a day or two:
Gaillardia 'Fanfare'
Daylilies... I have many, many...The early bloomers most years would have been opening for a few weeks now, but this year because of the cool spring temperatures we had here in the high desert mountains of Utah, they're late.

Crystal

Lisa...I am not clear on what size plant you are looking for. The garden that you have posted a photo of is very pretty, could you list what you have planted there? Is it a current photo? Are you wanting a perennial to take the place of your nasturtiums? Are they the plant that is right under the date in the lower right corner?

I have the same plants everyone else has already listed...what about a Shasta Daisy? They come in different heights? You feel the Walker's Low Nepeta is too short? Are you trying to add a plant in the front that is the same height as the plants in the back, or are you still trying to taper the height down to the front of the bed?

pm2

I do plan to continue tapering down the height to the front of the garden. I planted the Nasturtiums again this year, but it always takes till mid July before they take off. As far as height, shasta daisys might do it, but I have them in my back yard and they are just starting to open. I don't know why, but those first 2-3 weeks of June seem to be such a problem. (The pic was taken last year). It seems that lots of plants people suggest bloom a bit later for me.

Hi Lisa,
Things that were blooming in the beginning to mid June for me are
Veronica - gentianoides, Crater Lake, and Royal Blue
Peony
Roses
iris
daylily, a very early blooming yellow species type
Tanacetum coccineum(Painted Daisy)
Lychnis viscaria
Centaurea Montana
Alliums
lupine
poppies
centranthrus
verbascum Southern Charm
baptisia
columbine
centaurea montana
deutzia
weigela
The last two are shrubs, but come in smaller sizes good for a perennial border
I hope this helps being I'm closer to your area,
Remy

In zone 5 I have spectacular delphiniums, Husker's red penstemon, lavender, lupines, Linaria purpurea 'Canon J. Wendt', Centaurea dealbata, lady bells, Lychnis coronaria, coreopsis, Campanula 'Cherry Bells'.
Red hot poker, verbascum, & coneflowers ALMOST open; they & all above in sun.
Astilbes just coming on in the shade.
Since you are in zone 6, these likely would be "on" for you now.

Blooming for me right now:

peonies
the last of the bearded irises and allium
last of the forget-me-nots as well
siberian irises
baptisia
salvias Eveline and Rose Queen
gas plant
penstemon Husker's Red and Rondo Mix
heucheras of all sorts
geraniums Brookside, Carol, Samobor, Philippe Vapelle, Orion, Max Frei, Vision Violet, Elke, Biokovo, New Dimension and magnificum (Rozanne and Midnight Reiter are a little later)
veronica Crater Lake Blue
ranunculus acris flore pleno
silene dioica Valley High

My flowering shrubs are also all in bloom right now.

Campanulas and poppies are almost ready to go.

How could I have forgotten the catmint? Walkers Low is going gangbusters.

Oh, and columbine and chives too.

I was just admiring my Red Valerian. It is blooming beautifully for me right now in Mid-Michigan. It is about 1 1/2 feet tall. I don't know how long the blooms last, since this is the first season it has fully flowered for me (it was a baby last Summer...)

tasymo, Centranthus ruber (red valerian) will bloom all summer if you keep deadheading. Mine also started blooming a few weeks ago.

Other plants that are blooming:
Nepeta (catmint)
Dianthus Arctic Fire (Bath's pink bloomed earlier and is already done)
Penstemon Dark Towers (gorgeous plant)
Gaura Passionate Rainbow (just started blooming)
Achilea Coronation Gold
Salvia May Night
Geranium Johnson's Blue (almost over, although the fact that it has poured every day for three weeks in a row hasn't helped)
Campanula Kent's Bells (Just starting)
Lavendula Hidecote