Close-up detail shot of bright yellow rudbeckia, black-eyed Susan, purple aster, and deep red fall flowers filling the frame.

For the past several seasons, this Seattle-area garden designer has decided to slowly replace her water and labor-intensive annual and tender perennial beds with hearty, foliage-oriented perennials. Now several years old, the beds have matured and filled in nicely, and provide low-maintenance, year-round interest. In the fall, yellow, golden orange, and red hues take the place of showy flowers, while dramatic shapes keep the eye moving left, right, up, and down.