What perennials grow well in direct sunlight and provide good color earlier in the year? (around spring-time)?

My mother has asked me to plant some flowers for her in a flowerbox near her office building. There are currently only a few hostas in the box and they don't show much life untill later in the summer so she wants something that will look nice in the spring-time. She wants to add some color to the box as well as fill in a little between the hostas. The box is in direct sunlight all day long so the flowers should be able to handle lots of sun. She also doesn't want anything terribly tall, rather she says she's looking for shorter plants that will fill out a bit. Any advice would be much appriciated. Thank you!

What perennials grow well in direct sunlight and provide good color earlier in the year? (around spring-time)?
Petunias are easy to grow and come in a lot of different colors, plus they are cheap to buy.
Reply:Coral Bells come in rather early with their foliage, then a little later in the spring they bloom and will continue to bloom all season. They grow a spike like stem that has small flowers and they are supposed to attract hummingbirds too. They are low maintenance plants and fill in well.
Reply:Geraniums, are great, for foliage and color. They grow like weeds, and need very little attention. Just water regularly.


My mother has them in her window box, and they do great year after year, they last throughout the year. Although, not as much flowering, during the off season, but still with foliage.


One other good feature, is that you can take a cutting, stick it in potting soil directly, keep moist and you will have another plant, it a matter of weeks.


Being a lazy gardener, you can see why I love them. They also come in a wide variety of colors and shapes.
Reply:Tulips; Lilies; (grape) hyacinths; daffodils
Reply:There are species tulips that don't get more than 6 inches high, they bloom in march in the cincinnati area. Hyacinths bloom around the same time, and have very showy blooms. A couple small azaleas will provide color right now, and also have nice foliage. It would help to know exactly how large the box is.
Reply:Petunias