re: Ideas for perennials that will give the most bang for the buck

Caladiums.




They are bulb perennials. You can buy them as bulbs or as plants. Stick'em in the ground; they are there all spring and summer. They die back in the late fall; come back up next year.

Lots of color variations to choose from, and they also have different varieties for shade, partial sun, and even some full sun varieties (though those are kind of hard to find).