Big Zone 5 Perennial Garden?

Question

I have a fair-sized back yard (60x100 or so) that's well-drained and gets full sun all day long. I have a strip of zinnias and black eyed susans between my patio and fench, and planted butterfly bushes equidistantly along the rest the fence.

Basically, I made the mistakes most novice gardeners do: I planted without having a plan and made things look too "mathematical". The bushes are still young, but I'd prefer not to dig them up. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do to create a good "flow" between the bushes while allowing them to grow, preferably using low-maintenance plants? The strip of zinnias/black eyed susans is about 20 feet long, then there's a butterfly bush, 10 feet, a butterfly bush, 10 feet, a butterfly bush, 10 feet, and a young lilac bush (trimmed like a tree) in the corner.

Answer 1

daisys galardia and coneflower all grow in dry soil and can take the full sun, also silver mound artemesia, and it spreads great

Answer 2

I have trouble visualizing your layout:  I think I'd need a picture.  But I can say this much:

As a new gardener in z5 myself, the only part of my first-year garden that looks absolutely professional is the preplanned Perennial Starter Garden I got from Bluestone Perennials.  Everything in it is low-maintenance and difficult to kill.  I'd encourage you to get that for next year.

Some other low-maintenance ones I've liked so far are columbine, lupine, and sunflower.  Bee balm gets huge really fast, is easy to take care of, and hummingbirds/bees like it.