Perennial Beauty : longlasting and delightful plants

fragrant flowers,peony,dames rocket,rose

T here are many sorts of gardens, but most of them will include plants of the perennial herbaceous type. All this means is that the plants will have a softer growth rather than the twigginess of shrubs [that is the easy, condensed definition].

Creating the Garden Pictures:

The main reason that many gardeners include perennials in their plans is due to the fact that they provide so many variations of shape, texture, and color.  I would say most of my gardens consist largely of perennials and shrubs, with sub notes of bulbs and annuals. Perennials do require a certain amount of care and maintenance. Division of plants, replenishing their soil, and weed suppression. Some perennials can become weeds. Forewarned is fore-armed. If you have a special area for new plants you can get to know their habits, i.e. the area I first used for that is now one of my major garden areas. But when something like Macleaya cordata is said to be wide spreading, it can be a good idea to plan for that

Phlox, especially in lavender tints, smell heavenly

I grow some plants that are aggressive, but some like the Macleaya can be contained in their own area with mowing. Sometimes a plant will run like wild and then dies out. I had to buy more pink Oenotheras after losing them to drought. They were so prolific at first, I pulled them out like weeds; but truly beautiful! Maybe we shouldn't worry so much about precise  grooming and set sizes for groupings. The garden is an organic thing- always changing , and our plans should wisely follow nature and not be so much about imposing our once appropriate planting plan.

That is my attitude, anyway.

Sweet woodruff is one of many perennials with characteristics that are useful as "groundcovers". Since the term "perennenial simply refers to the way the plant grows, there are uses in categories that we gardeners give describing how we want to use them. Most groundcover plants are those which are tough, persistent, and "vigorous". These plants spread, so they aren't always the best companions for a flower bed, but this depends on whether the plant particularly likes your garden! That is why it is a very useful tip to have a flower bed to experiment with; a trial bed, if youwill.

Perennials Throughout the Growing Season

Getting started with perennials

First things first: look at the area in which you would like to add some perennials. Do you want good foliage or mainly colorful flowers? If you want mainly colorful flowers it is good to note that perennials have specific flowering times. If you desire bright color all season you will need several types of perennials and more than a bit of genius. Gertrude Jekyll's solution was to have large spaces that give way to one another in what is termed 'seasonal interest', (spring blooming, summer blooming, and autumn blooming). Annuals are a better bet for easy, all season color. See my page on Annuals. Placing some annuals among the perennials in the border is a good way to keep the color going throughout the summer.

The best advice is to mix good foliage with seasonal color. There are many fine choices that do "double duty". In fact, Tracy Disabato-Aust has written a book called "50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants ", with the best garden qualities.

This all is really not difficult, but along with color coordination, combination planning is one challenge that makes gardening an addictive interest. The easiest approach is to ask yourself what you would like to see in a certain garden situation. Then go from there.


Steps to a Perennial Plan

Investigating the wonderful world of aromatic plants
lavender's herbal scent

As the name implies, perennials are long lived plants in the garden. They take their time getting started (or "settled in") and they expand into their space over time. That is why the first step is to check the eventual size dimensions and give them enough space in their first years. You could plant closer than recommended and then move and divide, but to have plants looking their healthiest best, give them their space and divide on the recommended schedule. Division and replanting time depend upon the particular perennial plants requirements. I like to have a chart or a book to keep track. Because once you start planting, you just might get carried away with all the beautiful possibilities, and once a few years have gone by it is easy to forget specific plant information. That is why it is helpful to make a garden journal, too.

Their longevity is also reason to start out with the next step: improving your soil before putting in the plants.

Armed with your garden plan and ready for the new plants, your can take the enjoyable step of buying your plants. buying over time, perhaps adding through division of plants, you will be building your landscape with beautiful plantings for years to come. At last, is the final step of maintaining your perennial plantings; weeding, feeding, watering, and dividing on occasion. You've arrived at the place where your garden dreams are becoming reality.

There are so many styles of growing perennials. Gertrude Jekyll was a great plantswoman of the last century, and some of her ideas are still used today. The use of flowers that all bloom at the same time for a seasonal garden, so that there is a blast of gorgeousness at a certain point in the growing season is an idea that is useful for modern landscapes.

Another idea is the monochrome, one color garden, or at most two colors. this type was made famous by Vita Sackville-West in her "white garden" and the famous "red gardens" at Hidcote.

Some gardeners like to specialize in just a few plant types and their companions. The rose gardens are examples of that. It can be done with daisies or lilies as easily.

Color, shape and size aren't the only variables for perennial gardening. sunshine and moisture, as for all landscape choices, are part of the equation. There are plants that tolerate dryness, that thrive in shade, and even some that do both, but most perennial flowers like some sun and they need water. Xeriscaping is the planting philosophy that utilizes the best plants for a climate, especially a dry one. the more your plants naturally like your garden conditions, the easier your garden work will be.

More on the Subject:

a selection of pages on the web




             

Explore the Garden : here

or other parts of the site listed below

spring blooms | minor bulbs | tulips,etc | just tulips | roses | roses 2 | perennials | plants I grow,a list | annuals | annuals 2 | country garden | midwest garden | cottage style | butterfly | birds | about catalogs | garden tools | summer fragrance | garden color | my little garden pond

Summer Delights

coneflowers
Prairie plants are hardy and drought resistant. There are many daisy forms including the famous 'Goldsturm' Rudbeckia, and the Echinacea purpurea shown here. Some of my favorite plants are in the perennial class:

* hostas
* phlox
* sweet woodruff
*irises
*lavender




Garden notes

  • Longevity ranges from a few years to more than a person's lifetime.
  • Longer term plantings mean a better initial soil preparation is important for good results. Old fashioned double digging, or adding in lots of organic material before planting.
  • Plant choices depend on dryness/moisture factors, sun/shade, and climate zones in your garden.
  • Some plants require fertile soil, some leaner, there are many books with plants lists for various situation needs. Plant information that mentions soil preferences also help you identify this factor.





Perennial Plants Pages


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I use Adobe Photoshop Elements to format photos.