Perennials Throughout the Growing Season
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.


