Whether
you're a new gardener planning your first perennial bed, or an experienced
gardener hoping to improve your existing plantings, we can help
make your garden a success. First,
let’s dispel a common myth: You don’t need to be an expert
gardener to grow perennials. Many types of perennials are easy to
grow and provide years of pleasure with minimal upkeep.
Let's
begin by answering a few common questions about perennials.
What does the term perennial mean?
Plants are classified as either
annual, biennial, or
perennial. Annual plants live for only one growing season,
during which they produce seeds and then die. Familiar annual plants
include impatiens, zinnias, and sunflowers. Biennial plants,
such as some types of foxglove, live for two growing seasons before
setting seed and dying. The term perennial is reserved for
plants that live for more than two years; examples include daylilies,
hosta, and peonies.
Technically speaking,
trees and shrubs are perennial plants--they live for more than two
years. But in common usage the term perennial refers to herbaceous
perennials: non-woody plants that die back to the ground each fall,
then regrow in spring.
Why grow perennials instead of annuals
like petunias or marigolds?
If
you grow lots of annual flowers, you are familiar with the chores
necessary to maintain the plantings: You purchase flower seedlings
(or start your own), plant them in spring, and nurture them throughout
the growing season. Then, when the season's over and the plants die,
you pull them out. Next spring, the cycle begins anew.
Perennial plants
remain in the ground year after year. Once established, most perennials
need minimal upkeep in the form of watering and fertilizing, since
their roots are more far-ranging than those of annual plants. Many
perennials spread readily, filling out garden spaces and providing
more and more color each year.
Will
my perennials flower all summer, like my annuals?
Most
perennial plants have a distinct bloom period, lasting anywhere from
a week to a month or more. Plant descriptions usually include an approximate
bloom time, such as "early summer" or "autumn."
A few will describe certain plants as continuous bloomers, but even
these usually have a period of peak bloom.
At first, this may seem like a drawback,
since each plant won't flower all summer. However, properly planned, a perennial garden will have flowers all season long--they
just won't be the same flowers all the time. Perennial gardens change with the seasons. You can enjoy delicate columbines
in the spring, flamboyant peonies in early summer, stately delphiniums in midsummer, and cheerful black-eyed Susans in late
summer right into autumn--all in the same flower bed. One of the greatest joys of perennial gardening is watching the plantings
change with the seasons.
Five Steps to Success:
1. Choose the right site. If you are creating a new bed, try to choose a site that
gets partial to full sun. Although there are perennials that will withstand deep shade, you'll have a much larger selection
of plants to choose from if the site receives some sun.
2. Choose the right plants. Evaluate your site, noting sun exposure and soil type, and
choose plants based on these assessments. Make sure the plants you want are adapted to your growing region--check the USDA
Zone rating.
3. Prepare the soil. Since
your perennials will be occupying the same space for years, it's important
to prepare the soil. Most perennials like a moderately rich, loose,
loamy soil, with plenty of organic matter.
4.
Plant properly. Follow the planting instructions
that come with your new plants. Water plants well after planting.
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Five Hardy, Easy-Care Perennials
Monarda
Bee balm is a sun-loving,
spreading perennial that comes in red, pink, or white flowers that
butterflies love.
Hosta
Hosta
are the ideal shade perennials. The leaves can be green, yellow or
variegated and many varieties produce colorful flower spikes.
Daylily
This sun-loving
perennial is tough as nails. It can tolerate a wide variety of growing
conditions.
Phlox
This
sun-loving, late summer bloomer produces flowers until frost. Look
for powdery mildew-resistant varieties.
Coreopsis
Coreopsis
is a sun-loving perennial that will spread and flower for weeks in
summer.
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