Introduction
Perennials are those plants that return year after year, delighting you with their visual and fragrant beauty. And the best part? There’s no need to replant them each spring like you would with annuals. Perennials are a great investment for your garden: once they’re established, they’ll come back year after year with little care from you.
First, what are perennials?
Perennials are plants that grow and bloom for three or more years. They are divided into two types: herbaceous perennials, which die back to the ground in the fall (like lamb’s ear or daylilies), and woody perennials, which continue to live year after year but do not die back to the ground each winter (like roses).
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of planting perennials.
The first step in planting perennials is to do some research on the plant you want to plant. Figure out what type of soil it needs, how much sunlight it will receive, how much water it needs and when you should plant it so that your plant has the best chance for survival.
You’ll also want to check with your local city or county office about whether or not any pesticides were used in the area where you are planning on planting your perennial. This is especially important if you live near a field or farm where chemicals may have been sprayed recently. The last thing you want is for those chemicals to kill your precious plants!
How to Plant Perennials in a Container
Planting perennials in containers is a great way to add color and interest to your yard or garden. You can choose from any number of flowers, shrubs, vines and ground covers that will provide you with year-round blooms.
When planting perennials in containers, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:
- Be sure your container is at least 12 inches wide. The width of the pot should be at least as big as one of your plant’s mature widths (this means take into account how wide it spreads out). If you don’t have access to large pots, you may want to consider using multiple smaller ones instead.
- Make sure there is enough room for the roots without crowding them together or making them sit on top of each other too much. A good rule of thumb here would be about 1 inch between each root ball; if space permits even more room then go ahead!
How to Plant Perennials in Garden Beds
Planting perennials in garden beds is a great way to add color to your yard all year long. While some perennials are annuals, meaning they only bloom for one year, others live for multiple seasons. Perennials are generally easier to care for than annuals because they come back each year without needing replanting.
The first step of planting flowers is deciding what type of soil you have in your garden bed: clay, sandy or loamy? Once you know this information it will help determine the best types of plants to use as well as give you an idea on how much water is needed during dry spells because sandy soil dries out quickly while clay holds moisture longer than other types due to its ability not allow water through easily so it becomes saturated more quickly than other types which results in needing more frequent watering when compared with loamier soils that drain excess moisture better and don’t become saturated as fast so they won’t require frequent watering like clay does.”
How to Plant Perennials in Borders
Planting perennials in borders is a great way to get lots of color on your property all year long. If you’re new to perennial gardening, here’s how to do it right:
- Plant perennials in groups of 3, 5 or 7. This helps ensure that there will be one plant blooming at a time so nothing looks too sparse or crowded.
- Group plants with similar bloom times together. For example, if you have 5 different types of flowers that bloom from April through June, plant them in clumps with other flowering plants that also bloom during those months; this will give a more balanced look than having all the same-age flowers close together.
- Plant perennials in the front of your border and fill in behind them with annuals that die back once their job is done (like pansies). This will create an ever-changing backdrop for your favorite perennials as they come into their own each season!
For more information on planting perennials, check out the Perennial Resource Center at Horticulture magazine.
For more information on planting perennials, check out the Perennial Resource Center at Horticulture magazine. It has a bunch of great articles that will help you choose the best perennials for your area and calculate the size of your garden.
With some thought and planning, you can design your garden with plants that will bloom year round.
With some thought and planning, you can design your garden with plants that will bloom year round.
- Choose perennials that flower in the spring and summer. Some perennial flowers only bloom once a year. Others, like hosta, bloom in the late summer or fall.
- Plant daffodils and other bulb-bearing plants in early spring to provide color during late winter when other flowers are not blooming or have finished blooming for the season.
- Consider growing tropical “annuals” as perennials since they will continue to grow each year without being replanted from seed each time—they just need to be divided every few years (this is easy if you plant them near existing perennials).
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve just finished your first lesson in perennial gardening. Now you can go out and buy some plants and get started on your own garden! If you have any questions or need help, please feel free to contact me at my email address which is listed below this article. Good luck with your garden and enjoy the rewards of growing a beautiful, long-lasting perennial flower bed!