My Perennials Made Easy and Great Perennial Tips...

Mulched Pathway

Every year when selecting my perennials and shrubs I am reminded of a comment written by psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers...

"We're not meant to live in concrete. We respond emotionally to nature. It puts us in a calming mood."

How true is the above quote?

Whether your flowerbed gardens are large or small, experiment with new garden ideas and new perennials. True, your climate does dictate on plant selection...to a degree. I still push the limit in my Zone 3. While I have many Zone 3 plants in my garden, I also grow many Zone 4 and a few Zone 5 perennials...with success.

Remember, perennials are like 'old reliable friends', they keep coming back year after year. Plant the right varieties and you will have blooms from May to October.

Here are two definitions worth noting when dealing with perennials:

Herbaceous plants are plants with non-woody stems. Their above-ground growth usually dies back in winter in the temperate zone, even in cases where the herbaceous plants in question are perennials.

All "annual" plants are "herbaceous," but not all herbaceous plants are annuals. An "annual" is a plant that dies altogether at the end of the growing season, both above the ground and below it. "Perennials," by contrast, survive the winter, even if their above-ground growth dies back.

Woody plants, by definition, are plants that have hard stems (thus the term, "woody") and that have buds that survive above ground in winter.

For instance, trees (which are further broken down into the deciduous and evergreen categories) are woody plants. The opposite of "woody plants" is "herbaceous plants."

Got that? Throughout my web pages I use the most common names. Quite likely as I complete my Master Gardener training I will add the Latin terms.

Choosing Perennials:

1. Blooms...blooms...blooms... I am not seduced by blooms like I once was. I now check for lots of buds on my perennials and healthy foliage.

2. Sun plants...shade plants...I try with the best of intentions to match my perennials with garden conditions such as sunlight, soil, drainage ect. Go to Garden Soil Page and learn about how to provide the right soil conditions via amendments.

3. Check the roots. When in the garden centre, I turn the perennials upside down and check to see if the roots have grown out of the bottom in tight swirls. While it's always best if the plant has rooted, I don't like seeing them root bound. I might still purchase the plant, but knowing that I will have to pull and loosen the roots before planting.

4. Remember that the first year for a perennial is the most critical time so don't over or under water and don't over feed. This can cause stress to the plant. Better to let the plant adjust to its new surroundings (you can tell when a plant has adjusted. It stands upright with new growth) and then feed lightly.

5. I include color, texture, height, varying foliages and different shades of green (deep emerald, gray-green, lime). Because perennials have different bloom times, I try and stagger my plantings. It doesn't always work, but that's why 'they' invented annuals...to fill in the gaps.

   Tip: when purchasing your plants, consider whether you like the foliage after the perennials have bloomed.

6. Combine perennials that bloom at different times. This ensure a constant blooming in your flowerbed garden from spring to autumn. Read the tags.

7. Choose a color scheme. For additional information on garden schemes, please visit my Flowerbed Design Page

8. When purchasing perennials or annuals for that matter, repetition is key...either with color groupings or plant variety. Plant in three's and repeat throughout the flowerbed.

9. A comment on dividing perennials: Of course this does depend on the plant itself. If the plant shows signs of not blooming well or just too large for the spot (and you want additional plants) ...then yes, I will divide, otherwise I leave them alone. Why cause yourself the extra work?

10. When dividing: Make sure to shake off or wash the soil from the roots. This is necessary to check for root issues. Remove any dead roots and foliage around the base. Separate the roots sightly and replant in prepared soil. Most perennials can be divided by simply pulling apart the clumps. Other more woody perennials will require the use of garden forks (to pull apart the clumps) or a garden knife to cut and separate the roots. I also use my garden scissors.

11. One more tip. When planting my perennials I use a high quality fabric weed barrier, otherwise weeds will grow through (you can use newspaper as well, but wet the pages and use at least 12 pages thick). I slice the planting area, plant and viola...not so many weeds to pull. Of course I cover the fabric with soil or mulch (usually a wood chip of some sort).

Related pages:

Check out this page for great sun perennials: My Sun Perennials

And this page for shade plants: My Shade Plants.

Or visit my Site Index page for a list of all plants.

Learn about a great growth supplement for trees, shrubs, grass, annuals and perennials on MYKE's page.

Check out the pages below for perennials planted in 2008.

Below are my 2008 perennial and shrub selections. Images are from my garden and blooming time listed.

Please note that on this page I identify: For zones 3 and 4.

Also, I remove the spent blooms from my flowering plants on a regular basis, ergo the bloom time is longer for me.

Additional Pages:

Go back from Perennials Page to GLM Home Page

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