Getting Started With Perennials
Perennial Garden Style

Getting Started With Perennials
National Gardening Association Editors

Let's start by dispelling 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.

Here are answers to 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

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.

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.

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.

Plant properly. Follow the planting instructions that come with your new plants. Water plants well after planting.

Provide some extra TLC the first season. It's generally a good idea to mulch beds after planting with a thick layer of organic mulch. However, don't pile mulch right up agains plants--keep it a few inches from the base of the plants. Be diligent about watering the new plantings, if nature doesn't provide. A deep watering once a week is better than a daily sprinkle.

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Perennial Garden Style
National Gardening Association Editors

Choosing a garden style is a little like getting dressed. You might choose a "tie and jacket" look for your garden, using formal, symmetrical plantings, sheared hedges, and rows of flowering plants. Or you might be more of a "blue jeans" gardener, opting for an informal layout with rambling plantings. Or maybe you are somewhere in between.

Formal or Casual?

Just like your closet, which may contain formal wear and sweatshirts, and everything in between, you may choose a blend of styles for your gardens. For example, you might like a more formal look for the foundation plantings around your house, where shearing keeps hedges and shrubs inbounds, well-behaved perennials are carefully mulched, and annuals are planted in a symmetrical pattern.

Your island beds--those surrounded by a sea of lawn--might be a little less formal and consist of shrubs and perennials allowed to grow more naturally, with perhaps some annuals tucked into the spaces to add season-long color. Edging and mulching keep the bed looking tidy.

Naturalized Gardens

The gardens on the borders of your property might be on the wild side. Here, rambling shrubs, self-sowing wildflowers, and spreading ground covers might predominate. You may not bother with mulching or adding annuals, since this type of garden has a natural beauty all its own.

Generally speaking, the more formal the garden, the more regular maintenance it requires. (Note, however, that all perennial gardens will require some maintenance.)

Scale

Consider the size of your perennial bed in relation to its surroundings. For example, a tiny island bed in the middle of a huge lawn may look a little lonely and lost. If you are new to gardening, small plantings near the house are often a good place to begin. Design the beds so that you will be able to enlarge them in subsequent years, rather than overdoing it the first year.

Also consider the size of the plants in relation to the size of the bed. Overly large plants in a small bed can look awkward and out of proportion. On the other hand, a few well-chosen and well-placed large plants can liven up a bed. Similarly, small-leaved, tiny-flowered perennials can get lost in a huge bed. But these, too, have their place and can be used to unify a diverse planting.

Other Considerations

Shape. Generally, straight lines in a garden give it a more formal feel. You may have walked through formal gardens where each square or triangular bed contained a different herb, for example. If you want a formal garden, you might want to get out the tape measure and square the corners, or use a string and two stakes to create rows. Semicircular gardens can also appear quite formal, and the more symmetrical the plantings, the more formal the appearance.

One of the risks of a formal design is that if one plant in a row dies, or one plant in a symmetrical design falters, the whole design is thrown off. In an informal planting, the loss of a plant or two is usually less noticeable.

For a more informal look, avoid straight lines. Instead, create an outline using gentle curves. Following the contours of the land will help give it a natural feel. Try using a garden hose, or sprinkle limestone, to outline the shape of a new bed. Even if you are creating a new island bed in a flat lawn, where there are no slopes to define the area, you can create an informal, curved outline. If you are hesitant to dig up an irregular, amoeba-shaped hole in your lawn, start with a crescent- or kidney-shaped bed.

Vantage Point. Think about where you’ll be spending your time observing your garden. Will you have a bench, or even a breakfast table, in its midst? Will your hammock be next to the garden? Or will you be enjoying your garden primarily from a distance?

We mentioned earlier that bright colors are often best for gardens that will be viewed from afar. Blues, violets, and pastel colors often get lost at a distance, especially in bright sunshine. Save these colors for beds you’ll enjoy from a closer vantage point.

Bold textures also hold up better for distant viewing. Plants with large flowers (or lots of small flowers) and heavy foliage will draw attention, while dainty plants with tiny flowers and delicate foliage may get overlooked. Save these for places where they’ll get the attention they deserve.

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