What Is a Perennial?
A perennial is a plant that comes back after its first year.
This is especially important if you havetrees and large shrubsin your landscapeconsider the entire impact of your design.
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Step back to take in the big picture and see how your plantings balance and flow into one another.
Plant Bulbs for Early Spring Color
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you might’t beatspring bulbsfor low-effort color in spring.
But, they only bloom for a few weeks.
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This makes for great use of space and fills in the gaps between seasons of bloom.
The purple-toned foliage of these heucheras and Japanese maples creates a dynamic pattern that leads the eye.
Consider also how a plant’s texture may change as the season progresses.
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Try Color Blocking
Some gardeners like to have a large variety of plants in theirmixed perennial beds.
Heucheras come in a rainbow of colors with differently-shaped leaves and do well in sun or shade.
Hostas and daphne come in variegated varieties that add visual depth and interest.
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Silvery tones can come from artemisia or brunnera.
The beautifully-shaped leaves of oakleaf hydrangeas and amsonia provide brilliant autumn color.
But, consider how certain plants may have a more dramatic impact than others.
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Maybe you want your roses to take the starring role.
Maybe your peonies are the pride of the neighborhood.
Depending on your climate, there are a great many to choose from.
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But, planting these evergreen plants beneath a tree where not much else will grow adds year-round color.
For example, the vivid blue flowers on peacock plumbago make it a gorgeous choice for ground cover.
Having a mix of warm and cool palettes makes for maximum visual appeal.
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The possibilities are endless and can include both flowers and foliage.
Choose Easy-to-Divide Perennials
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Perennialdividing is usually a yearly task for the avid gardener.
Some plants benefit from once yearly division, such as artemisia ‘Silver Mound.’
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Anemones are a lovely sight in autumn with their delicate pinks and whites fluttering above theflower bedlike fairies.
The deep blues of monkshood add dramatic color too.
Add Winter Interest
Why stop at three seasons of beauty?
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Think about adding perennial ornamental grasses into your garden design for winter texture.
This snowy garden has beautiful forms and textures from its evergreen and tree plantings.
you’re free to also choose brightly colored pots to add to your garden’s colorways.
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Such plants can provide much-needed color and form later in the season.
These football mums keep their form and color even after a light frost in November.
Add Flowering Shrubs
Flowering shrubs can be colorful centerpieces in your perennial beds.
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They bloom at different points in the season, so plant them where you want seasonal impact.
Many plants provide bright and earthy colors in autumn.
Japanese maples, ferns, amsonia, hydrangeas, heuchera, ninebark, and fothergilla are but a few.
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Don’t Forget Deadheading
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Deadheadingis vital in the busy summer season.
Some plants that offer thrilling blooms need frequent deadheading to stay fresh-looking.
Plant the briefest blooms between long-lasting perennials like purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) and catmint.
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Many of these colorful annuals are heavy with nectar and beloved by pollinators.
And when they grow larger, it’s possible for you to divide them and plant more!
It can encourage your flowers to continue bloom, but it’s not necessary.
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If you plant shade-loving plants in the sun, you’ll have to water them constantly.
However, if you plant sun-loving plants in sun, they’ll do just fine.
Do: Deadhead for More Blooms
If you want to encourage more blooms, deadhead your perennials.
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This focuses their energy on producing more blooms rather than pushing out seeds on spent blooms.
For perennials like foxglove, aster, or delphinium, add a tomato cage or stake.
The best time to plant perennials are spring and fall.
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This is when the ground is workable, and your plants can settle in before extreme heat or cold.
To maximize color in your garden, use staggered planting orsuccession planting.
Plant flowering perennials intentionally so you have successive blooming over an extended period.
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As one group fades, another planting group blooms, and this pattern continues during the growing season.
Also consider color and how the palette will work together.
Generally, plan on a minimum depth of 12 inches, although 6 inches is adequate for many plants.
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If you add a porous layer of compost or mulch, take into account those extra inches.
Coneflowers, shasta daisies, and black eyed susans are pollinator favorites that bloom all summer long.
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