Before you’re tempted by the allure of those bags and containers of perennial plants at Costco or Sam’s Club, or get swayed by the rows of perennials and annuals lining the entrance of Home Depot, pause for a moment. As a gardener, knowledge is your most potent tool. And guess what? Perennial Plants are the two words that can forever transform your gardening experience. Use our ultimate guide and reshape your gardening playbook with the wisdom youβre about to uncover.
π¨βπΎβοΈπ³πΊπΊHere’s my favorite thing to say about perennial plants: “If only cleaning my house was as easy as maintaining perennials β plant once, and it’s done!”πΌπΌπ¨βπΎβοΈπ³
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Once I discovered the enduring allure of perennials, there was no turning back. My garden transformed into a vibrant tapestry that renews itself each year, leaving me more time to savor the beauty and less time fretting over replanting. This revelation wasn’t just a gardening epiphany; it was a lifestyle change. I now find more moments for myself, basking in the ever-evolving splendor of my garden.
Inspired by this journey, I’ve poured my experiences and insights into the following article. I hope it encourages you to embrace the perennial path, not just for a garden that flourishes year after year, but for the gift of time it returns to you. Hereβs to planting perennials and reaping time for more of what you love!
1. Year After Year of Floral Splendor The Perennial Plant Promise
Perennials, true to their name, are the marathon runners of the garden. Plant them once, and watch them return each year, more robust and resplendent. Unlike annuals that bow out after a single season, perennials are a long-term investment for continuous beauty.
While perennials don’t need annual replanting, they do love a bit of TLC. Some need mulching or cutting back to rejuvenate and come back stronger. It’s a small effort for a grand seasonal return!
Hot Tip: The Splendor May Spread
Keep an eye on perennials’ growth habits; some perennials can be quite aggressive, spreading their charm a bit more than anticipated!
Here Are My Least Favorite Aggressive Perennials —
- lemon balm
- mint
- lamb’s ear
- Lily of the Valley
2. Perennial Flowers Are Cost-Effective Plants
Perennials offer fantastic value for money. Initial cost aside, these plants save you from the yearly expense and effort of replanting, as you’d do with annuals. Over time, your wallet will thank you, and so will your garden!
While you don’t have to replant the perennials, they are cost-effective and wallet-friendly because many perennials can be split and planted, increasing the amount of the same plant in your yard without spending a dime.
HOT TIP For Splitting Perennial Plants and Sharing The Love
Ways to disperse after splitting: If you have too many split them, give them to friends, and relatives, or sell them on the Nextdoor app, so many people look for great deals rather than the expense at the store. Use that money to reinvest in other varieties — see it is truly cost-effective gardening
3. Easy Does It: Low Maintenance, High Reward Perennial Plantsπ¨βπΎβοΈπ³
The beauty of perennials lies in their low-maintenance nature. However, a dose of fertilizer during the growing season will ensure they return with vigor each year. A little nourishment goes a long way in keeping your perennials hearty and happy.
Hot Tip: Nourishment Is Necessary For Strength For Some Perennials
While it is less pampering to keep these perennials coming back year after year you should fertilize perennial plants to nourish and strengthen them, this way they come back stronger than ever. I’ve shared this before and some gardeners cringe, but I have nothing but success and fuller blooms each year when using my tip, which I stand by!
Fertilizing perennials correctly is key to maintaining their health and ensuring a stunning display in your garden.
Here’s the scoop on how often you should fertilize these hardworking plants:
- General Rule of Thumb: Most perennial plants benefit from fertilization once or twice a year. It’s a good idea to fertilize in the spring as new growth appears. This gives them a nutritional boost after their winter dormancy.
- Second Round (If Needed): A second application can be done in early to mid-summer, especially for perennial plants that are heavy feeders or have a long growing season. However, avoid fertilizing late in the season as this can promote new growth too close to frost dates.
- Type of Fertilizer: Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer (like a 10-10-10 or 5-10-5 NPK formula). Slow-release options are great because they provide a steady supply of nutrients over time, reducing the risk of over-fertilization.
- Special Cases: Some perennial plants, like peonies or irises, don’t need much fertilizer and can thrive with just compost or organic matter added to the soil. On the flip side, heavy bloomers or fast-growing varieties may appreciate a bit more.
- Soil Testing: Consider having your soil tested every few years. This will tell you exactly what your soil lacks and prevent you from over-applying certain nutrients.
- Be Observant: Keep an eye on your perennial plants. Signs like weak growth, pale or yellowing leaves, or reduced flowering can indicate nutrient deficiencies and a need for fertilization.
RULE OF THUMB WHEN FERTILIZING PERENNIAL PLANTS π¨βπΎβοΈπ³
Remember, it’s better to under-fertilize than overdo it. Excessive fertilization can lead to less than lush foliage at the expense of flowers, and can even harm your plants. Also, always follow the instructions on your fertilizer package for the best results.
4. Some Perennial Flowers Offer Season-Long Blooms π¨βπΎβοΈπ³
Perennial flowers like Echinacea, Rudbeckia, and Lavender aren’t just one-hit wonders. They offer a kaleidoscope of colors from spring through fall, ensuring your garden is a year-round spectacle of hues. This means something is always blooming in your garden, which is wonderfully fetching!
Watch Out For The Self-Seedersπ¨βπΎβοΈπ³
Perennials like Echinacea and Lavender not only provide a spectrum of colors but also tend to spread their seeds, creating a self-sustaining display. While this can be a delightful surprise, it’s also a heads-up to plant them where you don’t mind a bit of spontaneous floral takeover.
Planters Are Great For Full Season Perennial Plants
For those with limited space or who prefer a more controlled garden environment, container planting is a brilliant option. Many perennials adapt well to pots, allowing you to enjoy their beauty on patios, balconies, or as accent pieces within your garden. Lavender, for instance, thrives in containers, bringing its calming scent and charming purple blooms right to your doorstep.
Colors Are Incredible in These Perennial Plants
The varieties we’ve mentioned above will provide colors that are nothing short of stunning. From Echinacea’s fiery oranges and passionate pinks to Lavender’s serene purples and the sunny yellows of Rudbeckia, these plants provide a rich tapestry of hues that can transform any garden into a vibrant palette.
Hot Tip Bonus: Looking for blooms to brighten your home as well as your garden? Perennials like Peonies and Lavender are fantastic as cut flowers. Imagine vases filled with the soft pinks and whites of Peonies or the soothing purples of Lavender, bringing a piece of your garden’s splendor into your living space.
5. Wildlife Wonderland And Your Perrenial Florals π¨βπΎβοΈπ³
Perennials are a magnet for a variety of wildlife. When I first discovered the rich beauty of perennials I was so unaware of how much life they would add to our garden beds. Now years later, I plant perennial plants to enjoy them and I hope you will too!
Here’s who you might attract:
- Hummingbirds: Flocking to tubular flowers like Salvia.
- Bees: Buzzing around Lavender and Coneflowers.
- Dragonflies: Drawn to water-loving perennials.
- Butterflies: Adoring Milkweed and Butterfly Bush.
I plant different Perennials to attract the wildlife, I love sitting on the patio or working in the yard and seeing the bees buzzing and the hummingbirds visiting! It’s so rewarding and nature is beautiful. I also add little toad homes (terracotta pots) because our garden beds are loaded with them!
6. Variety is the Spice of Life π¨βπΎβοΈπ³
From groundcovers like Sedum to towering Delphiniums, perennials come in all shapes and sizes. This diversity allows you to design a garden with depth, texture, and a rainbow of colors, catering to every aesthetic whim. There is no one size fits all in life, so this theme carries through to perennials and gardening!
7. Deer-Resistant Perennial Flowers (But Not Deer-Proof)
While the plants might state that they are deer resistant some deer are resistant to nothing –we know this first hand, we have a nonstop battle in our yard — do share tips to make deer stay away and bunnies, Cinnamon, and marigolds between the perennials for instance
While perennials like Russian Sage and Yarrow are less appealing to deer, remember, that deer can be unpredictable. Deer-resistant perennial flowers may resist deer for a while but then suddenly, they will get eaten.
We know this firsthand as we battle deer who live behind our home in the sheltered preserve. While we love living with this behind us, what we don’t love are the deer issues.
Our deer are pretty bold too. To the point that the deer when approached are not even afraid of humans they will pretty much have a standoff with you (they win!). We’ve also seen our neighbors walking their dogs, literally, see the deer on the trails and high-tail it backward to avoid contact as the deer here are brazen, as though they own the territory.
Deer Deterrent And Perennial Plants
So, to deter these and other critters, try interplanting with Marigolds. They’re not just pretty; they’re practical too! That has helped me a lot with our deer issues.
But we’ve also used this deer repellant spray religiously and it has far exceeded our wishes, so I am doing you a solid and sharing it so you can get it too. I do recommend buying the solution and mixing it in your own sprayer if you want to save a little bit of money as it is far from inexpensive. However, if you weigh out your time spent gardening and investing in shrubs, trees, and plants, the cost is nothing!
This spray is the best we have ever used to repel deer. As long it doesn’t rain the protection is good for a few weeks. We do respray at intervals to keep the deer away!
8. Evergreen Perennials for Year-Round Greenery
Not all perennials are about blooms. Evergreen varieties like Hellebores offer lush foliage throughout the year, ensuring your garden never looks bare, even in the bleakest winters.
Some evergreen perennials that promise year-round greenery:
- Bergenia: Known for its large, glossy leaves that turn a beautiful bronze in winter.
- Dianthus: Offers not only evergreen foliage but also delightful, fragrant flowers.
- Ajuga (Bugleweed): A ground-hugging perennial that forms a dense, colorful carpet, even in winter.
- Heuchera (Coral Bells): With its varied and vibrant leaf colors, it’s a feast for the eyes all year.
9. The Perennial Takeover Of Some Varieties
If you want some quick tips about what to do with perennials you propagate, refer back to our cost-effective gardening tip in #2.
However, be aware of these very aggressive perennials that can sometimes take over more than you might want. I have first-hand experience with many of these and lamb’s ear even will grow into your lawn because it is just such a spreader (eye roll)
- Daylilies: Beautiful but can spread quickly and dominate garden spaces.
- Sedum: Easy to grow and often prolific, sedum can sprawl beyond its intended area.
- Hosta: While beloved for their foliage, they can become quite expansive.
- Lamb’s Ear: Known for its soft, fuzzy leaves, this plant can also spread enthusiastically.
10. Shade vs. Sun – Perennial Plants for All Areas of Your Home
Instead of focusing solely on perennials as cut flowers, let’s explore shade-loving, rocky ground-tolerant, and full-sun perennials that can thrive in different areas of your garden. This is how I set my gardens up just so you know.
Shade Perennials, Rocky Ground Perennials, and Full Sun Perennials
This list hardly scratches the surface of the different options but just to get you started I wanted to provide a few of each! No matter the terrain there are perennial plants you can find and grow!
Shade Perennials
- Astilbe: With its feathery plumes and fern-like foliage, it’s perfect for shady spots.
- Ferns: Various types excel in shade, adding texture and greenery.
- Foxglove: Adds height and color to shaded areas with its tall, bell-shaped flowers.
Rocky Ground Perennials:
- Saxifraga (Rockfoil): Thrives in rocky, mountainous areas and offers charming flowers.
- Thyme: Hardy and fragrant, thyme can handle rocky soils and still flourish.
- Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks): Ideal for rocky terrains, with its rosette-shaped leaves.
Full Sun Perennials
- Echinacea (Coneflower): Sun-loving and resilient, perfect for bright garden spots.
- Lavender: Thrives in full sun, bringing fragrance and beauty.
- Sedum (Stonecrop): A sun-lover that comes in many varieties, ideal for hot, sunny spots.
Perennial Plants: A Timeless Choice for Every Gardener
In the grand tapestry of gardening, perennial flowers stand out as the vibrant threads that weave year after year of beauty, resilience, and variety into our outdoor spaces.
From the sun-loving Lavender to the shade-embracing Hostas, from the towering Delphiniums to the low-growing Sedums, perennials offer something for every corner of your garden β and for every gardener’s soul.
Β Whether you are dressing up your garden for the first time or looking to add enduring splendor to your existing floral collection, perennial flowers are a choice you’ll cherish season after season.
Step into your garden, turn that ground over and plant some perennial plants. Β Whether you’re splitting and sharing, strategizing sun vs. shade, or choosing colors that speak to your heart, remember that each perennial you plant is a story waiting to blossom.
So, what’s your next perennial story going to be?Β
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.Β β
Happy gardening, and may your gardens be ever perennial! ~Dana XO
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