Perennials, unlike annuals, return to your garden every year with proper care. They bloom, die back, become dormant, then bloom again the following growth season. There’s a large variety of hardy perennials that will provide gorgeous blooms for your garden year after year.
Perennials typically live for more than three seasons. Varieties come in seeds and bulbs. Seeds can be planted at various times, but bulbs should be planted in the fall for spring blooms. Perennials don’t bloom as long as annuals, but can be planted at different times of the year. Planting your garden with perennials that bloom at different times will guarantee a colorful, lavish garden from spring to fall.
Popular Garden Perennials
Perennials come in flowering plants, border plants and ground covers. When choosing hardy perennials for your yard or garden, consider your climate zone and select plants recommended for your location.
- Flowering plants – bird of paradise, blanket flower; black-eyed Susan; chrysanthemum; coneflower; daffodil, daylily; geranium; gerbera daisy; hibiscus; periwinkle; poppy; sunflower; verbena and violet.
- Border plants – agave; basket-of-gold; blue oat grass; candy tuft; cinnamon fern; feather grass; fennel; fountain grass; lavender; lemon grass; Northern sea oats; pampas grass; Russian sage and thrift.
- Ground covers – baby’s breath; bluebells; diascia; forget-me-knot; hens and chicks; licorice plant; rock cress; snow-in-summer and wallflower.
Transplanting in the Fall
Most hardy perennials can be moved easily, but they should be moved in the fall when the weather is cool. If you can choose a time when it’s damp and a little rainy, that’s even better. Plants don’t use as much water in cool weather, so you are less likely to damage the root system. It’s not a good idea to transplant a perennial while it is still blooming. If you have plants that are late fall bloomers, wait and move them in the spring. Tips for successful fall transplanting:
- Cut back the tops of plants
- Add 3 – 4 inches of mulch around plants to hold in moisture and warm the soil
- Transplant 3 – 4 weeks before frost
- Allow time for roots to establish in new location
- Wait until spring to fertilize transplants
Digging Up Your Perennials
Whenever you dig up a plant it suffers some root loss, so exercise caution. If root systems are damaged, plants have a hard time absorbing water and nutrients. When hot summer weather returns, even hardy perennials can struggle to cool down and die.
Thank you for sharing this info. It’s greatly appreciated. NEVA
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