| Perennial plants are a great way to start your flower | | | | valuable methods of resourcing when planting |
| gardens, they give you the framework begin creating | | | | perennials. Both will provide you with photographs for |
| your personal garden. Unlike annual plants, that need | | | | identification, cultural information and can be very |
| to be replanted each spring, herbaceous perennials | | | | descriptive of growth habits, bloom time, color along |
| die off at the end of the season and regrow from | | | | with characteristics of special cultivars. |
| the same roots the following year. | | | | Traditionally, perennial gardens have been laid out in |
| Most home gardeners like to grow perennial flowers | | | | one of three ways: a border, an island bed and a |
| because they are such easy-care and very | | | | natural garden among wooded areas. A border |
| dependable performers, along with offering an | | | | garden is typically a long, rectangular flower bed that |
| enormous variety of colors,forms and textures. To | | | | is about two to four feet deep and can be any |
| begin your own personal flower garden,here are the | | | | length you desire, a few feet long to a couple |
| basics of care, design and selection. | | | | hundred feet and normally viewed from one side |
| With perennial plants, there culture, lifespan, blooming | | | | along with having a natural background setting. A |
| time and form vary greatly. Some of the species, like | | | | background is usually created with a fence, shrubs or |
| lupines and delphinium, are called a short-lived | | | | stone walls and the front edge of the garden is well |
| perennial. They have a lifespan of only three or four | | | | defined with a border. To start it is best to keep it |
| years.Other perennials can live as long as fifteen | | | | to a size that is easily manageable, like 3 feet wide |
| years, or even a lifetime, like peonies. Some have a | | | | and 10 to 15 feet long. |
| bloom time that will only last for two weeks each | | | | Island beds are gardens that are a stand alone |
| year and others will extend over a two or three | | | | garden. It usually has an irregular shape, no sharp |
| month time period. | | | | corners, with gentle curves and designed to be |
| Soil conditions is another factor when creating a | | | | viewed from all sides. When layout is done for this |
| perennial garden. Perennials like primroses, like a deep | | | | type of garden, the taller plants are planted along the |
| humus soil along with plenty of shade and other | | | | center and working to the outside edges with the |
| plants like threadleaf coreopsis and cushion spurge will | | | | shortest plants being around the edge. Rock gardens |
| wilt away if not grown in well-drained soil and full sun. | | | | are one type of garden that can be designed as an |
| Other perennials contain themselves in a neat mound | | | | island garden. |
| and others like the gooseneck loosestrife will take | | | | Natural gardens are ones that are created into the |
| over your entire garden. Some species need to be | | | | existing landscape. These can also be shade gardens |
| cut back mid season and others, like hybrid lilies, can | | | | that are planted in wooded areas. They also are |
| die if you remove their foliage. | | | | often irregular shaped to fit into the natural |
| There are just about an unlimited amount of | | | | environment. These natural gardens are often |
| different species and cultivars of perennial flowers to | | | | created with pathways that lead you through the |
| choose from that a very few people ever become | | | | garden area. |
| completely familiar with all the options. Research is | | | | Perennial gardens are easy to create and along with |
| very important in choosing the proper plants to grow | | | | being enjoyable, they can be very rewarding. |
| in your area. Books and online sources are a very | | | | |