For those who have a passion for gardening, it is very easy to appreciate the beauty of perennial plants due to their ability to enhance the beauty of a garden without the need of replanting and taking care of other annual plants every year.
The beauty of perennial plants is loved by many home owners, however, many do not consider the added advantages of these plants. These can be improvements in the structure of the soil, the costs, and the year-round interest. This is why adding perennials to your landscape is a great idea.
What Are Perennials?
Unlike annual plants which die after completing their life cycle in one year, perennial plants which take more than two years to die do not. The sheer fact that these plants can grow and flower every season makes them very appealing to home owners who wish to implement landscaping features that are meant to last. Perennials grow every spring and die back in winter only to be rejuvenated the next season from the root system. While some perennials only flower for a couple of weeks, there are those which provide interest throughout the entire growing season.
Why Homeowners Love Perennials (‘Landscaping Pros’)
People think landscaping involves open spaces filled with lush greenery and colorful flowers. Although the above images do include perennials, most homeowners do not consider the additional benefits perennials offer.
Least Amount of Work
Perennials do not require the same amount of effort as annuals, which need to be replanted every growing season, and that is one of the most appealing factors. With perennials, the flowers return every year and replanted ones decrease time, energy, and money. After being established, most perennials take little effort, and endure dry periods and pests.
Enhanced Soil
Perennials are unique in the sense that their roots help achieve improved soil structure with time. With growing plants and expanding roots, perennials form spaces in soil to filter water and circulate air. This ultimately improves soil health, not only helping the perennial themselves, but also the surrounding plants.
Avoiding Soil Erosion
Because of their deep root systems, perennials are more able to anchor soil and prevent erosion, which is one of the advantages of their deep roots in places subject to earth movement and heavy rains. Soil erosion is one of the most common erosion problems everywhere, and perennials are able to plant a natural wall and landscape integrity.
Budget-Friendly Landscaping
As it is more rewarding to spend more money on new annuals every season, the true cost of perennials compared to annuals is a much better deal in the long run. Why spend money every single year on annual flowers that don’t last compared to a couple of perennials and still enjoy their beauty that will last season after season? Not to mention perennials are incredibly generous in that they will eventually give you enough to grow more that you could simply divide and grow elsewhere in your garden.
Boost Biodiversity
By planting certain perennials such as lavender, you can help attract delightful pollinators like bees, butterflies and even hummingbirds into your garden space as they will frequent those blossoms and fetch the nectar. Why put lavender and coneflowers to waste when you can help a garden bloom and help nourish the precious pollinators during that season? Whenever you grow such plants, you encourage pollinators which can help nourish the ecosystem and the garden.
Interest All Year
Perennial interest will last even longer than annuals. Many perennials bloom and provide interest through all the seasons of the year. Some bloom and provide color and interest in spring, others in summer, and even provide color and texture through the winter months. With their different foliage and changing flowers, your garden will always look appealing and pleasant.
Perennials For Home Gardens
Perennials thrive under the specific conditions of your soil and climate, and will last longer than other flowers in bloom. Consider these perennials for your garden:
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Home gardeners have always loved black-eyed Susans. Black-eyed Susans grow easily and thrive even under drought and harsh conditions. Black-eyed Susans bloom from June to September, and are wonderfully adorned in stunning yellow-orange petals with dark brown centers. Flower beds are elevated with their wonderful black-eyed form and help with large borders of wildflower gardens. Black-eyed Susans are drought tolerant and tough in any conditions, their three foot height makes them a perfect feature.
Daylilies (Hemerocallis)
Their large flowers, which come in bold colors such as yellow, orange, red, and purple, make daylilies attractive and loved. These flowers adapt to different types of soils and, in the right conditions, can reach a maximum height of 4 feet. These flowers can be grown as individual focal spots or along borders or fences.
Coneflower (Echinacea)
Coneflowers are known for their beauty and ruggedness among gardeners. With purple petals surrounding a distinct center cone, these flowers bloom in the shape of a daisy. Flowers of this type are easy to grow, as well as attractive to pollinators. Coneflowers bloom all summer and retain some of their charm long after most plants have stopped blooming.
Hostas
To liven up the shade portions of the garden, hostas are ideal as their bright, green leaves stand out. Though their flowers are unremarkable, the varying colors and shapes of their leaves make hostas a popular landscaping option. They work well to give borders or fill in shady areas, especially when other plants will not thrive.
Daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare)
Daisies are a traditional selection for gardeners passionate about flowers that are charming yet uncomplicated. With blossoms that have brilliant sun centers along with white petals, these flowers love hot, dry climates and well-drained soil. Daisies reach a height of about three feet and go along with other plants well, but may need to be split from time to time to avoid being overcrowded.
Conclusion
Most people would agree that the presence of active hummingbirds and butterflies is reason enough to plant perennial flowers in a garden. Pollinator-attracting perennial flowers are also the basis for a sound garden design. Perennial garden plants, such as black-eyed Susans, daylilies, and coneflowers, provide easy ways to add color, softness, and texture to any garden or landscape design.
Since most of these garden plants are drought tolerant and low-maintenance, they create a low-cost, high-value perennial landscape. Most importantly, they bloom at different times to provide a long season of color and to attract pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Site preparation is the most important aspect of installing the garden. Select an appropriate spot that receives adequate sun and good drainage.
The plants are easy to find and are available at good prices through a reliable source like TN Nursery. Start to create a versatile perennial landscape that supplies flowers as well as pollinator food and habitat.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Perennials
What are the benefits of perennials?
Perennials have a good number of benefits when it comes to the garden. They are, for the most part, carefree because they come back every spring, saving you from the trouble and extra expense of annuals. Also, with their strong roots, they enhance the soil structure and health while preventing soil erosion and gaining the lost nutrients. Perpetuals, moreover, draw in birds and bees, attract pollinators, and add beauty to the landscape. Their presence in the garden also offers constant interest to watch while.
What is the rule of 3 in landscaping?
The 3’s in landscaping means arranging a plant cluster in a triad configuration. Placing a plant in triad sets increases the balance while keeping the design visually appealing. This also reduces the dullness created by a mono plant usage or an overabundance of various plants creating a more pleasant and natural look. The rule of 3's increases the beauty of a garden or flower beds by surrounding them with shrubs and tree.
What might be the advantage of a plant being a perennial?
The most obvious advantage of being a perennial plant, and the most advantageous to landscaping, is that they return each season and live for multiple years without ever being replanted. Perennial plants are also more economical, require little maintenance, and are a long-term answer for plants. Their root structures also enhance soil structure and health by preventing erosion and improving the surrounding plant life. Numerous perennials bloom at different times of the season, producing an extended flowering period, and provide added interest with foliage.
What is the 3-year rule for perennials?
The 3-year rule is when you start with a perennial and don’t clear or sapling for a minimum of three years and then only do so after the plant has developed a solid and intensive root system, and the plant is at the peak of its growth. Dividing perennials before the required amount of time has passed can sicken the plant and diminish its chances of survival. After the three-year window, the perennial can be divided for planting and to revitalise its condition.
What do perennials attract?
The most well known, and the most numerous, of which are numerous, and are incredibly numerous, and of which are incredibly numerous. Many perennials make flowers that are rich in nectar and serve as the primary phase for growth. When you place perennials in the surrounding sceneries, you form a beautiful picture and also help the new gardeners by attracting the necessary pollinators to help their surrounding.
What are the cons of perennials?
While there are a lot of advantages to perennial plants, there are also certain downsides to these plants. Some of these disadvantages are, the plant coming to its fully formed stage only after a few seasons and their flowers do not last as long as the flowers from annual plants. Further, some of these plants can also be classified as invasive plants if not kept in proper check by all other plants in the surrounding areas. Along with these, perennials do tend to infrequently require hovering and thinning in order to keep the growth of the plant healthy.
