Perennial Flowers

With varieties available for spring, summer and fall bloom, you can have continuous bloom throughout the growing season with just a little planning. And by adding perennials with attractive foliage, continuous flowering may not be needed.

By combining selections from each bloom time with foliage plants, you can have a beautiful all-season garden.

Depending on your region, you should purchase your plants for transplanting in early spring or fall. Plant them as soon as possible after purchase. Local garden centers will carry what grows well in your region.

If you are catalog or on-line shopping, check your region for plants that are appropriate to your growing conditions.

Water newly planted perennials well and continue to water daily until the plants acclimate to their new environment.

If you are planting several varieties of different plants, don't plant in singles. It's better to have groups of the same plant, adding one large focal plant to the bed.

Otherwise, each individual plant gets lost in the mix of sizes, colors and shapes.

If you purchase six-packs at the garden center, plant them in a cluster among other clusters of different plants.

Designing for Perennial Flowers

Design your perennial beds with plants that have the same requirements for sun, shade, water and soil.

There are perennials that tolerate semi-shade or require full sun, prefer sandy or clay soil, and are drought tolerant or water hungry.

Choose plants in a color range or by fragrance. Many perennials are striking for their foliage alone.

By planning before shopping, you'll have a better understanding of what works where in each area of your site.

Add black-eyed Susan, asters and clematis for full sun. For partial shade, consider bee balm, primrose and bleeding heart.

Add lily-of-the valley to fill areas under trees, as the roots are shallow.

For fragrance, carnations are a popular option, and are available in numerous colors and shapes. For fragrance, English wallflower offers colors from creamy white through yellow, oranges and reds. Phlox and peonies are highly scented garden favorites.

Areas that remain moist are better suited for bee balm, sweet woodruff and primrose.

And for drought tolerant perennials, there are many plants to choose from. Include sage, yarrow, coneflower varieties, globe thistle and artemisia.

If you plan to cut your flowers for arrangements, add baby's breath to the list of drought-tolerant plants to round out fresh and dried bouquets.

When planning the placement of perennial flowers, consider the view. If you're flower bed is a border against a fence or wall, plant taller plants against this surface, and gradually decrease the mature height until you reach the front of the bed.

Plants like delphinium, coneflowers and hollyhocks can grow to several feet in height. Place these in the back of the bed. Then add medium height plants and then short and finally groundcover plants to complete the bed.

If, however, you have a flower bed that is freeform in the middle of the yard, the taller plants should be toward the center.

If these tall plants are subject to wind, you may need to add support stakes or a trellis. Then work around the circle outward with medium, then short plants, and your groundcover.

If your landscape is composed of several beds, tie them together by adding some varieties from each bed to other beds.

This will give you a cohesive appearance that is easy for the eye to follow. Similar groundcovers also work to tie beds together.

If you are planning for a fragrant bed of perennial flowers, be sure to check the scents of all flowers together before planting. It can be overwhelming to have too many fragrances in one bed.

A better plan may be to separate your more fragrant selections into different beds, with each bed then having its own fragrance.

By selecting perennial flowers that work well in your site and planning the placement based on size, bloom time, color and fragrance, you can have an all-season garden of beauty.

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