Perennials are cherished for their ability to return year after year, delivering high returns on the initial investment. Adding a perennial flower garden to your yard can be a beautiful, low-maintenance way to add height, color and texture, or to provide beneficial pollinator magnets for other plants in your garden. Besides using them to fill a flower or island bed, they also can be divided, shared and replanted in additional areas.
With a multitude of perennials available, however, choosing a composition of varieties to start a basic perennial flower garden takes a bit of planning, with a few considerations to keep in mind:
Location. First, consider where you want to locate your perennial flower garden. The possibilities range from raised beds to garden islands, to a back corner of the yard, to borders along a fence, sidewalk or walkway. Once you select a spot, determine the growing conditions in that area and what effect that could have on the perennials you choose. You’ll want to select plants that will thrive in that area, so think about the type of sunlight or shade the area will receive. Some perennial flowers love full sun, while others do better in shady areas. Soil type is also important, since various perennials thrive in different types of soil. You may want to test your soil and amend it as necessary. Also consider the temperature extremes that the perennials could face in that area, both in the heat of summer and during the depths of winter. Some options may not fare well against one or both extremes. You’ll definitely want to consult the plant label or garden catalog details when shopping, as well as the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map when considering possible additions.
Garden Design. Think about the structure, color and texture you’d like your perennial garden to offer, and how that may change throughout the season and during the year depending on the plants you choose. You may want to include specific colors and types of blooms in your garden, and you may also want to select perennials that will bloom at different times during the season. Blooming periods for flowering perennials can range from days to weeks to months, and this can be sequenced to create a beautiful dynamic to the garden or yard. Think about adding some plants that offer interesting foliage to bring color and texture to the garden, alongside more showy flowering selections. Think about plant heights when choosing and arranging perennials, too. Arrange taller plants in the back so they won’t throw shade on shorter plants.
Space Considerations. When you initially create your perennial garden, you’ll want to consider the plants’ growing needs over time. Perennials can take a few years to become established, and may grow more slowly during the first year. But once their root systems have become established, you’ll notice plant growth begin to accelerate. Over a few years’ time, the plants could expand to cover multiple feet. At this point, if they’ve been planted too closely, the roots will begin to fight for space and the foliage may harbor moisture or make conditions ripe for pests or disease. You’ll want to consult plant labels to get a sense of growth characteristics and think about the plants’ full sizes in relation to others or nearby structures or paths. For example, you might want to use the plants to border a walkway or path or to add layers of dimension next to other perennials. Another factor to keep in mind is that some plants may be considered invasive in certain regions and could grow to the point of overtaking others. If this is the case, you’ll want to avoid these selections or use them in containers where they can’t spread.
Review Your Plan. After you’ve come up with a tentative plan for your perennial garden, it’s not a bad idea to go back through the list of considerations above to be sure that the growing conditions and allowances are aligned with your choices and your desired outcome. You’ll also want to consider the maintenance and upkeep requirements for your perennial garden. Some plants will need to be pruned or deadheaded at various times, and those that have expanded over time may need to be divided and shared. If it turns out that some selections won’t be ideal for your plan, don’t sweat it. Growing a perennial garden can be a trial-and-error process, even for the pros, so remember to have fun with this ever-evolving garden project.
