Perennial Appeal
b y M i s t y J o h n s , V P, C o a s t a l G r e e n e r y, I n c .
I
f given the choice between annual and
An August Moon Hosta will flower in summer
perennials can cause them to flop over and
perennial plant material for my landscape,
or fall and will go dormant after the first frost.
become too leggy. Deadheading perennials
I would choose perennial plant material
The plant will not lose its leaves, but will flatten
doesn’t take long and isn’t needed daily during
all day, every day! This isn’t to say that I
out and get mushy. It needs to be cut back and
the blooming season. Deadheading will add
wouldn’t have some annuals here and there,
will regrow the following spring to bloom in
a few days and sometimes weeks of blooms
but 95% of the plants in my design would be
the spring or fall, and so on. Irises, one of the
to your flowering perennials. For example,
perennials. Annuals live for only one season
easiest perennials to grow, will bloom early
Daylilies don’t require deadheading to bloom
whereas a perennial will return and bloom
in the spring. Some that are repeat-blooming
but removing the spent blooms will make your
for many years. Perennials save you time and
include the Miniature Dwarf Bearded Iris and
plant look clean and neat. Once established,
money and, when well grouped, perennials can
the Siberian Iris. Repeat-blooming means
Daylilies need minimal care to grow and
provide color in your landscape all year round.
that they will bloom more than once in a year
produce large, colorful flowers in midsummer
from the same bloom stalk. Combining several
and every summer thereafter. This low
different types of Irises in an area will ensure
maintenance plant will also bloom and spread
a little basic knowledge can help. Perennials
there are flowers blooming there from early
in drought conditions, because they have an
are plants that flower once a year in a
spring to mid-summer. Good companion
underground root system that allows them
particular season: spring, summer, or fall. They
perennials to plant alongside your Irises are the
to multiply. It is a good idea to divide the plant
go dormant in winter, but the root system
Daylilies, Peonies, Salvia, and Delphinium. An
material at the end of the growing season when
continues to thrive underground so the plant
extra bonus provided by perennials is that they
the area becomes overcrowded.
will grow back the following year. Perennial
protect soil against wind and water erosion.
Understanding perennials can be confusing
plants grow fast, and it is said that when they
Daylilies come in many varieties. Some early
grow back, they will be bigger. Most perennials
Any landscape options that require less time
season bloomers include Bright Sunset, Happy
are flowering plants, but there are also “woody
and money are a “Win-Win” in my book and
Returns (reblooming plant) and Ruby Spider.
perennials” that include trees and shrubs
that’s exactly what perennials are. A perennial
Mid-season bloomers include All American
that do not go into dormancy in the winter.
may cost more upon initial purchase than an
Chief (reblooming plant), Country Melody
Perennials put energy into developing a strong
annual, but because a perennial will live and
and Charles Johnston (reblooming plant).
root system instead of growing a lot of flowers.
bloom 2+ years you don’t have to keep buying
Some late season bloomers are Autumn
That’s not to say perennials won’t produce beautiful blooms, but simply that their main goal is to grow a strong root system so they can return year after year.
new plant material for this area every season. Perennials also require less work to maintain, because most perennials don’t need fertilizer if planted in fertile soil. According to some master gardeners, over-fertilizing
Pride, Pink Playmate (reblooming plant) and Sammy Russell. By combining several different varieties with different blooming seasons in an area, you’ll have flowers from late spring to the beginning of fall. Good companion plants are the African Lily (Agapanthus), Salvia, and Yarrow. All of these perennials have the added bonus of attracting pollinators from bees and butterflies to hummingbirds and being very environmentally friendly. Who wouldn’t love a yard or garden where different perennials bloom throughout the seasons? If you make wise choices with the placement of the perennials and know when they will bloom, you can have a colorful landscape year round. Hydrangea shrubs will bloom from spring to the fall, Trumpet Vines show off their colors in the late spring through
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ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING
