Sun-Loving Perennials for Your Garden
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by Flora Mae
erennials are popular because they can bloom again season after season. However, they are not completely maintenance free. To grow successfully, perennials need to be divided regularly, cut back, fertilized, and pruned. With the proper care, they can be a beautiful addition to any yard or garden. Ready to give perennials a try? Here are a few favorites.
Lantana
Known for its clusters of small, bright flowers that can bloom in yellow, orange, white, red or purple, lantana is a very popular Texas plant. While it has vine-like characteristics, it is classified as a shrub. Lantana is a fragrant plant; however, its fragrance is not for everyone. It attracts butterflies and pollinators, can grow to 6 feet high and wide, and is relatively low maintenance. It can also be toxic to kids and pets, so plant with care.
Salvia Greggii
This evergreen shrub is also known as “autumn sage,” and is a popular choice for lawns and gardens in the southwest. The foliage is lightly aromatic, and it remains a soft, medium green yearround. Salvia greggii is resistant to drought, heat, insects, and diseases. The fragrant flowers are known to attract hummingbirds, and they are available in a full rainbow of colors.
Blackfoot Daisy
These mounded perennials have large, flat white petals and lemon-
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yellow centers; you can almost see them smiling up at you. Blackfoot daisies are prized for their classic appearance and honey-scented blossoms. Their growth pattern is low and bushy, making them a perfect filler for small spaces that need a touch of light and color.
Yarrow
Yarrow has clusters of small flowers that come in a variety of colors. It is an herbaceous, flowering perennial found in flower and herb gardens, having herbal and medicinal uses. Yarrow will bloom from early summer to early fall and is popular as a cut flower, lasting for weeks in a vase. It is easy to care for, needing full sun and growing in a variety of soils. Yarrow can be divided every two to three years.
Bee Balm
Like its name suggests, bee balm attracts bees, as well as other pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies. It is a perennial in the mint family that grows to be about 30-36 inches tall and blooms with red to wine-colored flowers from June to August. To keep it healthy, fertilize bee balm in its growing season, and divide it every two to three years in the early spring. Be sure to plant it immediately. It thrives in full sun with an even amount of moisture. Water every few days.
Texas Gold Columbine
Unlike the majority of its columbine relatives, this bright yellow perennial is wonderfully heat tolerant. The Texas gold columbine boasts a bluish green foliage with large, cup-like blossoms. The flowers will really stand out as an eye-
catcher in your landscape, due to the long, graceful spikes that extend from the main petals.
Black-Eyed Susan
An easy-to-grow, classic perennial is the black-eyed Susan. It produces daisy-like yellow blooms summer through fall, growing up to 2 feet high and wide. It tolerates heat and dry conditions. Spent blooms should be deadheaded (trimmed off) every two weeks to prolong the blooming season. Divide in the spring as needed. Once established, it only needs water once or twice a week.
Texas Rock Rose
A popular accent plant, Texas rock rose has small, pink hibiscus-shaped flowers. It grows 1.5 to 4 feet tall. It is drought tolerant and not picky about soil type. This perennial rose bush blooms spring through fall. A layer of mulch should be added to protect it through the winter and it can be pruned to keep it more compact in size.
Fall Aster
As its name suggests, fall aster blooms in the fall, from late September to the first frost. It has medium violet-blue flowers, prefers sunny locations, and is drought tolerant. It grows in a mound shape of about 2-3 feet wide and 1-2 feet tall. Fall aster is appreciated for being disease- and pest-resistant. It is easy to divide and should be thinned regularly to control the spread. With some planning and care, you can create a perennial garden that will enhance the beauty of your home for years to come. •
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