What is a perennial? A perennial plant is hardy (lives over the winter in most areas of the country). Most take two years until they are old enough to bloom.

Plants may live for several, or many, years. Perennial vegetables such as asparagus and rhubarb may take several years until they are old enough to harvest.

How to use perennials in your garden.

Plant in clumps of at least 3 plants together. Repeat elsewhere in the garden (provides more blooms and pleasing repetition of shape and color). Allow space for plants to grow (if too crowded, can’t bloom well)

Can I plant anything else with my perennials?

YES! Combine with spring-flowering bulbs, summer flowering bulbs, annual plants. Plan for flowers which bloom at different times, from spring to fall.

Plant combinations to try:

Daylilies and Peonies with Daffodils, Dahlias and Marigolds, Calendula and Nasturtiums

Hosta and Bleeding Heart with Tuberous Begonias and Impatiens, Coleus and Pansy

Echinacea and Liatris with Lilies and Vinca, Scabiosa and Cornflowers

Poppies and Daylilies with Tulips, Lilies and Ageratum, Lavatera and Larkspur

Rudbeckia and Hollyhocks with Cannas, Gladiolus and Zinnias, Verbena and Snapdragons.

Use your imagination -- Anything goes!

How To Grow Perennials

Plan Your Garden Sketch the area on graph paper. Put similar plants together in clumps of at least 3. Allow space (one to one-half times plant height.

Evaluate and Prepare Soil Select an area that's well-drained (no puddles after rain). Improve soil by adding plenty of organic material before establishing your garden, and do so every year thereafter. Loosen soil by tilling or digging to a depth of 6-12 inches. Turn over well, forking in the organic material. If a soil test indicates, spread a balanced fertilizer over the area, and work in. Smooth the soil surface and mark the locations for planting. If starting a new garden in spring, wait until your soil has passed the "clump" test. A palm-full of soil should stick together when squeezed, then break apart into medium-sized particles. At this point, it’s safe to work soil.

Planting Dig a large hole for each plant. Set dormant perennial plants at the level indicated on the plant label. If it says "1 inch deep", that means the crown of plants (top or growing point) should be 1" below the soil surface. Roots should be placed deeper, pointing downward or sideways. Other plants should be set in ground at the same level they were in pot. Mulch around each plant (a 2-3 inch layer).

Watering Water each plant well during and right after planting. Each plant should be given about a gallon of water, slowly, so it can soak in around the roots.

Possible Pest and Disease Problems

Prevention Pull weeds when they’re small. Pick off any dead or sick-looking leaves or flowers from plant or ground around plant. Don’t add diseased or insect-infested stems to your compost (they may live over winter). Look for insects, and hand-pick them. A hard spray from the hose will help wash off many pests. Beneficial insects (ladybugs) and birds can help eat insect pests.

Common Insects

Aphids Small, soft-bodied, translucent insects, color green, red, brown or black, which suck plant juices. Found on shoots, under leaves and on flower buds. Can stunt or deform leaves or flowers. Sticky residue ("honeydew") usually present, which attracts ants. Control: ladybugs, strong spray from hose, insecticidal soap; or contact spray.

Beetles Adults chew leaves, flowers and stems; larvae (grubs) chew roots. Control: Pick beetles off and knock into a can of kerosene and water, or spray with appropriate chemical.

Caterpillars Larvae of moths and butterflies feed on leaves, buds and flowers, mostly in spring. Buds are chewed, leaves may be rolled up around the worm. Control: Remove affected buds and leaves; or use contact spray.

Mites Tiny colonies of red or brown spiders in webs under leaves; suck plant juices and cause leaves to turn stippled, grayish, then fall. Control: Clean up plant debris around plants in spring. Can spray with insecticidal soap or miticide.

Thrips Tiny brown-yellow winged insets cause flecked or silver-white stippling, streak on leaves and flowers. Control: Cut off and dispose of faded flowers. Can spray with appropriate chemical.

Whiteflies Scale-like, flat, oval pale green or brown in nymph stage, white winged adults which fly up in a cloud the plant is disturbed. Mottled leaves, turn yellow and die. Control: Difficult. Spray with appropriate chemical.

Common Diseases

Botrytis Blight (Gray Mold) Grayish-brown fuzzy mold found on weak foliage or stems and on flowers which are fading. Control: Pick off affected parts, dispose of but don’t compost; or spray with fungicide.

Fungus (Powdery Mildew) White, powdery patches on leaves, shoots, buds; stunted foliage or distorted shoots. Spread by wind, splashing water, plant debris. Control: Remove affected plant parts, dispose. Can spray with fungicide.

Fungus Diseases (Rust) Yellow dots on tops, rusty patches underneath leaves. Spread by wind, splashing water, plant debris from previous season. Control: Remove affected plant parts, dispose. Can spray with fungicide.

Virus Diseases (Mosaic, Aster Yellows) Mottled or mosaic patterns on leaves; stunted or distorted growth. Control: Spread by aphids or leafhoppers. Remove and dispose of affected plants. No real cure.

Perennial Plant Care

Divide Perennial plants grow larger each year, by spreading outwards and making a larger clump, competing for space and nutrients. The inner part of the plant tends to die out. Divide clumps after your 3 or 4 years.

Late Fall Clean Up Remove dead leaves from around plants. When they have died back, trim off to about 3" above ground. When soil freezes solid, mulch to prevent frost heaving which can damage plant roots.

About Bearded Iris This long-lived perennial is also called German Iris or Flags. Grow in full sun. Plant at soil level, about 24 in. apart. Usually blooms first year after planting. Plants bloom in late spring. Fine cut flower -- sweetly fragrant though short-lived. Use balanced fertilizer after bloom. Sword-like foliage is attractive spring and fall. Clumps get bigger each year. Easy to grow, divide clumps every three or four years and replant. Sometimes may show silvered, streaky foliage (could be infested with thrips).

About Oriental Poppies A long-lived perennial. Grow in full sun. Plant 5 in. deep, about 18 in. apart. Once planted, leave undisturbed. May not bloom for several years after planting. Hairy, toothed leaves appear in late fall, live over into spring. Plants bloom in late spring. Use balanced fertilizer after bloom. Foliage dies down and nothing is seen until foliage begins to grow again in late fall. Clumps get bigger each year. Fine cut flower; singe the cut ends with a flame for longest-lasting flowers. No particular growing problems.

About Peonies A long-lived perennial. Grow in full sun. One of the biggest problems in growing peonies is planting too deeply. Plant at soil surface or just below. Once planted, leave undisturbed. May not bloom for several years after planting. Staking plants before they bloom is a good idea because flower heads are heavy. Plants bloom in late spring. Use balanced fertilizer after bloom. Foliage is very attractive and resembles a shrub from spring until late fall. Clumps get bigger each year. Fine cut flower -- sweetly fragrant. No particular growing problems.

About WILDFLOWERS

What is a wildflower? A wildflower is a plant which is a native American species. Sometimes an introduced species from another country can "escape" and become a sort-of-native wildflower. Wildflower plantings utilize native species, whether annual, perennial or biennial, from various areas of the country to create a natural-looking garden effect.

Are they easy to grow? YES! Wildflowers have to be, since they have to take care of themselves. They bloom, go to seed, and disperse their seed onto the surrounding ground, where it takes hold and begins the cycle over again.

What is a meadow planting? A meadow planting can be any size you like, planted with native flowers. Since it is not mowed regularly, it can look a bit shaggy to those who are used to a lawn.

How to start a wildflower planting from seed

Prepare the soil. Loosen the soil to a depth of 6 in. Smooth and level the soil surface. Broadcast the seed by scattering lightly over the prepared soil surface. To make the seed easier to handle, you can mix it with 1 to 2 parts sand to 1 part seed, then broadcast. For a large area, use a broadcast seeder. Rake seed in lightly, covering no deeper than 1/8 inch. For best germination, soak planted areas thoroughly, and maintain constant moisture for the first 4 to 6 weeks. Then gradually reduce waterings. Allow plants to go to seed before mowing.

A Simple Smashing Perennial Garden -- by Lin Harris, Horticulturist

It is quite possible to have a lovely flower garden all summer in most areas of the country -- June through September -- by planting only two kinds of flowers. I’m talking Lilies and Phlox. Plant them once, and you’re all set for years of bloom. Beautiful and Easy.

Lilies start your flower garden into bloom. Plant some Asiatic lilies for June bloom, some Trumpet Lilies for July bloom, and some Oriental Lilies for August bloom. Begin with at least three bulbs of each variety of lily. Plant them in a group, spaced equidistantly. If you choose one Asiatic lily variety, one Trumpet lily variety, and one Oriental lily variety, you’ll start out by planting nine bulbs. If you can afford more, plant several packages of each variety. A group of 6 lily bulbs in bloom makes a really colorful splash -- twice as big as a group of three bulbs -- but somehow it looks like much more than that when blooming in your garden!

Asiatic Lilies bloom first. The flowers face upright and the plants are usually shorter than the other lilies, about 2 ft. tall in bloom or sometimes taller. Trumpet Lilies bloom next, about a month later than the Asiatic types. Their flowers are held out to the side (like an Easter lily, which is also included in this class of lilies) and these flowers are usually large and noticeable, with a wonderful sweet scent. Plants are tall and royal looking, often 4 to 6 ft. You can’t have too many of these. Oriental Lilies are the last to bloom in summer.

Their really large flowers face to the side and open like stars with petals which curl back at the ends (reflexed). Most of these are delightfully scented, all are gorgeous, and they grow about 3 to 4 ft. tall.

Lilies get better each year. How? They increase the size of their bulbs, making smaller ones and spreading outward. Some lilies form tiny bulblets along their stems which they hurl off in late summer and which will form small lily plants next summer. You just can’t fail to get more lilies! Lilies also are fantastic cut flowers. Of course, if you cut them, you won’t have the color in your garden. So my advice is to plant MORE...so you can have lilies on the inside of your home AND on the outside all summer. Lilies bloom for several weeks at a time. Lily colors start with scarlet and dark pink, and shade all the way through orange, peach, gold, yellow, rose, pink and white. I like the bold colors best, but they’re all beautiful. If you want them to cut for bouquets, keep
your indoor color scheme in mind when planting your lilies.

Now add the Phlox. One of the very easiest perennial flowering plants to grow, phlox is hardy and needs no pampering. Plant at least three plants of the same variety together, similar to the way you’re planting your lily bulbs. Set them equidistantly, with a group of lily bulbs behind or beside. Then plant another group of at least three phlox plants.

Phlox blooms mostly in cool colors -- you can find them in white, pink, rose, lavender, and white with red eye. Plant breeders are working on other shades, too. Phlox are often considered the "backbone" of the garden. Why? First, they’re usually tallish, 3 to 4 ft. being about average, and because the plants are bushy, they have a lot of flowers. You can count on Phlox to bloom continuously from July through September, even if you don’t cut off the spent flowers.

Phlox will bloom with the lilies, in between the lilies, and after the lilies. They’ll grow contentedly together for years without needing to be disturbed. Many phlox varieties now are resistant to mildew, which is very good news for gardeners in humid summer areas.