It’s easy to get wrapped up in the instant gratification of annual flowers. They’re showy, they’re cheap and they really make an impact. Then again, at the end of the year, that’s money that you’re never going to get back. Not only that, you’re forced to pick from the same limited selection of plants that everyone else is picking from.
How many front yards with a row of Red Leaved Begonias are you going to plant in your life? How many little holes are you going to burrow until you finally say enough?
Perhaps you haven’t dabbled in the Perennial pool because you’ve been put off by the fact they are typically a little more expensive than Annuals. If you think about it, they’re really more of an investment plant as opposed to a plant that you throw money away on every year. Sure, those annuals make great additions to your compost bin, but what about using that money someplace else every year?
You might also be put off by the fact that “Eh, perennials are a lot of work“. Not true, with proper selection of plant material, perennials can be drastically less maintenance than annuals.
The BEST part about perennials is that they’ll fit into whatever landscape configuration you have. Classy, simple, bright, we’ve got it all. Take some inspiration from these snapshots and come in for some one on one counseling to get your yard perennial ridden.
Using a mixture of hot colors in your garden gives a cheerful inviting appearance from the street. Knock Out Roses will bring you summer long pink blooms and Creeping Jenny will create a carpet of yellow for them to show up against. Accent these plants with something with a calming white color like Lambs Ear to create a little quiet space within your design. Remember, every landscaped area needs at least ONE white plant somewhere!
You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to enjoy elegance in the garden. Selecting subtle plants that make a sweet accent to the rest of the yard is perfectly doable in perennial gardening. The hue of yellow from the Angelina Sedum creates an elegant border – much better looking than “Monkey Grass” and the bluish foliage of the Baptisia gives a cooling effect all summer long. Not only does the Baptisia have fantastic foliage, the flowers appear in mid-May and look like tiny clusters of snapdragons in either blue or yellow.
Using a combination of deciduous and evergreen plants assures you year round interest. Using Spiraea for showy spring blooms and fantastic foliage as a backdrop for Prostrate Rosemary creates a great visual display of plants. The Rosemary will also give you a pleasant scent all year round!
Using a combination of succulents, self cleaning roses and drought tolerant evergreens you can create a fantastic display of colors AND textures. Take care in selecting plants that fit into the area you have. NEVER try to force a plant to stay a size it’s uncomfortable with being.
