How to Plant a Perennial Flower Garden

Amateur gardeners tend to overlook the easiest type of garden to plant and that is the perennial flower garden. While annual plants require minimal to no care at the end of the year, it is misleading to think that replanting the flower garden every year is easier than planting a perennial garden. Once the perennial garden is established, the gardening gets easier and the flower garden grows more beautiful. Read on to learn how to plant a perennial flower garden.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Choose a Perennial Flower Garden

1. Select from the many types of perennial gardens--a water garden, winding garden path, formal garden, perennial border or theme garden.

2. Choose a perennial garden over other gardens because perennials are easy to grow and are a good investment that comes back year after year.

3. Pick from a variety of perennials in different colors, heights, length of bloom and flowering season.

4. Expect a healthy perennial garden the second year after planting when the garden fills out.

5. Opt for easygoing day lilies in the perennial garden if you are a beginning gardener instead of the fussy clematis. Anticipate replacing short-lived columbines after three to four years and having peony beds that last for decades.

Design a Perennial Flower Garden

6. Spend a lot of time designing the perennial flower garden. Plant the front, middle and back of the garden in sections. The front should have flowers 12 to 18 inches tall. The middle contains flowers 1 to 3 feet tall and the back row has perennials reaching 3 to 5 feet.

7. Check the flower garden site for water, soil and light conditions. Choose flowers that grow in the available garden environment.

8. Layer the perennial flower garden with bulbs deep in the ground (10 inches or more) and perennial seeds above the bulbs. Choose alternating bloom times and various flower types.

9. Limit the garden to two or three major colors. Design reds, oranges and yellows together and pinks, purples and blues. Use the various shades of green as colors too.

10. Add native perennial plants to the design. These plants prove well for the existing garden conditions and are easily accessible.

11. Combine perennial flowers with annuals, flowering shrubs like pink flowering almond, scented or peace roses, red sedum and other ground covers or climbing vines like orange trumpets for a colorful blend of textures and species.

Plant a Perennial Flower Garden

12. Buy perennial flower plants as seed, plants, shoots, bulbs or root cuttings. Order from reputable catalog sources or purchase from a local greenhouse or nursery.

13. Prepare the garden bed according to the needs of the perennials to plant.

14. Make the first year perennial garden lush and full by planting in clumps of three or small groups of seven. Plant a lot of one type of plant instead of one each of many kinds of plants.

15. Keep color combinations together when planted. Fill in spaces with green perennials like hostas, grasses or ferns.

16. Maintain the flower garden by mulching, watering and removing spent flower heads. By removing the spent blooms, the flowers will not spend energy creating seeds and will bloom again. Perennials produce seeds at the end of the season.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with various color combinations and textures in the perennial flower garden.
• Select perennials that grow in your growing zone. Move sensitive plants indoors for winter before returning to the outdoors after the last spring frost.

[theplantlady]

on 7/28/2009 This was one of the most iformative article I've read in a long time. I've been trying to establish a nice perennial border for a few years and I did learn new ideas from this article. Thank you!