It’s never too early to plan ahead for gardening. While it’s tempting to grab whatever looks great at Home Depot in the spring time it may be worth your effort to plan your perennials more carefully! Using some permiculture principles we can more wisely choose the right plants for our gardens. Read more about permiculture here:
http://www.heathcote.org/PCIntro/4Principles.htm
Planning which perennials you choose ensures that you select perennials that are appropriate for your location so they will thrive over the years.
Here are some things to think about when selecting perennials for your garden.
Pick the location where you would like to plant and observe:
Sun exposure– How many hours a day does the sun shine directly on that spot? Is a plant says it needs sun then it needs at least 4 hours (ideally 6) of direct sunlight a day.
Water– Is it dry or wet at this location? How far is the location from a water source and how likely are you to water it?
Usefulness– Would you like plants that offer medicinal values? Attract wildlife or block wind? Plants can be used in a rain garden to solve drainage issues and fill in a part of your garden to block weeds!
Appearance– What sorts of colors and textures are you looking for? What time of year would you like your perennial to bloom?
Height– Look at the spot where you want to plant- how tall should the perennial be to fill in the space? Are there plants or a view behind the proposed spot that shouldn’t be blocked? I like to break garden areas down into small, medium and large elements. Perennials generally fulfill the medium area and work well with a nice shrub, tree or evergreen foundation behind them. Perennials also look beautiful in front of stone walls.
Once you gather the information above you’re ready to shop around for perennials! A great place to see plants and gather information about them is Sun Nursery in Woodbine, MD. They have a great display of plants with a sign for each one that tells you plant bloom time, height and sun exposure. Many of their plants are locally grown, their prices are great and I love their staff!
Too much for your own DIY project? Hire a professional to plan and plant your new perennials! Lauren’s Garden Service can consult with you on the best plants to select. We can install them too! We’ll cater the job to your needs.
Here are some of my favorite low maintenance perennials (we don’t use invasive species):
Shade: Autumn ferns, lentin rose, columbine, lung wort, blue angel hosta, black cohosh ‘brunette’, heuchera
Sun: Sunset echinacea, ‘chocolate’ joe pye weed, butterfly weed, knock out roses, nepeta, stella d oro daylilies