Perennials to the rescue

Cover photo courtesy: Proven Winners

Roses, red, yellow, orange, blue, with single, double, or pompom flowers, with colorful or embossed foliage, perennials are the ultimate plants to beautify and bloom gardens in all seasons. With the arrival of the warm days, gardeners set out to conquer garden centers in search of exceptional perennials that will enhance their outdoor arrangements, both summer and winter (Yes, even winter!), but how to choose them well?

What are the selection criteria, besides beauty, that they must meet to be THE perennial to plant in your garden? So many questions await gardening enthusiasts, but as the old saying goes, "Every problem has its solution," here’s what you need to know to make the right choice.

Beyond beauty

Throughout the beautiful season, garden centers are full of attractive perennials with multiple attractions. They charm us with their splendid blooms, decorative foliage, or even their autumn colors. How to find your way? By respecting these few selection criteria, you will be able to make an informed choice, a guarantee of success…

• Resistant to diseases and pests (even Japanese beetles)
• Hardy in your region (hardiness zone)
• Adapted to your soil type (clay, sand, moist, dry, etc.)
• Adapted to the available sunlight
• Fairly easy to maintain although many of you will be willing to make some exceptions occasionally
• Non-invasive (check the label to know its spread)
• And of course...Beautiful in all seasons (or almost), both in their foliage and their bloom

There are not only new items

Every year, garden centers present new promising and unique perennials that make all gardening enthusiasts dream, and the temptation is strong to acquire these beautiful unknowns. However, keep in mind that some tried-and-true, less recent ones also have beautiful qualities. Here are a few, selected for their performance and numerous ornamental attributes.

For shade

1. Chelone obliqua
2. Helleborus walhelivior
3. Brunnera macrophylla
4. Pulmonaria saccharata
5. Dicentra spectabilis

Photo 3 & 5: Courtesy Walters Garden, Inc

For clay and heavy soils

1. Alchemilla mollis
2. Echinops bannaticus
3. Géranium sanguineum
4. Iris versicolor
5. Astrantia major

Drought tolerant

1. Achillea millefolium
2. Euphorbia myrsinites
3. Hemerocallis
4. Perovskia atriplicifolia
5. Lavandula angustifolia

With prolonged blooming

1. Coreopsis verticillata
2. Dianthus deltoides
3. Geranium ‘Rozanne’
4. Leucanthemum superbum
5. Heliopsis helianthoides

Decorative foliage

1. Heuchera
2. Rodgersia aesculifolia
3. Hosta
4. Athyrium niponicum var. pictum
5. Artemisia stelleriana

Photo 4: Courtesy Walters Garden, Inc

And of course, many grasses...For all tastes!

Whether you are a novice or have been a gardening enthusiast for a long time, perennials will always be good allies that will accompany and amaze you from spring to the first frosts, and this, for many years. New items or tried-and-true, let yourself be tempted by their charm and splendor and fully enjoy the pleasures of gardening in all seasons.

Text: Hélène Baril – Horticulturist, speaker & author