Many of our best loved flowers are herbaceous perennials that spring up afresh year after year and make outstanding features in borders.Whether you have a cramped backyard garden or a generous plot of land around a country home, there are always places to use perennials for the varied color and character of their flowers and foliage.
The terms “perennial” and “herbaceous perennial” are often used interchangeably to mean a plant that comes up year after year and in most cases dies down to dormant roots each winter, leaving only lifeless stems. The lupine, delphinium, phlox, and monarda are popular plant examples. A few, such as the yucca and dianthus, are termed and treated as herbaceous plants even though their leaves remain green all year. Tolerance to cold depends on the kind.
Some perennials, such as the hollyhock, centranthus, delphinium, and linum, have short lives of only four or five summers. This is something that some of us gardeners overlook, because we never think of plants growing old. Yet others, such as the aster, coreopsis, and anthemis, live longer but bloom with greater freedom if we dig them up and divide them every few years. And a small number, such as the peony, may outlast one’s lifetime without attention.
In the days when estate gardens were common, life was more leisurely and gardening help more readily available and affordable, herbaceous borders were popular. Generally they were about 10 feet wide and at least 30 feet long, with a background of sheared evergreens.
While the border was magnificent for many months, it required considerable space and experienced workmen, two factors that led to its demise in this country. We can still see elaborate borders in a few public, botanical, or estate gardens.
Today, in our smaller urban and suburban gardens, perennials are regaining popularity. One reason is the development of the mixed border in which perennials are grown with other types of plants, for instance annuals, biennials, roses, bulbs, and shrubs, to provide a display over a considerably longer period.
The island bed has also become popular in gardens where long borders do not fit conveniently into the design or maintenance program. An island garden, accessible from all sides, is far easier to plant, cultivate, and weed than a wide, one-sided border. The taller plants should be set toward the center, with the shorter ones around the edges. Free-form shapes are usually more effective than circles or ovals. Star or diamond shapes should be avoided because their angles are awkward to plant and difficult to maintain.
About the Author:
Barbara E. Volkov and her husband Gene are a retired couple who enjoys the at home time and also tinkering around in the garden. We are always learning new things to do for our garden and enjoy sharing the information with others. Check out our website www.gardenersgardensupplies.com for more interesting tidbits on gardening.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Perennials – Why We Love Them
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