By Ray Greenstreet
ALEXANDRIA, VA – June – and with it, summer – has arrived. In an annual rite marking this seasonal passage, the Perennial Plant Association named June “Perennial Gardening Month” and in doing so, urges gardeners to celebrate the summer garden by planting perennials. Moreover, perennial gardening is something to celebrate.
A perennial (from Latin per, meaning “through”, and annus, meaning “year”) is a plant that lives for more than two years. Herbaceous perennials grow and bloom in the spring and summer, die back every autumn and winter, and then return in the spring from their root-stock. There is also a class of evergreen perennials which keep their leaves throughout the year.
Because most perennials have a defined bloom time that usually lasts for 3-5 weeks, the key to a successful perennial garden is to choose plants that bloom at different times throughout the growing season. Perennials come in every form, size, texture, and flower color. Combine plants with different characteristics, and don’t overlook the value of contrasting colors – purple and red or orange may sound crazy but it is an excellent color combination in a summer garden. When designed for continuous bloom, the garden will be ever-changing and lovely, May through November.
Ready to dig into perennial gardening? Let’s have some fun, as even the names of these plants are something to smile about.
Start at the ground level with dependable growers that just about any color thumb can successfully grow. If you only plant these plants, you’ll have a season of perennial blooms: Shasta Daisy; Coreopsis; Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’; Nepata; Dianthus (‘Fire Witch’ is a staple); Salvia (especially ‘Caradonna’ and ‘May Night’); and daylilies ‘Stella d’ Oro’ and ‘Happy Returns.’
Ready to take it to the next level? Dig deeper and experiment with bold foliage and flower colors. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ makes a statement with its carmine red flowers and spiky foliage. Soften the garden with gray foliage and blue flowers of Russian Sage. Journey into the land of Echinacea, from rose pink ‘Magnus’ to ‘Sombrero Salsa Red’ to orange ‘Big Kahuna’ to the limelight of ‘Green Jewel. Grow your daylily collection with the ruffled Siloam ‘Double Classic.’ And don’t forget Geum, especially the giant ‘Totally Tangerine’ and the aptly named ‘Double Bloody Mary.’
Are you hooked? Now you’ll be hard-pressed to pass up a perennial you’ve never seen before, a new variety that is as much fun to pronounce as it is to grow. Like Echibeckia, a cross between Rubeckia and Echinacea. Got to have it just to say it. Or Verbena bonariensis. Good luck pronouncing it, but it is one cool plant. And Euphorbia. ‘Tiny Tim’ and ‘Ascot Rainbow’ look almost prehistoric. Then there’s Echinops. Say that fast after a glass or two of wine.
All of the afore-mentioned plants are sun lovers. If you garden in the shade, don’t despair. You can easily garden with perennials that grow where the sun doesn’t shine.
