What could be prettier than having a garden in bloom all year long? You, too, have one. All you need is some information about flowering periods, how many hours of sun your garden receives, and the heights of the plants.
Spring fever
Once the winter hibernation is over, what we want to see is new signs of life in the garden. It's time for the early-flowering perennials to show off their beautiful flowers – they just can't wait to announce the coming of spring. Next come the summer-flowering perennials to brighten up the garden, and then the ones that add sparkle to an autumn garden. Did you know that some perennials even flower in the winter? To make it easier for you, we've selected the prettiest ones for every season.
Did you know that when you cut back plants that have flowered early in the season, many varieties will bloom again?
Planting spring-flowering perennials
Spring-flowering perennials can hardly wait to show off their beautiful flowers early in the spring. Some of the most frequently planted spring-flowering perennials are Bleeding Heart (Dicentra), Barrenwort (Epimedium), Lungwort (Pulmonaria), and Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla). Among the other real favourites for spring are the Primrose (Primula), Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla) and Elephant-eared Saxifrage (Bergenia).
Summer-flowering perennials
Many perennials flower most profusely in the summer, especially in June and July. This is also when they are most widely available for choosing exactly the varieties and colours you want. But where to start? To help you out, we suggest what we call the 'top 10 summer-flowering perennials':
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea), Catmint (Nepeta), Delphinium, Coreopsis, Columbine (Aquilegia), Bellflower (Campanula), Giant Hyssop (Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’), Balkan Clary (Salvia nemerosa), Monkscap (Aconitum), Masterwort (Astrantia)
Autumn-flowering perennials
You can make good use of long-flowering perennials to enjoy colour in the garden until late in the season. Some can bloom for even five months straight so you can have a beautiful garden during the autumn months. The Wallflower (Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve'), for example, is a plant that will continue flowering as long as the temperature remains above freezing or isn't too cold. Indian Feather (Gaura lindheimeri), Purpletop Vervain (Verbena) and Cranesbill (Geranium ‘Rozanne’) are also gorgeous long-flowering perennials. In addition to these long-flowering varieties, you could also choose from typical autumn-flowering perennials. These often bear warm, vibrantly coloured flowers. Some favourites include the Bugbane (Cimicifuga), Michaelmas Daisy (Aster novi-belgii), Japanese Anemone (Anemone hupehensis) and Stonecrop (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’).
Winter-flowering perennials
Certain perennials even add colour to gardens in the winter. One of these is the Christmas Rose (Helleborus). Among the most popular Christmas Rose varieties are the Helleborus orientalis hybrids: their range of colours – white, white and pink, pink, wine red, purple, apricot and yellow – is absolutely fantastic. Another bonus is that they require such little care. Winter-flowering pansies (Viola) and the Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) are other perennials that will provide a bright display in the winter garden.
More information about flowering perennials is available at www.perennialpower.nl
