If you want to start a decent garden but you are not sure from where to start, you are recommended to rely on plants that are easy to care and won`t give you hard time growing them. Below you will find a list of some perennials you should totally consider! Read on and find out more information about them before heading to the gardening centre!
- Salvia – salvia includes a lot of amazing bloomers in its family. They can handle both very cold and hot temperatures and can make your garden gorgeous without much trying. If you live in a warmer climate, you are recommended to choose Hot Lips, Wild Thing or Black and Blue. If you live in a cooler one, choose May Night. A thing you should know about them is to shear back the plants as long as they stop blooming – this will promote a second season of flowers. Do it about 1/3 of their height and you will enjoy more colours in your garden later in the Summer.
- Purple Coneflower – about ten years ago, we didn`t have many options to choose from when we were growing coneflowers in our gardens. Coneflower (also known as Echinacea) recently had its little revolution and hybridizers have created new flower forms. Coneflowers, besides from the typical pink petals, are now available in different colours like raspberry, white, orange and yellow. This plant usually grows about a metre tall and blooms from the end of Spring till Autumn. Some of its varieties include Sombrero Sandy Yellow, Salsa Red and Bubblegum. Before buying a particular type, check if it will survive during cold months in your garden. Have in mind that single-flowering forms usually live longer than the double- or triple-flowering ones.
- Sedum – they are very resistant to drought, heat and disease which makes the perfect candidates for every garden. Most of them bloom in the late Summer but they look good all year round. Pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, love them. Having sedum in your garden means that you will enjoy them until the end of Autumn. When you choose a sedum, look for Kamtchaticum variegatum or Tricolor. When you want taller plants, opt for Voodoo, Neon and Vera Jameson. Advice from professional gardeners is to divide sedums every few years as they tend to spread which doesn`t keep them in their best form. Using a sharp spade, you can separate them in smaller pieces – give some to your friends, they definitely will be happy to grow a sedum in their gardens.
- Bearded Iris – this flower is one of the most magnificent ones in every spring garden. These plants can come in numerous different colours – you can even choose a bi-coloured one. Similarly to sedums, you should divide these flowers every few years in order to keep them in their top form. When they grow in one clump, the flower production is most likely to slow down. The best types of bearded Iris include Again and Again, Savannah Sunset, Immortality and Goldkist.
- Black-eyed Susan – also known as rudbeckia. It is easy to grow and without much hassle, you can enjoy its daisy-like blooms from late Spring to Autumn. Its petals are orange and yellow surrounding a dark stamen. Usually, they start blooming the first year. They are resistant to insects and drought. Some of the most popular varieties include Prairie Sun, Cherokee Sunset, Goldsturm and fulgida. Rudbeckias sometimes self-sow in other places over the years so watch out for seedlings so you can transplant them in the location you need.
- Hosta – even if your backyard is shady, you can still enjoy a colourful garden as this flower loves shade. Another plus is that it is available in a numerous count of shapes, sizes and colours. Hostas grow well in a rich, moist soil. Be careful as slugs love them so make sure you keep your garden slug-free and enjoy your flowers for longer. If you notice small holes in the leaves, this is a sure sign of slugs. As they are night creatures, you can`t seem them eating your plants during the day. You can use a grapefruit or orange pieces to keep them away from your plants. Slugs will be attracted to the fruit and you can remove them in the morning. If you are looking for a medium-sized plant, choose Paul`s Glory, Fire and Ice, June, Blue Mouse Ears or Guacamole. When you want a taller plant, go for Sum and Substance, Frances Williams, Sagae and Patriot.