When you have a monotonous hedge of yews, rhododendrons, viburnums or another green border plant, incorporating perennials at the forefront will give your landscape seasonal color and charm. The use of perennial flowers can enable an artistic gardener to create living pictures when planted thoughtfully.
Growing an Attractive and Aesthetically Pleasing Landscape
All gardeners have their own flair and tastes, but there are a few aspects of garden design to consider when starting to compose your perennial garden masterpiece.
- Choose plants that grow happily together, enjoying similar sun and soil conditions.
- Plant in groups of 3, 5, or 7. Planting the same variety of plant in groups creates impact. However, pay attention to the mature width so when plants are at their full size there will be ample airflow. Crowded plants can lead to disease, and attract pests.
- For a low maintenance garden, use no more than 7 different species of plants in one visual area.
- Plant the tallest plants in the back, and shorter plants in the front.
- Create contrast with foliage texture.
- The colors of flowers that bloom at the same time should not clash with each other.
- Think about the changing of the seasons, ultimately ensuring that there will be interest from spring to autumn.
Let us note here that this is one approach of many in creating a beautiful perennial garden!
Herbaceous Perennials by Sun Exposure, Color Scheme and Season
Creating color continuity through the seasons does take a bit of planning, so we have created a list of perennials broken down by shade-loving and sun-loving, and grouped into a few different flower color schemes to get you started.
Let the imagination flow, and have fun!
Shade-Loving Perennials
Pink – Yellow
- Early Bloomers: Elephant Ears (Bergenia), Hellebore (Helleborus), Primrose (Primula)
- Mid-Season Bloomers: Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla), Bleeding Heart (Dicentra), Barrenwort (Epimedium) (pink)
- Late-Season Bloomers: Astilbe (pink), Corydalis (yellow), Leopard Plant (Ligularia), Meadow Rue (Thalictrum)
Blue – White – Yellow
- Early Bloomers: Hellebore (Helleborus), Primrose (Primula)
- Spring to Early Summer: Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla), Goats Beard (Aruncus), Bugloss (Brunnera), Barrenwort (Epimedium) (white), Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
- Summer to Fall: Windflower (Anemone), Astilbe (white), Corydalis, Plumbago (Ceratostigma), Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium) (blue)
Variegated – Purple – Silver
- Mid-Season Bloomers: Bellflower (Campanula), Dead-nettle (Lamium), Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum), Lungwort (Pulmonaria), Lamb’s Ear (Stachys)
Sun-Loving Perennials
Blue – White – Light Yellow
- Mid-Season Bloomers: Columbine (Aquilegia) (white-blue or yellow), Thrift (Armeria) (white), Bellflower (Campanula), Lupine (Lupinus), Catmint (Nepeta)
- Late-Season Bloomers: Yarrow (Achillea), Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus), Tickseed (Coreopsis), Delphinium, Sea Holly (Eryngium), Wandflower (Gaura), Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum), Tall Phlox (white), Plumbago (Ceratostigma), Ornamental Sage (Salvia) (blue), Speedwell (Veronica)
Orange – Red – Yellow
- Early Bloomers: Wallflower (Erysimum)
- Late-Season Bloomers: Yarrow (Achillea), Milkweed (Asclepias) (orange), Tickseed (Coreopsis), Daylily (Hemerocallis), Coneflower (Echinacea), Geum, Helen’s Flower (Helenium), Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia), Beardtongue (Penstemon), Cape Fuchsia (Phygelius), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Pink – Yellow
- Early Bloomers: Wallflower (Erysimum)
- Mid-Season Bloomers: Columbine (Aquilegia), Thrift (Armeria), Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus), Carnations/Pinks (Dianthus), Foxglove (Digitalis), Geranium, Peony (Paeonia), Hollyhock/Checkerbloom (Sidalcea)
- Late-Season Bloomers: Yarrow (Achillea), Tickseed (Coreopsis), Daylily (Hemerocallis), Coneflower (Echinacea), Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium), Wandflower (Gaura) (pink), Tree Mallow (Lavatera), Beardtongue (Penstemon), Tall Phlox, Sedum