Perennial flowers

Perennials are non-woody plants that live for two or more years. Most are herbaceous, dying back in autumn to ground level or to a woody base, and sending up new growth in spring. A few are evergreens so are a valuable presence in the garden over the winter period. While most perennials flower during the summer months, there are a few that flower in the spring and a few that flower in the autumn.

With flowers in every colour of the rainbow, many shapes, textures and scents, they are a very popular addition to any garden. There are flowers to suit every taste, from delicate little blooms such as Gypsophila to large spiky heads of delphiniums. There foliage is also very diverse with every range from delicate fronds of ferns to the giant leaves of gunnera species. They also vary in their heights, from low growing 4 inch creeping ground cover plants such as Lamium to the giant 8 foot heads of pampas grass. Their diversity makes them suitable for all sizes and types of garden and their reliability makes them a lasting source of pleasure.

They are used in traditional herbaceous borders, mixed borders where they are interplanted with shrubs, annuals, bulbs or even fruit and vegetables as in cottage gardens or grown as ground covers or in containers as specimen plants.

As with all plants, when choosing perennials, ensure that they are appropriate for the given conditions such as soil, light and micro climate. Given the correct conditions they will flourish and will need less maintenance than those struggling in an unsuitable position.

Most perennials require a soil that is fertile, loamy and well drained but moisture retentive with plenty of organic matter added to it. They do however require different pH levels, so check carefully before you buy.

Perennial plants can be grown from seed or taken as divisions from existing plants. They are usually sold as container grown plants but occasionally you will find them being sold as bare-rooted. When planting out they should generally be planted at the same height as they were in the pot but some may need to be planted slightly higher to allow excess water to drain away or slightly lower to to allow tuberous roots or corms to form.

As there are many thousands of perennial plants, I cannot list them all. I would suggest that if you wish to find out more about individual plants, that you purchase one of the many good plant encyclopaedias such as the RHS Encyclopaedia of plants, but to start you of I have listed a few of the more popular plants listed under their most suitable use.

A guide to Perennial plants for:
Exposed Sites	Dry Shade	Moist Shade
Winter Interest	Fragrant Flowers	Flowers for Cutting
Flowers for Drying