A Perennial Flower Garden Design will Offer Color all Season
Although many first-time gardeners will opt for annual plants that will only bloom for a single season, a perennial flower garden design will offer blooms and color that can be enjoyed for years to come. Many experienced gardeners have learned that while perennials may require some TLC in the fall months to ensure their health throughout the winter, it is infinitely easier to care for those plants than to replant beds every spring. The other wonderful factor in a perennial flower garden design is that you can plan your beds to flower from spring until fall, and you can provide a layering effect that will make your gardens full, interesting and beautiful. However, the path to a beautiful yard always begins with a well thought out perennial flower garden design.
Plan your Garden for Depth
Layering is one of the basics of a good perennial flower garden design. In order to ensure that your plants will achieve a stair step effect, with shorter plants in the front and taller varieties in the back, you must look at the size that the plants will grow to be and not their size when you purchase them. There is a saying about perennials that goes, “First year they sleep, second year they creep and third year, they leap!” It is hard to know what those plants will look like after a couple of seasons without checking the label that comes with your plants that will give you planting instructions based on how big the plant will get. A good rule of thumb is to plant flowers in the front that will grow 12-18 inches tall. Middle flowers should grow to a height of one to three feet, and the flowers, plants and shrubs in the back of your perennial flower garden design should reach a height of up to five feet. By layering, you will ensure that your perennial flower garden design will be thick with plants, rich with interest and brilliant in colors.
Plan your Garden for Year-Round Blooming
While many areas will not have much activity during the coldest months of winter, a well planned perennial flower garden design will offer blooms from the earliest signs of spring until the first frost or even later. Look for plants that will flower during different times of the year, from the earliest crocus that will poke through the snow, to the red and golden mums and asters that will offer the last brilliant dash of fall hues before the snow flies. Again, if you want to know when a perennial is scheduled to blossom, read that tag that comes with your plant. Or check flower books or the Internet to get an idea of which plants will be early or late bloomers, and which will offer color during the middle of the season. You can plant your early-blooming bulbs first, and then add later blooming plants right on top so that you can enjoy the beauty of your perennial flower garden design for as many months as possible.
