Plant Soon for Perennial Beauty

By Sandi Lockhart

U.C. Cooperative Extension, El Dorado County Master Gardener

Publication Date: August 13, 2004

Unlike annual plants which must be replaced each year, perennials return year after year lending their fragrance and beauty to the garden. In our Mediterranean climate with its cool damp winters and hot dry summers, fall is the ideal time to establish a perennial garden. Fall planting allows the plants to establish strong root systems which will in turn produce the best blooms the following spring, summer or fall. With many perennials the size of the plants and the abundance of the bloom increases each year. Perennial gardeners often claim, “The first year they sleep; the second year they creep; the third year they leap.” Once established, perennials require only a modest amount of care. This usually involves cutting the plants back, often nearly to the ground, in the fall. If I have delayed enough, I will often see the start of the new year’s growth at the base of the plant.

Developing a bed of perennial plants does involve a bit of planning, since there are several characteristics that should be considered. The first is cultural requirements. Perennials happily come with a variety of cultural needs. Some love and need deep shade; others require, and can stand, our hot sun all day. Some need water on a regular basis; others can do exceptionally well with little or no water once established. So no matter what exposure a garden has to offer, there are plants that will grow readily in it.

A second consideration is color. This boils down to a matter of personal preference. One famous and exquisite English garden is noted for its use of exclusively white flowers. Others of us love particular color combinations. I often find myself choosing a blue and yellow palette. And some of us thoroughly enjoy an exuberant mixture of bright and bold blossoms. But if you would be horrified to find a magenta Rose Campion lacing its way among your golden Rudbeckia, a bit of advance planning will stave off the color shock.

Closely related to color selection is the matter of bloom time. It does little good to select an ideal color combination if one of the plants blooms in early spring and its perfect companion begins to show its glory in July or August. The Sunset Western Garden Book is a reliable source of information about plants that grow in the western states. I know I couldn’t garden without mine.

Another consideration is height. In general tall plants belong near the back of a perennial bed, medium ones near the middle and short or dwarf varieties near the front. This way each is visible and not blocked from view by a “lady with a large hat” in the front row.

Some perennials are grown especially for their foliage, which can add texture, color and even fragrance to the perennial bed. While they do have a lovely if brief bloom, hostas add color and sparkle to a dim and shady garden area. Ferns add texture and structure to the shade garden as well. In sunnier areas, artemesias create a lacy structure which is a great foil for larger leaved plants. Lambs’ Ears (Stachys byzantina) have a wonderful soft texture that simply demands touching.

Local nurseries are great sources of perennial plants. Other gardeners, whose plants have reached the “leap” stage, are often happy to share their bounty and favorite plants.