Perfect Perennials

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Perennials are the backbone of any garden.

They offer almost endless diversity in color and shape. You can plant them almost anywhere in your garden because there are perennials that love full sun and ones that are happier with shade. Perennials also range in when they bloom, so with some strategic planting, you can have color and beauty all season long. Their root systems are also smaller than roots and shrubs, so there’s less root mass to keep watered.

In addition, perennials are also quite versatile. They are equally suited to garden beds or containers. In fact, here’s a cute little planter I did, all with shade-loving perennials:

Here are some of the many perennials we have in stock right now at Warner’s Nursery:

In the sun-loving category, we have yarrow, hollyhock, dianthus, daylilly, guara, shasta daisy, rudbeckia, gaillardia, echinacea, catmint, anise hysop, penstemon, winecups, coreopsis, lupine, scabiosa, sedum, creeping thyme, veronica, gallium, delphinium.

For the shady parts of your garden, try hosta, heuchera, lamium, foxglove, columbine, vinca, campanula, myosotis, astilbe, dicentra (also known as fern-leaf bleeding heart) and brunnera.

The one thing all perennials share – in addition to coming back year after year – is that they need to be planted right to thrive. Here’s how: 

  • Dig a saucer-shaped hole that is twice the width of the root ball of your plant and equally as deep. (It is better to plant a little above ground level than too deep.)
  • Amend your soil by mixing parts of the soil from the hole and a good planting mix (we recommend our own Supreme Planting Mix) and place some of this in the bottom of the hole.
  • Water your plant thoroughly before gently removing it from its container. (Support the stem of the plant with one hand as you turn the pot upside down and tap the bottom of it, sliding the pot away from the plant. Don’t yank!)
  • Tease out the roots of the plant gently.
  • Place the plant into its hole and backfill with your pre-mixed soil.
  • Water thoroughly with some Fertilome Root Stimulator to prevent transplant shock and promote vigorous root growth.

Once your perennial is planted, watering is vital. During that first week, water twice a day, then for the next two weeks, water once a day. After the first month, you should be fine watering every other day until winter, when you can water every three or so weeks during dormancy. 

After the first year, your perennial will be fine with watering twice a week from spring through fall and once per month during winter.

If you have any questions about perennials – or just want to see our awesome collection of these amazing plants – please stop by the nursery. 

Happy Gardening!
Misti