Plant Garden Perennials then stand back and see the colourful display unfold.

Garden Perennials

Garden perennials, unlike annuals that only flower for one season, return year after year to fill the garden with colour.

Most perennials die back in the winter and are cut down to, or near ground level, pushing forth new shoots the following spring.

There are thousands of different types, shapes, heights and colours of perennials and a plant for every situation. Most perennial plants can be grown as individuals, or with other plants and shrubs, but if you have the room they can look really outstanding grouped together in an Herbaceous Border.

If an herbaceous border is set against a path edge then the shape is probably going to be rectangular and fixed, if however the edge of a border is built into a lawn then more interest can be added by weaving the edge in and out in large sweeping curves.

Garden perennials and herbaceous plants can be grown from different methods, three of which are:

1) Seed is the cheapest way, but it can be three years before you can have a fully grown flowering plant. The method being to sow outdoors or in a cold frame in May or June, the seedlings are then transplanted and set in rows 25 cm apart or alternatively grown in pots.

First year plants are not allowed to flower at all, putting all their energy into growth. The second year the plants are allowed to flower, but not allowed to set seed.

2) Cuttings is a good way of producing plants more quickly if you have a good supply of parent plants from which to gather the material.

3) Root division is the best, easiest and quickest way to multiply your herbaceous plants, and to obtain a ready made plant. This is the method that you will choose once your plants become established.

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