What Are Perennials? A Beginner’s Guide

December 12, 2024

Jim Whiteford

If you're new to gardening or looking to make your garden more sustainable and low-maintenance, perennials might just be the answer you're looking for.

Gardening

What Are Perennials? A Beginner’s Guide

Introduction to Perennials

Weather your new to gardening or you just want to create a more sustainable low maintenance solution to your garden space then perennials might be the answer your looking for.

What Are Perennials?

Perennials are plants that will come back year after year, for many seasons. Unlike annuals which have a one season lifespan or biennials which live for 2 seasons. This makes them very low maintenance and excellent value for money.

Types of Perennials

• Herbaceous: This type of perennial will completely die back to the ground in winter, with the root system going dormant. Then in the spring it will send up new growth to provide you with countless years of enjoyment. These are the most common perennials that are grown.
• Hardy: This type of perennial will tolerate frosts but there are varying types of hardiness, so, my advice is to find out your hardiness zone and buy the plants according to that.
• Tender: These are perennials that can’t be overwintered outdoors except in tropical or sub-tropical regions. These tend to be most house plants which wont survive below 50°F or 10°C.
• Semi-wood: Although not as woody as a shrub, these perennials do form a woody base and stems such as Rosemary or Lavender.
• Wood: These are shrubs or trees such as blackcurrants, dogwoods and apples.

Why Choose Perennials?

• Sustainability: Perennials have a very low input need, making them a much more sustainable planting option and providing environmental benefits year after year.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Some perennials may be more expensive than annuals, there long life usually means that over time they are better value for money. Although cheaper or even free options exist such as starting from seed, taking cuttings or making root divisions.
• Low Maintenance: A perennial, once established is extremely low maintenance compared to an annual, and can provide multiple benefits to other plants around it.
• Seasonal Interest: This has to be one of the best benefits as there are perennials that provide an abundance of colour and structure even through the year, such as dogwoods for colour in the winter or evergreens for foliage in the winter.
• Wildlife Support: Perennials provide a diverse habitat and food source for pollinators and wildlife, which will boost your overall success in the garden and create a more balanced ecosystem.

Getting Started with Perennials

• Choose Your Plants: Your local climate is important, as well as sun exposure and type of soil. These will play a part in choosing the right perennial, as some like full sun whilst others may tolerate shade.
• Planting: potted plants can be planted anytime of the year, although spring and autumn are the best, as this reduces the watering needed. bare root or divisions should be planted in the winter. Make sure to provide enough space for mature growth which will prevent overcrowding.
• Care: Perennials will always benefit from having some mulch applied to there base, which will provide nutrients and water retention. Dead flowers can be removed (dead heading) which promotes new blooms and pruning of fruit trees and bushes can help with higher production. Although, if you don't manage any of these steps, they will live on till the next season.
• Propagation: propagation is the process of crating a new plant from a parent plant. This is done in multiple ways. Herbaceous perennials are most commonly propagated by root division and this can be done in the winter when all the foliage has died back to the ground. Woody shrubs can be propagated from softwood or hardwood cuttings and most fruit trees will be grafted onto a rootstock.

Common Perennials for Beginners

Herbaceous:

• Daylilies: Hardy, easy to grow, and provide a vast array of colourful flowers.
• Hostas: Are shade tolerant and provide lush green foliage.
• Coneflowers (Echinacea): Good for pollinators and provide late summer flowers.
• Peonies: With large extravagant flowers, they require minimal care once established.

Woody:

• Dogwood: Grows as a shrub and provide vibrant winter colour.
• Currents: Very easy to propagate from cuttings and will provide you with tasty berries.
• Apples: Will grow in more cooler climates and produce alot of food.

House Plants (Tropical & Sub-tropical):

• Swiss cheese plant: This has to be the most popular of the house plants providing large tropical leaves with holes like swiss cheese.
• Spider Plant: An easy to grow plant that does well in moister environments like bathrooms and said to be a good air purifier.
• String of Turtles: A small compact plant with turtle shell like leaves, This plant will provide a drape of foliage over its pot.

Conclusion

Perennials are an excellent choice for anyone looking to create a sustainable, beautiful, and low-maintenance garden. Their enduring nature not only benefits your garden's ecosystem but also provides you with years of enjoyment.

Whether you're planting for colour, texture, or to support local wildlife, perennials offer versatility that can evolve with your gardening journey. Embrace the cycle of seasons with plants that come back year after year, making your garden a place of perennial delight.

Perennials are a great choice for anyone seeking a lower maintenance and ecologically friendly planting solution. There ability to come back year on year can provide you with endless enjoyment and hopefully lots of tasty food. Local wildlife will also thrive from the great habitats they provide.

Embrace the cycle of the seasons and make your garden a place of perennial delight.