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PerennialsChoosing and Planting Perennials If you’ve been growing a vegetable garden for a while, you might be thinking that your garden is very plain to look at. Many gardeners begin their gardening career with a vegetable garden, but later decide that they'd like to make it more pleasing to the eye. The use of perennial flowers could be a great way to liven up your garden without adding any extra work. Perennial flowers are strong, and usually local flowers that come back every year without having to replant or do any extra work. During their non-flowering seasons, the flowers and stems die back and the green plant will remain - When it’s time to bloom, entirely new flowers shoot up where the old ones were. However, some perennials flower in spring right through the fall to give you the added advantage of having color in your garden for most of the year. Before deciding whether to plant perennials or not, you need to make sure that your soil has proper drainage. If the soil stays saturated with water for long periods of time, you should build a raised bed. To test - dig a hole and fill it with water. Wait a day, and then fill it with water again. All traces of water should be gone within 10 hours. If the hole isn’t completely dry, you will need to build a raised bed. Picking your perennials can be a complicated process. The goal should be to have them flowering as much as possible during the year, so you should create a timeline of the year. Research the different types of flower you want, and insert their flowering times on the timeline. If you plan it properly, you can have a different type of flower blooming at each point in the year. Getting just the right mixture of plants can give your yard a constantly changing array of colors. When you go to buy the plants from your local florist or nursery, you might be able to find a custom mixture for your area. This takes the really tough research part out of the job. Usually these plants are optimized for the local climate, and do a great job of having flowers ever-present in your yard. If a custom mix isn’t available, you can ask the employees to help in preparing a good mixture. They should be knowledgable and happy to help you put something together to meet your gardening needs. Where possible, use mulch when planting perennials. This will reduce the overall amount of work you have to do, by reducing the amount of weeds and increasing water retention. Bark or pine needles work great, and you may have some available to you for free if you have one of those trees in your yard. As for fertilizer, use it sparingly once your plants start to come to life. AS you pant your perennials, make sure to plant them according to the directions. Perennials tend to spread out and need room to grow. Follow these steps and in no time at all you should start to see flowers in your once plain garden. 
Balloon Flower Shell Pink The Platycodon ‘Shell Pink Balloon Flower’,Platycodon grandiflorum, is a low growing perennial with light pink balloon like flowers that bloom in late May until August. (The flowers should be deadheaded to increase bloom time. ) The blooms puff up before opening and have a wonderful green foliage. ‘Shell Pink’ should be planted in full sun in a well-drained soil. Use ‘Shell Pink’ as a cut flower, as a border in a perennial garden, or with Cerastium ‘Snow in Summer’. Platycodon is pest resistant and needs very little care. It is late to come up in the spring, so make sure to mark its location.
Coral Bells Obsidian The Coral Bells Obsidian, Heuchera 'Obsidian' (PP14,836), with it's Jet Black leaves, has the darkest foilage to date of the Coral Bells. Plant the Obsidian with Coral Bells Lime Ricky, Marmalade or Peach Flambe for a fantastic color contrast. Coral Bells are grown more for their foliage color but the small blooms that they contain will attract hummingbirds. Like most Coral Bells, it thrives in partial sunlight but once established it will also grow in shade. Use this coral bell as a ground cover, in rock gardens, as a border plant or as an edger along paths and walkways.
Coreopsis Autumn Blush The Coreopsis Autumn Blush, Coreopsis 'Autumn Blush' (PPAF) is a wonderful new variety to the Coreopsis family. Autumn Blush is a long blooming plant that has beautiful yellow flowers with a burgundy colored eye turning to all burgundy in the fall. It tolerates the heat and humidity extremely well and flowers best in a sunny location. It should be cut back in late summer to extend the bloom period. Coreopsis Autumn Blush looks great with any type of grass, in borders or mass plantings in sunny gardens.
Daylily Rosy Returns Rosy Returns will bloom from June until frost and may be hardy all the way to zone 2. It can survive harsh conditions that many other plants can not and prefers full sun for the best performance. Daylilies are some of the easiest plants to grow and are a good choice for any gardener. They will grow in almost any soil and handle drought to wet soil conditions. Use for stand alone plantings, edging, in borders or in mixed containers and tubs.
Hosta Revolution The Hosta Revolution, Hosta 'Revolution', is a sport of the popular hosta Loyalist which in turn is a sport of the hosta Patriot. The lavender flowers of this hosta appear on 20 inch stems, however hosta’s are not known for their flowers. Hosta’s provide bright color in shade with wonderful foliage and Revolution is no exception. Revolution will tolerate shade to partial sun and should be planted in any moist, well-drained spot. This low care perennial is ideal for shady positions, tubs and patio pots, and is one of the most popular landscape plants.
Hosta Guacamole The Hosta Guacamole, Hosta 'Guacamole', is a medium sized hosta that has yellowish leaves with a wid green margin and stems producing white colored flowers. The white flowers of this fast growing hosta bloom in late summer, however, hosta’s are not known for their flowers. Guacamole needs to be planted in a full shade area in any moist, well-drained spot. This low care perennial is ideal for shady positions, tubs and patio pots, and is one of the most popular landscape plants. A great choice for any beginner gardener.
Geranium Hocus Pocus For best results, soil should be of average to moist and well-drained. There is an attaction to bees and butterflies and it is very disease and deer resistant. A great plant for a beginner gardener.
Salvia Plumosa To increase bloom time, it should be cut back after the first bloom. It is hardy for container gardening and provides excellent cut flowers. Blooms look wonderful next to Sedum ‘Matrona’, Achillea 'Coronation Gold' and Saliva ‘Snow Hill’.
Salvia Purple Rain With its dark green basal leaves and aromatic foliage, it makes an attractive accent all summer long. To increase bloom time, it should be cut back after the first bloom. Blooms look wonderful next to Sedum ‘Matrona’, Achillea 'Coronation Gold' and Salvia ‘Snow Hill’.
Iris Butter And Sugar Blooming from late spring into summer, it has a plant height of 28” and a spread of 18-24”. Iris ‘Butter and Sugar’ is one of the most easily grown Iris’.
Leopard Plant Othello New leaves emerge purplish-red but turn to brownish-green.
Sea Thrift Splendins With a plant height of 6" and a spread of 10", its grass like foliage stays evergreen throughout the season.
Veronica Goodness Grows Speedwell ‘Goodness Grows’ is the longest blooming Veronica in its family.
Hosta Sum And Substance ‘Sum and Substance’ was named Hosta of the Year in 2004, and one can see why.
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