There are plants in the yard that come back every year. Annuals die off at the first frost and need to be planted over every year. Perennials, on the other hand, come back every spring after wintering over.
Perennials that are healthy and happy, like long-blooming coneflower and shade-loving hosta, will grow and spread quickly, making your yard full of life. A perennial plant can be very easy to take care of, but many people make some mistakes that keep them from doing well.
If your plants aren’t flowering as much or aren’t growing at all, you’re probably making a common mistake in your annual garden. Luckily, there are ways to fix each problem and grow a lush, colorful landscape.
Ignoring Your Zone
Each perennial has a hardiness zone range that is based on where the coldest temps usually happen. The temperature range goes from Zone 1, which is usually the coldest, to Zone 13, which is usually the hottest.
A tropical plant that does best in Zones 8 or higher probably won’t do well in your garden if you live in Iowa, which is in Zones 4-5. To get the most out of your annual garden, pick plants that do well in your zone.
Putting Perennials in the Wrong Spot
When you put a plant in your yard, you should make sure it gets the right amount of light and soil. This is what the old saying “right plant, right place” means. To find out what your perennial garden plants like to grow in, all you have to do is look at the information tag at the farm or read a plant encyclopedia.
Before you go plant shopping, think about what kind of light your yard gets to know which perennials will work best in your garden. If necessary, add soil amendments to help your chosen perennials grow well.
Not Planting for Color Through the Seasons
When planning your annual garden, make sure you pick plants that will bloom from spring to fall. Most plants that come back every year bloom for three weeks. Pick plants that flower at different times of the year to spread out the flowers in your yard.
Hellebore and trillium are two early-blooming plants that will show up in the spring. Aster, black-eyed Susan, and Russian sage are late-season perennials that will take over in the summer and fall.
Planting Too Close
A young perennial in a 4-inch pot can easily grow to be several feet across in just a few years. When you add new plants to your perennial garden, think about how wide and tall they’ll be when they’re fully grown.
Pick locations based on the plant’s full size, taking into account other plants, buildings, and paths that are close by.
This will also help keep your plants healthy, since crowded perennials are a good place for diseases to grow. In their first year, perennials grow slowly. But in their second year, they grow very quickly, and by their third year, they usually hit their full size.
Mulching Too Much or Too Little
Putting down a 3-inch layer of organic mulch, like shredded bark, around your perennial garden will help keep weeds down and keep the soil wet. Mulching should be kept about 2 to 3 inches away from the crown of each plant.
Mulching that is too close to or on top of the crown can slowly kill the plant or let diseases take hold. Mulch wears away over time, so put down a new layer every year.
Not Staking Tall Stems
There are plants that need a little help to stand tall. Some flower stems, like those on delphinium, peonies, and asters, are long or thin and tend to fall to the ground when they open.
To stop this from happening, stake the stems before the flowers appear. For each plant you need to support, you can choose between single posts and a grow-through grid. If you’d rather not stake your plants, look for versions of your favorite perennials that are shorter and won’t need to be supported.
Neglecting Maintenance
For the most part, evergreen plants don’t need much care, but they look even better when you do. By regularly cutting off the spent flowers, you tell the plant to put its energy into building a strong root system and, in some cases, more flowers later in the season.
Many perennials also get new life from being divided. Aim to divide plants in your perennial yard about every three years.