Choosing Plants for Your Garden

Wanting year-round color in the landscape is usually what pushes gardeners from annuals toward perennials — but "perennial" covers an enormous range of care needs.

Low-Maintenance vs. High-Reward

Not every perennial lasts forever, but most, with basic care, hold on for two years or more, dying back in cooler climates and returning stronger each spring. Maiden pinks, salvia, rock cress, and hostas are close to plant-and-go — natural rainfall is usually enough. Flowering perennials like roses, lavender, peonies, and dianthus ask a bit more, mainly deadheading to keep them blooming, but a soaker hose system takes most of the watering effort out of the equation.

Planning Around Bloom Times

One of the biggest advantages of perennials is the sheer range of bloom windows available — with the right zone and mix of varieties, it's possible to have color in the garden nearly year-round. That same staggered blooming makes perennials a good match for container gardening too, since they need less frequent transplanting and reward you with a longer season of flowers per plant.