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Perennials are a must-have in any garden!

Perennials - Perennials 1

Perennials come back each year, but they need the right start. Explore how to choose, plant, and care for them so they grow stronger and flower well.

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Fascinating Fact:

Perennials often need time to establish before they look their best. A common pattern is “sleep, creep, leap”, slow in year one, stronger in year two, then full in year three.

Perennials are plants that live for more than two years, returning from their roots each spring. Some are herbaceous and die back in winter, while others keep woody stems. Good planting makes a big difference, choose the right spot for light and moisture, improve the soil with organic matter, and water well until the roots settle in. After that, care is mostly simple: mulch to hold moisture, remove tired stems, and feed lightly if growth is weak. Many perennials benefit from dividing crowded clumps every few years, which gives healthier plants and more pieces to replant. If flowers fade early, deadheading can encourage a longer display. Picking varieties that suit your garden conditions is the easiest way to get strong, reliable colour year after year.

Key Terms

Herbaceous perennial: A perennial that dies back above ground in winter and regrows from the base in spring.
Mulch: A layer placed on the soil surface to help keep moisture in, reduce weeds, and improve soil over time.
Division: Splitting a clump into smaller sections to renew the plant and create new plants.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is a perennial plant?

A perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years and returns each growing season, usually from the same roots, rather than needing to be replanted every year.

When is the best time to plant perennials in the UK?

In the UK, spring and early autumn are usually best for planting perennials because the soil is workable and there is enough moisture for roots to establish before extreme heat or deep cold.

How do I look after perennials after they finish flowering?

After flowering, remove spent blooms if suitable for the plant, tidy damaged stems, and keep watering during dry spells. Mulching and occasional feeding can support healthy regrowth for the next season.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1 .

The plant in the photograph belongs to a genus that contains garden plants grown for both their flowers and their foliage. What is it?

Photograph courtesy of Adheds

Euonymous

Heuchera

Mahonia

Skimmia

Belongs to the Saxifragaceae family.
The plants hybridize easily and this has led to a pletheora of different types.
A nursery in the new forest specialize in the plants and offer a fabulous range. Search Google on the genus name and you are sure to find them!

"Heucheraholics" in the New Forest offer a splendid range of these plants for your garden. Their website is at http://heucheraholics.co.uk/

2 .

Gunnera is sometimes known as what?

Photograph courtesy of Douneika

Dinosaur food

Elephant food

Hippopotamus food

Rhinoceros food

Individual leaves can be broader than the height of a man!
The flower-heads are in proportion to the leaves and can weigh over 10 kilos.
It resembles a giant rhubarb and is sometimes known as that.
The prickly underside of the leaves are strong enough to tear skin.
Best grown in a boggy area or beside a pond where there is plenty of space.

3 .

Penstemons are known for their ability to flourish in what type of conditions?

Photograph courtesy of M. Martin Vicente

Dry

Humid

Wet

Windy

The flower shape is very distinctive and the plants are sometimes referred to as "Beard-tongues"!
Wikipedia lists more than 250 different species and there are countless hybids.
In July each year the Flagstaff arboretum in Arizona hosts a famous "Penstemon Festival".
Some varieties are not reliable hardy in cold conditions so it pays to mulch choice plants with straw each winter.

Many of the species come from desert regions

4 .

What is the botanical name of the Peruvian Lily?

Photograph courtesy of J J Harrison

Alstroemeria

Alternaria

Anchusa

Anemone

There are about 120 different species and almost all come from South America.
Hybrid varieties are often grown in glasshouses for use as cut flowers.
Available in several different shades of red, yellow, orange and pink.
The plants grow easily in most garden soils.
Produce rhizomes which can be lifted every few years and split-up as a means of propagation.

5 .

No herbaceous border is complete without this beautiful plant. What is its common name?

Photograph courtesy of Pissodisevo

Foxdress

Foxglove

Foxhat

Foxsock

Digitalis was often used medicinally for various heart conditions. Its use is now discouraged because of its unpredictable amounts of active ingredients - too much can kill you!
Its name means "finger-like" because the flowers fit easily around a human finger.
Flowers come in a range of shades from pure white to deep purple.
Grows in sun or shade but in the latter it might grow very tall and need staking.

6 .

What species of Euonymous is this evergreen shrub?

Photograph courtesy of Bill Barber

Forchinious

Fortanimous

Fortonia

Fortunei

Often called the Spindle tree.
There are many different varieties that come in a range of foliage colours.
The variety shown is "Emerald 'n' Gold" - one of the most popular varieties for winter colour.
Sometimes used to form low growing hedges that require little attention because of their slow growth.
Any green growth (non variegated) that appears should be removed as soon as possible.

7 .

Why does it pay to take care around Berberis plants?

Photograph courtesy of ndrwfgg

Branches are thorny

Flowers harbour wasps

Foliage is irritating

Whole plant is poisonous

The picture shops Berberis Darwinii which produces masses of golden flowers in spring followed by berries in the autumn.
Plants are fast growing and extremely hardy.
Needs little care other than pruning to keep it contained to the area you require - often at the back of a shrub border.
Is tolerant of most soils - even heavy clay.
Grows quickly enough to be used as a screen.

Berberis is a good choice if you want to create an inpenetrable barrier.

8 .

Which small tree flowers early in the Spring and has flowers like those in the picture?

Photograph courtesy of pittigliani2005

Abelanchier

Acelanchier

Amelanchier

Apelanchier

Sometimes known as the Shadbush or Shadwood.
There are about 20 different species and all are deciduous.
The flowers are white or light pink and these are follwed by red or puple berries which are an important food-source to wildlife.
In the USA some varieties are grown for human consumption but, as far as we know, this is not the case in the UK.

9 .

From where do most species of Clematis originate?

Photograph courtesy of Qsimple

Australia

China and Japan

Europe

South America

There is a British Clematis Society that exists for the purpose of encouraging all gardeners to grow and enjoy clematis.
Plants can be grown from seed but a batch will contain both "Good" and "Bad" plants - you might be lucky enough to find a new show-stopper!
To propagate the varieties that you particularly like you need to take cuttings early in the year so that the new plants build up their strength before the next winter.

10 .

What type of soil must Rhododendrons have in order to thrive?

Photograph courtesy of Ambersky235

Acid

Alkaline

Clayey

Sandy

Botanically this genus includes Azaleas but gardeners usually think of Rhododendrons and Azaleas as completely different plants.
The Queen's estate at Sandringham is noted for its wonderful displays.
Some species grow so profusely that they are regarded as an intrusive weed.
Foliage is so dense that virtually nothing will grow in their shadow.

The plants are ericaceous and as such they will not tolerate alkaline soils.

Author: Colin King

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