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Perennials are plants for decorating your garden that grow for more than two years, bloom beautifully or have decorative foliage. The value of perennials is that they grow without requiring close attention for several years in one place, they are very diverse in appearance, height, and growing conditions. Therefore, gardeners have limitless possibilities for using the decorative properties of perennials.
Perennial ornamental plants are valued by flower growers because they bloom beautifully and profusely, grow well, covering all available space, leaving no chance for weeds. By selecting perennials for summer cottages that bloom at different times, you can create a flower bed that will delight its owners with flowering from early spring to frost. Non-flowering perennials have a variety of texture and leaf color, which makes them indispensable when used for decorative purposes. Moreover, many representatives of perennial flora grow and bloom in low light conditions. Therefore, when creating landscape compositions from perennials, consider their lighting requirements. Shade-loving perennials go well with trees and shrubs.
Perennials are very unpretentious to the conditions, they grow in 1-2 years, so planting perennials is profitable from a financial point of view. Some time later, you will have several perennials. Planting annuals and perennials together, you will be able to update plant compositions every year, every season there will be something new in the look of your garden.
Perennial plants for summer cottages
A suburban area is a place where citizens tend to escape from the bustle of the city in order to be in nature. Most of the townspeople in the country grow not only berries, herbs and vegetables for their table, but also flowers that perform a decorative function of decorating their summer cottage. Many people have a question, what flowers to plant in the country? Watch the video for inspiration:
Unpretentious perennials can be an excellent solution for those summer residents who do not have the opportunity to be in the country all season, they come only on weekends. Having spent time creating a flower bed from perennials, in subsequent years you can receive only positive aesthetic emotions from growing plants without making any effort. When creating flower arrangements from perennials, consider the flowering time of plants and their size.
Low-growing
Undersized representatives from the army of perennials look good in plantings along paths, in borders in the foreground, in mixborders, in carpet beds, alpine slides or on the slopes of summer cottages. See photos with the names of perennial flowers for summer cottages:
Alpine aster
Alpine aster is a low-growing perennial plant. It is characterized by early flowering: the end of May – June. We are all used to the fact that asters bloom at the end of summer – in autumn. Varieties of undersized asters can be used in borders, if planted at a small distance from each other, they will create a carpet bed, which will be covered with flowers. The flower prefers light soils, does not tolerate stagnant moisture, sunny areas are most suitable for perennial asters, however, it grows well in partial shade. Astra shrub grows especially well on alpine hills. The perennial is propagated by cuttings and dividing the bush. Initially can be grown from seed. Varieties: “Gloria”, “Goliath”, “Albus” are distinguished by a variety of flower colors.
Tulip
Perennial for those gardeners who want to paint their spring garden with bright colors. A huge variety of colors and shapes of tulips will not leave anyone indifferent. Tulip bulbs can not be dug up for 2-3 years, there is a type of botanical tulips that do not dig up for 5 years. The bulbs are planted in autumn, around mid-September, in well-drained fertile soil. Choose a place for planting perennials with the condition that it will be well lit. Tulips are very fond of frequent watering, especially during the flowering period. For proper flowering and for the supply of nutrients in the bulb, flowers should be fed with fertilizers, which include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, when sprouts appear, during flowering and after flowering is completed.
Scilla
Scilla is a bulbous undersized perennial that has taken root well in summer cottages. One of the first flowers to bloom in spring. Delicate blue flowers look touchingly against the background of only thawed soil. For planting blueberries, choose sunny or semi-shady areas, the flower grows well under the trees. The perennial prefers light, well-drained soils. When planting a plant in garden soil, you can add forest land, which has pieces of bark, leaves and needles. In summer cottages, Siberian sprout is most often grown. The flower reproduces by bulbs.
Daisy
The perennial daisy prefers light garden soils without stagnant water. The flower responds well to additional feeding, although it grows well without them. Grows best in well-lit areas and is a great companion for tulips. An extremely unpretentious perennial, it is not in vain that it is planted on lawns, which are cut from time to time. Daisies do not suffer from this at all, they grow even more actively. Flowers can be propagated either by dividing the bush or cuttings. Daisy seeds are commercially available. And if you grow flowers in seedlings, then they will bloom already in the current vegetative season. The best varieties include: Rob Roy, Pomponette, Robella.
Lily of the valley
The perennial grows on any soil, is very unpretentious, in a year the roots grow up to 20 cm in length, so the best way to propagate lilies of the valley is to divide the roots. In order for the plants to bloom every year at their summer cottage, they need to be thinned out every 3 years, otherwise they will thicken, grind and stop blooming. Now varieties of lilies of the valley have been bred with an unusual color of flowers – pale pink and striped leaves. Decorative varieties of lilies of the valley can be grown from seeds. The plant belongs to shade-loving perennials, grows well in partial shade, blooms in May, flowering duration is about 20 days. Flowers have a pleasant delicate aroma.
Middle-aged
Medium-sized perennials are planted in groups or singly when you want to focus on plantings. Medium-sized flowering perennials, or those with decorative foliage, can be used to divide a personal plot into zones, to decorate recreation areas or create multi-level flower beds.
Peony
Peonies are the most popular flowers among gardeners. Large flowers attract attention. The plant is unpretentious, and its cultivation is not associated with any difficulties. Peonies are propagated by dividing the bush, it is better to do this in August-September. 3, 4-year-old bushes are suitable for dividing a perennial. The division of the bush and its planting should be approached with special attention. The rhizome of the flower goes deep into the soil, dig it very carefully and remove it, being careful not to break it. Divide into parts so that each has 4 kidneys. Prepare a hole for planting perennials. Mix peat, compost, river sand, garden soil in it, add a glass of ash and superphosphate, copper sulfate (1 tbsp. L). The next season, the peony will not bloom, but in subsequent years it will definitely please you with abundant flowering.
Lily
Lilies grow in one place for a long time, frequent transplants lead to a slowdown in the development of the plant. Decide immediately on a permanent place for lilies for the next 5 years. Flowers are unpretentious. They respond well to fertilizing with mineral fertilizers and ash. In autumn, cut off the aerial part of the perennial and mulch the soil with peat over the bulb.
Hosta
A perennial plant with amazingly colored and shaped leaves. Hosta is a flowering plant, however, the flowers look very modest against the background of the leaves. One of the few perennials that grows better in the shade than in the sun. The plant is shade tolerant. Varieties with light leaves grow well in sunny areas. The plant loves light, but well-moistened soils. During the dry season, it needs to be watered regularly. The host also responds well to fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers. You can propagate either by cuttings or by dividing the rhizome.
phlox
Perennial, with a variety of colors of flowers with a pleasant aroma, bloom from early summer to late autumn. Extremely unpretentious in growing conditions. Prefer light-loving areas of the garden with light loam. In order for the plant to bloom profusely, water and feed it. For fertilizing perennials, any complex mineral fertilizers are suitable.
Aster shrub
Aster shrub perennial blooms in September and blooms until frost. Against the backdrop of fading nature, the plant looks especially attractive. The plant is unpretentious in care, grows well on loose soils in a well-lit part of the garden. Top dressing is required at the planting stage. Astra gives a lot of side shoots, so the bush can be given the desired shape by cutting it. Perennial bushes are propagated by division or cuttings.
Tall
Tall perennials can become the basis of a landscape composition, be located in the center of a multi-tiered flower bed, or be used in mixborders of perennials and annuals, and can also be a mono planting.
Lupine
In central Our Country, the flower grows wild, with the advent of lupine hybrids, the plant has fallen in love with many gardeners, as it is undemanding to soil and care. It always blooms profusely in summer, and if you cut the flower stalks, it can bloom in the fall. The plant propagates by cuttings, for this, the basal bud is cut out with part of the flower root and planted in the soil.
Delphinium
A tall plant, in which flowers are collected on a long peduncle in inflorescences, in the shape of an elongated pyramid. Delphinium blooms in June-July, and autumn flowering is also possible if the first peduncles are cut off. Plants love sunny areas. In one place, the flower lives up to 10 years. When the flowers grow, they need thinning. To do this, cut out the extra stems from the central part, leaving 5 stems. The flower may need to be tied up. Delphinium propagates by cuttings and dividing the bush. The flower loves fertile soil, responds well to watering and fertilizing with fertilizers with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in the composition. Popular perennial varieties: “Princess Caroline”, “Snow Lace”, “Pink Butterfly”.
Volzhanka
Or another name, aruncus grows well in sunny and shady areas. The plant looks spectacular due to its large size and white flowers in the form of panicles with a pleasant aroma. It blooms from July for about a month, then the faded panicles are cut off, leaving the foliage, and the stems are cut off in the fall. Volzhanka is propagated by division.
Lianas
Perennial creepers give even more scope for the implementation of design ideas. In landscape design, they are used to decorate garden houses, arches, fences, they perform the function of dividing the territory into zones.
Maiden Grapes
Forms abundant greenery, in the gazebo, covered with girlish grapes, there will always be coolness. The plant is unpretentious, grows on any soil. If planted near the facade of the house, then he does not even need to organize a support. Excess shoots must be cut. In autumn, parthenocissus acquires crimson shades of foliage, which looks very picturesque. Liana propagates by cuttings.
Clematis
A perennial liana with beautiful flowers of various shades amazes the imagination of even experienced gardeners. The plant loves fertile soil, abundant watering. But it does not tolerate stagnant water. With a lack of moisture, the flowers become smaller. Clematis is very fond of fertilizing with mineral fertilizers and organic matter. Plants need support. For the winter, creepers must be covered.
Conclusion
Be sure to plant perennials in your garden. These are versatile plants that require the most minimal care. Having skillfully selected several species from perennials, you can equip a flower bed of continuous flowering. Planted perennials along the path will transform it into an object of landscape design. Perennials can be not only a decor, but also perform some functions, for example, the role of a fence, dividing into zones, or protecting from sunlight.