Your garden, first of all, should be an expression of yourself.
It’s a good idea to study the fundamental rules of landscape architecture and to consult authorities for good garden practices, but insert your thoughts, your taste in design, and plant material—even if you learn by the trial-and-error method.
A well-planned perennial border will provide continuous bloom throughout the growing season.
A perennial planting is a permanent planting. Once it has become established, a beautiful garden will grow each spring with little effort on your part.
Considerations For Planning A Perennial Border
Location
When a perennial border is planned, the first consideration should be given to the location. In my case, the frame is planted against a background of flowering shrubs on the north and east sides of the property.
These shrubs include lilac, crabapple, forsythia, and spirea. They provide privacy from the road and adjacent properties, act as a screen against prevailing winds, and furnish a brilliant show of color in early spring.
Here and there, pillar roses are interspersed to continue the background color throughout the summer and fall.
For even more incredible beauty, the primary perennial border can be augmented with bulbs for added interest in early spring, annuals for variety and color during the summer, and chrysanthemums for fall splendor.
Once the bare planting is established, replacements can easily be manipulated, and current novelties added.
A perennial border may be anywhere from 3’ to 6’ feet in depth, although the narrower edge is considerably easier to tend.
Make a rough plan before any plants are ordered; many nurseries offer such plans as guides to their customers.
Refrain from filling the border the first year, but leave ample room for the plant’s growth and the addition of new varieties. A good rule of thumb is one and a half plants per square foot area.
Plant’s Descriptions
Careful consideration must be given to each plant’s color, height, and blooming season to establish a harmonious succession of blooms.
Most catalogs contain complete descriptions of all varieties they offer, and many books and magazines supplement this information.
A perennial border should be divided into three sections—front, middle, and rear.
The front border should contain plants that do not attain a height of much more than a foot at maturity. The middle edge should have a 1’ to 3’ foot range, and the rear wall should include plants that exceed 3’ feet when fully grown.
There is a wealth of material for the front section, including such favorites as violas in all shades, dianthus Alice and Beatrix, iberis, Alyssum, and primroses, whose yellows and reds have long been harbingers of spring.
For fall coloring, don’t forget the dwarf asters Niobe and Victor. Low plants which tolerate shade include Brunnera macrophylla (Anchusa myosotidiflora), the true forget-me-not, creeping Ajuga replans (bugle-flower), and Japanese anemones, which fare best under the shade of trees.
Middle Border
Phlox, poppies, and peonies are outstanding contributions to the middle borders, as they offer a wide color range and a long succession of blooms.
Phlox varieties Meis Copijn and Sir John Falstaff are lustrous salmon, while Miss Lingard furnishes continuous white flowers.
Poppies Salmon Glow and Beauty of Livermore provide brilliant splashes of color, while Veronica Blue Peter and V. Maritima subsessilis (V. longifolia subsessilis), commonly called speedwell, flower from July to September. Finally, Stokesia and Shasta daisy Wirral’s Pride make a pleasing combination.
Among the earliest varieties in this height range that tolerate shade are the old-fashioned dicentra (bleeding heart), which can be followed by pyrethrum, or painted daisy, an excellent cut flower, Lilium canadense (meadow lily), and Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower). Such a grouping would provide various colors, textures, and blooming seasons.
Among the taller plants suggested for the rear border are delphiniums, whose deep purples, rich blues, white, and pinks will appear in June and July and again in September. Sir Galahad is an excellent white variety, and Astolat is a Windsor pink.
Lilium candidum (Madonna lily) is a natural companion of delphinium and Lilium testaceum (Nankeen lily), an excellent foil for the deep purple hybrids. Buddleia Fortune or Flaming Violet will supply June and July colors and are tolerant of semi-shade.
Digitalis, or foxglove, offers a variety of colors, while peony Amberglow, a pale pink, provides early bloom.
Gypsophila Bristol Fairy (baby’s-breath)and Liatris scariosa (gayfeather) can blend the colors. The new ruffled Pompadour hollyhocks will add notes of color to the background. Aconitum (monkshood) and Lilium henry ii make an excellent combination in this section.
As the season progresses and the first lush blooms of summer have passed, it is advisable to plan the addition of annuals to provide an added wealth of flowers and color.
The fragrance and deep rich purple of Royal Fragrance heliotrope is a must, and Peppermint Stick verbena is a striking addition.
Other annuals of great value include ageratum, petunias, zinnias, and marigolds for a heavenly fragrance that attracts hummingbirds, and plant nicotiana (flowering tobacco), which brings a wealth of color through the long summer evenings.
Digitalis, campanulas, and delphinium should be started in seed frames outdoors in late July and August, so young seedlings will be ready to set out in the border in early fall.
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums are a must in every perennial border. They may be grown directly in the middle section or pots in the cold frame and brought to the wall in late summer to fill in bare spots caused by the dying back of spring-blooming material.
Their variety is myriad. The new, improved cushion types, such as Powder Puff, Golden Carpet, and Red Cloud, serve as excellent edging plants and bloom from July to the frost.
Among the exceptionally hardy northland daisies, such varieties as Mme. Gatski, October, and Frosty Morn will produce cut flowers through September and October.
Each year many excellent new hardy chrysanthemums are introduced. Among the most recent introductions are Polaris, which was outstanding at The New York Botanical Garden exhibit last fall; Charles Nye, a rich yellow; Carnival and Huntsman for glowing burnt orange and scarlet orange; and White Wonder, about the best of the whites.
While most perennials grow best in full sun and rich, loamy soil, these conditions do not always exist. Many gardeners are troubled by arid, sunny places.
In such areas, Dianthus plumarius (hardy garden carnation), Alyssum saxatile (rock mad wort), and nepeta (ground ivy) will thrive all spring.
At the same time, gaillardia will give you plenty of midsummer-cut flowers. The addition of humus can improve poor soil conditions.
Japanese iris, rich purples, royal blues, and pure whites are the perfect plants in low, moist spots. Trollius (globe flower) and spirea (astilbe) will thrive equally well in moist or normal conditions.
For Dry Places
After the blooming season has passed in the fall, the tops of all plants should be cut and burned, as they may harbor disease and insects.
When clumps of perennials become too large and overgrown, they should be lifted and divided. This will be necessary every few years. For example, spring-blooming varieties can be divided into the fall and the fall-blooming types in early spring.
Perennial beds may be mulched with oak leaves, straw, salt hay, or buckwheat hulls for winter protection.
The mulch should be applied after the first thorough freeze and removed early in the spring. If buckwheat hulls are used, removing them is unnecessary, for they will serve to keep down weeds.
Give your garden good care, but above all, enjoy it! You can start with perennials.
44659 by Helen M. Totty