Autumn favors new plantings, incl. through the availability of many interesting varieties of perennials, but also due to the already good rooting of plants - which gives a field for transplanting and reproducing clumpy perennials already present in the garden, e.g. funkii. Added to this are favorable weather conditions, i.e. better substrate moisture and lower temperatures than in spring and summer.
Preparations for setting up a bedding perennial
Regardless of the choice of the preparation date, we do it a few days before the planned planting, removing weeds and supplying the soil with compost. Then we plan planting and select plants.
Plants for the perennial bed are selected taking into account the local environmental conditions, i.e. the quality of the substrate, sunlightIt is good to choose species and varieties that differ in flowering time and other ornamental values, so that from spring to autumn, the discount was attractive and surprised with its changes. Plants in the bed should be planted taking into account their target size - height and width.
Magnificent perennials, such as a flame (phlox), larkspur, rudbeckia or yucca, are dominant and form the foundation for plantingThey are planted one by one, two or three in different places in the beds. We plant companion perennials between them. These include daylilies, catnip, cranberries, sage and ornamental grasses. The remaining positions are planted with filling perennials, such as geraniums or snags. We arrange the plants so that the taller specimens do not obscure the lower ones.
Large perennials should be planted approx. 60 cm away from the nearest plant; companion perennials are spaced approx. 45 cm apart (there may be 4 to 8 plants per 1 m²). Filling perennials are mainly ground cover plants. They are planted at about 30 cm intervals, in the number of about 8-12 pieces per 1 m².Before we plant perennials in a permanent place, it is worth placing them on a flowerbed in pots so that you can see and possibly correct the composition
Drought-resistant perennials
Conscious selection of species and varieties for a perennial bed, pay attention to their morphological features (appearance) . Knowledge of the basic features of the appearance of plants will allow us to intuitively select plants with the desired characteristics, for example, drought-resistant.
Plants that tolerate high temperature and drought most often have: compact habit, strong, often woody stems at the bottom, generally small or narrow leaves (sometimes strongly reduced), sometimes curled at the edge. Their leaves are covered with hairs or thick silvery or white cutters that shade the surface of the leaves and reflect the sun's rays.A wax coating or a layer of resin also protects against sun and drying. The root system of such plants is usually highly developed.
From the long list of drought-resistant plants, we recommend keratinis, woolly purgatory, Steller's mugwort and other species of mugwort, silky and Olympic mullein (biennial or short-lived perennials), peach and Dalmatian bellflower, dotted carnation and carduzole Faassen, garden sunflower, common yarrow and meadowsweet, rock dragonfly, sunflower, Caucasian geese or garden guinea pig.
Long-lived perennials
Some of the flowering bedding perennials - such as chalcedonian flint, eagles, carnations or driakiew - will not survive in perfect condition for more than 5 years.The only solution is to rejuvenate them, this treatment should be performed every 2-3 years.
If you want to grow one plant longer or not spend time on rejuvenation, it is better to opt for long-lived perennials. These, with proper care, can grow in the same place for 10-20 years. Older specimens that are still beautiful even 50 years after planting, such as peonies, are also not uncommon.
The list of long-lived perennials is quite long, among them we can find plants that bloom at different times of the year and with different colors of flowers.These include Australian baptisia, hellebore (various species), ash-leaf diphtheria, funkie, echinacea, Siberian iris, daylilies, lungwort, bergenie, ferns, woodland parrot, peonies, plathodon, grasshopper, gingerbread, bulbous redhead, trout (various species) .
Decorative deciduous perennials
Another recommended group of ornamental perennials are undoubtedly ornamental grasses. Their greatest advantage - apart from durability - is their versatility - grasses look great both as solitary plants and those that complement flower beds.
Decorative deciduous perennials represent e.g. miscanthus (Miscanthus), but in addition to their numerous varieties, we can find many other, beautifully flowering species among the grasses, such as Japanese moth (Pennisetum alopecuroides), long-tail millet (Panicum virgatum) and shorthair reed (Calamagrostis brachytricha). Each of them has a different shape and distinctly different but very effective inflorescences, so they can be arranged together in an interesting way in the garden.
All of them form dense clumps, thanks to which they do not grow excessively and do not pose a threat to other plants in the bed.They also do not have high cultivation requirements.They feel best in sunny or slightly shaded positions. Their inflorescences can also be used in cut flower compositions and for drying off.
Where to find inspiration and information?
All the above plants, as well as many others, have been collected and described in thePerennial CatalogThe catalog containing silhouettes of flowers, grasses and ferns is recommended by the Polish Nurserymen Association. The publication contains a description of over 1000 perennials and a list of practical tips on planting and caring for them. Colorful, diverse, fragrant - that's what plants should be like in a garden. Perennials meet all these criteria, moreover, most of them are very easy to grow, so the garden will be blooming throughout the season.
To help plant enthusiasts create interesting plant arrangements, the publication has been enriched with numerous inspirations presented in the photos and a list of plants used to create them. You can buy it at www.katalogiroslin.pl, price approx. PLN 75
For whom? The Bylin catalog should be in the library of every plant enthusiast, as well as those professionally involved in gardening.
