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Before you create your individual perennial garden, you have the task of clarifying basic questions. The composition of the plants must fit your green oasis perfectly. This guide takes you step by step to a beautiful perennial garden.
Everything works better with good planning
General Considerations
Make the choice of plants for your perennial bed dependent on the conditions in your garden.
a) How is your garden designed, in which style? The perennials should harmonize with it.
b) Is the area that you want to use for your new perennial border in the sun, in partial shade or in the shade? Please note that perennials sometimes have very different demands on the location. Most plants prefer (moderately) sunny to semi-shady places. But: Very few perennials can cope well with the blazing midday sun.
Note: Hot and dry locations are better suited for prairie gardens.
c) How is the soil in your garden? You should know that, because not all perennials thrive on every surface. Although it can always be improved, it can rarely be completely changed. Adapt your choice of plants to the soil conditions.
Put perennial garden on paper
The next step is to put the analysis into practice and select specific perennials that fit your garden profile. On a piece of paper, write down the plants that are likely to interest you. It is best to lay out your perennial garden to scale on this sheet of paper. Here is some advice:
- The number of plants must conform to the space available. Also note the required planting distances between the individual perennials.
- When setting up your perennial garden, stick to the following rules: Each perennial species has a certain "rank" in the bed:
Centre: Lead perennials - are characterized by their size and strong flower colour
Framing: Companion perennials - are smaller and less conspicuous than leader perennials
Filling: filler plants - very small and inconspicuous plants (e.g. ground cover)
Combine a few leading perennials with a few companion perennials. Any gaps can be adorned with filler plants - they act as a kind of stopgap.
Note: It is important that the flowers of the different perennials come from either the same or complementary color families.
- When choosing plants, also consider the flowering time of the perennials. In principle, a distinction is made between spring, summer and autumn bloomers. Of course, the bed is at its most beautiful when all the plants are blooming at the same time.
Once the planting plan is in place, you can start implementing it - i.e. ordering and planting the perennials.