Would you like to be enchanted with the loveliest plants in your garden during every season of the year? Every perennial has its own period in which it’s at its most beautiful. The best time to plant them is in the autumn. With a little patience, they will be displaying their prettiest looks throughout various seasons.
Spring
When spring arrives, the early-flowering perennials are eager to show off their dazzling flowers. Here are just five of them:
- Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
- Primrose (Primula)
- Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)
- Barrenwort (Epimedium)
- Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla)
Summer
Even while the spring-flowering perennials are still enjoying a great start to the garden season, the summer-flowering plants can hardly wait to follow them. Here are ten of the most popular from among the many to choose from:
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)
- Delphinium
- Catmint (Nepeta)
- Phlox
- Coreopsis
- Columbine (Aquilegia)
- Bellflower (Campanula)
- Monkscap (Aconitum)
- Masterwort (Astrantia)
- Cranesbill (Geranium)
Autumn
The autumn-flowering plants often add bright warm colours to the garden. Here are five gorgeous examples:
- Bugbane (Cimicifuga)
- Michaelmas Daisy (Aster)
- Japanese Anemone (Anemone)
- Stonecrop (Sedum)
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Winter
There aren’t that many perennials that flower during the winter, but some seem to laugh at the cold and attract lots of attention, too. One of these is the Christmas Rose (Helleborus). The fantastic range of colours offered by the many cultivars of Helleborus orientalis hybridus make them very popular. But winter-flowering pansies (Viola) also make colourful eye-catchers in the winter garden.
The best time to plant
Regardless of when they flower, the autumn months are perfect for planting most perennials. This is because they are dormant (not growing or flowering) at this time. Before the ground freezes, they will still have plenty of time to develop new roots. This means that they will be able to absorb water and nutrients effectively next spring.
Good to know
- There are also some perennials that produce beautiful leaves; this makes them stand out even when not flowering. Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla), Foam Flower (Tiarella) and Plantain Lily (Hosta) are good examples.
- Planting ferns, ornamental grasses and evergreen groundcovers will eliminate bare spots and keep your garden looking attractive throughout the year.
