Perennials are a great way to add color, with low water usage and little maintenance.

Perennials will usually return year after year. However, selecting and planting perennials takes a little thought and preparation. First, unlike annuals, most perennials will bloom brilliantly for 2-3 weeks. (Many will bloom off and on after the first show.) It is important to take your time selecting plants and asking questions, taking into consideration the bloom time (such as early June, Mid August), growth habit (both height and width), and light, water, and maintenance requirements.

Second, prepare your flower beds by incorporating generous amounts of organic matter, such as compost, top soil, peat moss, or blends of these. Fertilizing the beds is important in order to get maximum bloom and rooting. The incorporated organic matter usually does not contain sufficient nutrients please supplement with fertilizer such as a root stimulator for the first month. You can add a mycorrhiza which will help the roots adapt quicker and is beneficial to the soil.

Third, perennials should be planted on 18″ centers or closer if you are using a ground cover to fill in between pavers or walkway, so as not to compete with their neighbor for space. This may leave some gaps in your planting for the first year, so plant a few annuals for color in the gaps. For clarification if you are planting ground covers such as stepables it is much closer

Watering new perennials will typically start at 2 times a week to soak the soil, usually a 1 minute or 2. It is key to soak them well not just fly over the top with a light sprinkling. In the heat of the summer you will probably need to water 3 times a week for the first two seasons. Once the temperatures drop you can move back to 2 times a week, and finally when the plants go dormant you will water one time per month.

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After your perennials are finished blooming, remove the old flower heads (deadheading). This may encourage more flowering later in the growing season as well as keeping the bed tidy.

In the fall, mulch the flower bed after a few heavy frosts and be sure to water the bed during warm dry periods over the winter, typically every 3 weeks if there is no snow on the ground.

Most perennials will be very drought tolerant after a couple of seasons in the ground, they just have to adapt which usually takes a couple of years. Winter watering is key for nice blooms and plant growth. If you have deer and rabbits as they tend to like many of the perennials here in Colorado. Elk eat everything deer don’t, geese don’t care, voles love roots and remember too much water does not make a perennial grow.