Picking Perennials

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

10 Apr 2008 09:36 AM

Spring is here and as the birds flock to our yards, we homeowners tend to flock to the garden centers and home improvement stores to pick up our colorful plants. Perennials are a great choice. Instead of going through the process of buying flats of flowers that die off at the end of the season, such as begonias, impatiens, geraniums and petunias, why not pick some perennials. These plants will come back year after year. This saves both time and money.

Perennials may cost a little bit more than annuals when you purchase them, but unlike annuals, they will only get bigger and increase in value through the years. Some perennials can be split and planted elsewhere, further reducing your cost for color in your yard.

If you aren't sure where to begin when working with perennials, read these tips.

Most perennial plants will bloom for about six weeks, and then you won't see any flowers until the following year. While it is tempting, very tempting, to buy perennials that are already in bloom, you'll get more use out of them in your first year if you purchase plants that haven't yet flowered.

When you plant perennials, be sure to space them according to the size they will be when they are mature. This will give the plants plenty of room to grow.

You can grow perennial plants from seed. This can be a fun and very inexpensive way to obtain your plants. But, you'll have to realize that most perennial plants won't produce any flowers until their second year. Think of them as baby plants that take a little time to grow. Be sure that you use fresh seeds when you start perennials to ensure germination, so you won't be disappointed and have to do it all again the following year.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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