Planting perennials now will pay off for years

With rain on the way, I’m digging planting holes and planting perennials found on sale at my local nursery. Perennials are plants that return year after year in the garden, and fall is the perfect time to plant them.
Now’s a great time for the plants to get their roots established by watering them until the ground freezes, as rain is scarce, and putting them to bed with a layer of mulch. The mulch is spread around the plant — never touching the stem — where it acts as a blanket, stops frost heaving and keeps the soil evenly moist.

Planting perennials like anemone ‘Queen Charlotte’ will provide summer blooms for years. Photos by Doug Oster

Each planting hole gets a generous dose of compost, mixed well with the native soil. It should be twice as big as the root ball and the plant should not be planted any deeper than it was in the pot. Improving the planting hole is essential, as many of these plants will outlive the gardener and giving them a good home will make them thrive for decades.
It’s much less stressful on the plants when they are put in the ground on a cool, rainy day. It feels good to be planting on a day like this, but sometimes the timing just doesn’t work out. When it’s sunny and warm, wait until later in the day to plant. The perennials will have all evening to prepare for the next day.

Perennial hibiscus is easy to grow and puts on a show in late summer.

The advantage of perennials over annuals is that they don’t need to be replanted each season. The downside is that these plants usually only bloom for several weeks. Annuals will flower for most or all of the frost-free season. I couldn’t live without my impatiens, marigolds and other annuals, but I keep adding more perennials each season.
The fun part is deciding where spring, summer and fall bloomers should go. The first consideration is whether they like sun or shade. It breaks my heart to see a hosta struggling in full sun during a July heat wave, and sun lovers won’t bloom or grow strongly in the shade.

Planting perennials like peonies will provide blooms for decades.

In general terms, tall plants go in the back of the border and smaller in the front.
I’m often asked what I would recommend to grow, and I’ll list some favorites here, but grow what you love. Spend time at a good local nursery asking questions and looking at plants. Remember, for most of the year it’s the foliage that takes center stage, and the flowers are the gravy. If the colors, texture and form move you, that plant should go in the landscape.
Explore the garden centers for some new and interesting plants for your garden. They will keep you happy for years to come.

Doug Oster is editor of Everybody Gardens, a website operated by 535Media, LLC. Reach him at 412-965-3278 or doster@535mediallc.com. See other stories, videos, blogs, tips and more at everybodygardens.com.

Video-Moving perennials

Video-How to plant perennials