it's all about gardening during these long, full days of spring. we're not just focusing on our vegetable & herb garden; we have been spending time in our front flower beds. we lost four big, beautiful lavender plants to the harsh winter so we've been filling in the holes with other perennial plants. it's so exciting to invest in plants that will grow fuller year-after-year. i love adding annual flowers to our pots on the porch, but i am reserving our front flower beds for perennials. i thought i would share my favorites with you today!
1. hostas: i love their bright green color & leaf shape. they're easy to maintain, too.
2. creeping phlox: phlox typically flowers before most any plant in the spring so it provides a pop of color when everything else is still in a deep winter sleep. we choose creeping phlox to grow over our wooden borders. i am so excited to see its growth next spring!
3. lavender: i already miss our big, beautiful lavender bushes. i added one lavender to our bed in hopes that it will survive our winters. it smells so yummy. during the summer, i cut off the blooms to add to little flower bouquets for friends.
4. peonies: i added a peony from the nursery, too. it shouldn't bloom until next spring, but i cannot wait. the soft peach color & smell is my favorite.
5. coneflowers or echinacea: i absolutely love coneflowers. they are native to this region & are easy to maintain. this season i found coneflowers in a citrus & red color instead of the usual purple. i am so excited to see the beautiful flowers for the first time.
6. hydrangeas: hydrangeas are a southern tradition & a must for any garden down south. my mother-in-law gifted me two hydrangea bushes last summer that are doing quite well, despite a surprise freeze we had a couple of weeks ago.
7. purple salvia: this is a new one to me, but i already love the big purple flowers.
8. creeping jenny: i absolutely love creeping jenny's bright green color & it does so well here. it is such a beautiful ground cover.
i still have my eye out for a shasta daisy. they're so bright & cheery!
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purchasing perennials can be expensive. we always keep an eye out in the newspaper for special deals on plants throughout the season. take a look at the reduced price cart of plants at lowe's & home depot. we have found beautiful plants that just needed a little tlc. in addition, fall is a great time to purchase perennial plants before nurseries close for the season.
what are some of your favorite perennial plants?
- natalie
I'm in need of adding some perennials to my garden. While I'm familiar with most of them, it's great to hear of a few others. I love lilies of the valley, lilacs, and irises too!
ReplyDeleteOur landscaping is still evolving (I am better with veggies than with decorative plants) but purple salvia is by far one of my favorite additions! Our clematis also came back beautifully!
ReplyDeleteok - I will love this blog but you mentioned "native to this region" but those of us newbies need to know what regions each of you are talking about as here in AZ things are quite different-- is this blog only for the east or central
ReplyDeleteI just divided my Shasta daisies to spread the love to our backyard perennial bed. I love their happy faces, too. Love all your new plants. I've never tried creeping Jenny in the ground only in pots...think I will give it a try.
ReplyDeletegrammabebe - on our about page, you can find out which zone we live in. :)
ReplyDeletere-doing our front flower bed and loving all your pics! i've tried to plant multiple times at several of our homes in multiple cities we've lived in but i can't ever manage to make them last.
ReplyDeleteYour collection of perennial plants are beautiful. You’re right about them being good investments. Perennial plants are practical, especially when you know how to pick right kind of plant that fits your zone’s climate. The right ones will give you beautiful flowers that will be around most of the year, and will save you some cost in replanting.
ReplyDeleteGwendolyn Reyes @ Tapestry, NJ