Im trying to plant more perennials but need advice.

[loopyloo]

I want a beautiful colorful garden. I was wondering what some perennial plants were that were easy to care for and maintain that had that splash of color? We have six Day Lilly plants right now.

 

[Rzashida]

I like black eyed susan and purple coneflowers. The reason I like them in my yard, is because they reproduce and spread so in my garden bed it gets a little fuller each year. (I've had them about 7 years). Grown all natural from seed. I like bulbs too to add a splash of color seasonally

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

pansy's are great perennials, they are one of my favourites because they come in so many colours, and they are darn hard to kill. They are good for somewhere with a bit of shade, because they get stressed if it too hot. I've got a beautiful false sunflower growing this year - if there are any that are native to your area they are very easy to maintain as well.

 

[ChanellG]

pansy's are great perennials, they are one of my favourites because they come in so many colours, and they are darn hard to kill. They are good for somewhere with a bit of shade, because they get stressed if it too hot. I've got a beautiful false sunflower growing this year - if there are any that are native to your area they are very easy to maintain as well.

That's a good point about native plants. I would love to have pansies, but I would probably spend the entire summer moving them about to protect them from the sun! I need all-weather perennials that can take the heat and lots of rain, lol. It's been raining so much here that I am starting to lose plants.

But, to address the original question, I'd say look for plants with variegated foliage that do well in your climate.

 

[gata montes]

loopyloo, Perennial gardens are my favorite, because they are easy care, and I prefer texture and colored foliage, with just a few flowering plants to compliment the planting scheme, and my planting schemes always include a Day Lilly or two.
I have had quite a few perennial gardens, in various climates, all of which have been started from scratch, and have learnt something different from each one.
So here are a few tips that I hope will be helpful.
An all perennial garden might be a bit of a disappointment during the winter, as not all perennials are evergreen, so it is often a good idea to add some structure to your garden, for both color and texture, in the form of easy care evergreen shrubs, small trees or spiky evergreen plants for year round color and texture, the addition of large decorative pots or garden ornaments, colored gravels, flints, and rocks all help as well.
Keeping planting simple, for example planting, individual groups of 3 or 5, has much more impact and is more pleasing to the eye than a mass of different plants, all fighting to be seen.
A money saving tip - when buying clump forming perennials, that you want more than one of, it is far cheaper to buy one large one and divide it into three, than buy three individual ones.
I am assuming, that as you are currently growing Daylillies, your garden gets plenty of sun, below I have listed some easy care perennials and a few shrubs, that I have grown very successfully with Daylillies and even been complimented on the combinations, so hope they work for you.

Perennials.

Yucca Gloriosa
Cordyline Australis
Phormium - comes in a wide range of colors that look great with Daylillies
Agapanthus
Veronica Spicata - spiky blue, pink or white flowers
Sedums - spoilt for choice here
Crocosmia -particularly ' Lucifer '
Gazanias
Sisyrinchiums.
Ornamental grasses of all kinds

Shrubs

Cotinus - all colours
Aucuba Japonica
Photinia Davidiana ' Palette '
Viburnum
Small to medium conifers

 

[ChanellG]

loopyloo, Perennial gardens are my favorite...

I bought two containers of agapanthus at the end of May. I had so much trouble dividing the first one when I repotted it that I left the second one intact. I have seen other plants in bloom around town, but mine have yet to produce a single bud. The biggest has this frond-like thing growing up out of it that seems to be part of the plant. Have you ever seen this on one of your plants?

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Another tip about perennial gardens - do a little at a time. Some perennials will grow crazy and spread twice as much as you expected, while others will obstinately stay exactly the same size and refuse to grow. So it helps to buy a few new ones each year, see how they do, then add some more.

 

[gata montes]

ChanellG

I agree, its infuriating when you get one of those stubborn plants, that just won't be divided. If a sharp trowel or border spade don't work, a hand saw often solves the problem.
The reason why your Agapanthus is not currently showing any signs of flower buds, is possibly because, there any many varieties of Agapanthus and they all flower at different times, also Agapanthus is one of those perennials that may not flower in their first year of planting.
No I have never seen an Agapanthus that looks like the one in your picture,and I have seen many. Although the frond like plant, may look as though its part of the Agapanthus, it is definitely not. I think you have a bonus plant - 2 for the price of one, as the frond like plant is not a weed. I had this a while ago and got a new strain of evergreen Juncus grass.
Perennials with unbranched leafy stems, like the one in your picture, are not that numerous and the fact that it has such fine pointed leaves, narrows the choice down even further, and so far, think that it may be either a Linaria Purpurea or one of the more unusual varieties of the Lily family, possibly Lillium Formosanium
Are those flower buds, I can see on the tips of the stems? Hope so, as flowers would make identification much easier.

 

[ChanellG]

ChanellG

I agree, its infuriating when you get one of those stubborn plants, that just won't be divided...

The reason why your Agapanthus is not currently showing any signs of flower buds, is possibly because, there any many varieties of Agapanthus and they all flower at different times, also Agapanthus is one of those perennials that may not flower in their first year of planting. ...Although the frond like plant, may look as though its part of the Agapanthus, it is definitely not. I think you have a bonus plant...

...Are those flower buds, I can see on the tips of the stems? Hope so, as flowers would make identification much easier.

Well, I wouldn't say it's infuriating, lol. I was using cutters to separate the plant, but I was afraid I was going to harm it since I don't have experience with agapanthus or any other lily for that matter. The one I separated seems fine, but it hasn't bloomed either. I suspected when I bought them at the end of spring that they had already bloomed, but all over town everyone else's lilies have flowers on them.

The fronds don't seem to have buds at the tips, and it's only this one plant that has sent them up; the other plant, the one I divided doesn't have the fronds. I guess I will have to wait and see or dig the plant up again and see if there are mixed bulbs in the container.

 

[gata montes]

ChanellG - Infuriating for me yes, because I usually prepare the area where the divisions are going to go, in advance, and put time aside to do this without interruption.
Your Agapanthus not flowering, is probably not due to the fact, that it had already flowered before you bought it, but due more to the fact, as already mentioned, that Agapanthus are one of those perennials that do not normally flower in their first year, particularly after division or replanting and you may well have to wait till next year for a display, but its well worth waiting for, especially as each year your display gets better and better.
As for your fronds, they will do no harm to your Agapanthus and only suggested that you might like to keep it going, as sometimes these bonus plants, turn out to be something that we really like.

 

[ChanellG]

Well, I guess time will tell, @gata montes. The plant that I divided could stand to be divided again. The plant with the frond growth coming up out of it either needs to be divided or repotted. If I don't see any flowers over the fall, I may divide them all again and just try to wait patiently for spring blooms. The same thing is going on with my dahlia - only no fronds.

 

[Jewell]

Phlox are reliable in most climates and come in a good variety of colors (white, purple, lavenders, pinks).
Liatris spicata is another good bulb (purple spikes flower stalks)

Campanula persicifolia and columbine are good for early blooms.
Knautia macedonica blooms early to final frost

Don't forget old show offs like holly hocks. I really like fall anenomes for their late blooming time August through fall.

Mine ae doubles, but they also come in single and white. Don't forget self seeding annuals. Orange calendula and poppies are my favorite since they seem to show off other perennials well and have continuous color throughout the growing season.

You can look through my garden photo albums through the seasons here http://www.gardenstew.com/plantstew/garden-5463

 

[gata montes]

Hi ChanellG, agree, think it may well be the best option, get all the dividing done this year and let the plants get established over the winter and hopefully you will be rewarded with a good display next year, anytime from late April onwards.
One thing I forgot to say, was that, you won't need to divide them, for another 4 to 5 years and will probably experience the same problem, of not seeing flowers the first year after division, so it might be a good idea to stagger the divisions over two years. If you ever find out what your frond like plant is, would love to know.

Jewell, I noticed that you mentioned Liatris Spicata, which is another of my all time favorites and grow both ' Kobold ' and the spotted leaved ' Punctata '.

 

[Treeca86]

Day lilies and Irises come in a beautiful variety of colours. I love those as well as Peony, Hostas and Mandevilla. All are fun to plant and watch grow. Hostas love shade. Peony, Day lilies, Mandevilla and Irises love the sun. Mandevilla will flower all season.

 

[ChanellG]

Hi ChanellG, agree, think it may well be the best option, get all the dividing done this year and let the plants get established over the winter and hopefully you will be rewarded with a good display next year, anytime from late April onwards.

One of the plants finally put up flowers this year. The one I didn't divide that has the "invader" in it hasn't shown any signs of flowering though. My mom put all hers in the ground and even she only got one flower head. Yet when we ride around town we see other agapanthas plants with multiple flower heads. (sigh) My mini gladiola haven't yet bloomed this year either.

 

[gata montes]

One of the plants finally put up flowers this year. The one I didn't divide that has the "invader" in it hasn't shown any signs of flowering though. My mom put all hers in the ground and even she only got one flower head. Yet when we ride around town we see other agapanthas plants with multiple flower heads. (sigh) My mini gladiola haven't yet bloomed this year either.

Well all I can say is that as your Agapanthus has finally produced a flower - that its really good news - especially as like I previously mentioned - Agapanthus take quite a few years to get established and rarely flower in their first year after being planted let alone after being divided - so although you may feel a little disappointed that the one you divided has only had one flower this year - don't give up on it yet - as the fact that it has produced a flower this year is a good sign - as it means that it is now getting established and from next year onwards will be rewarding you with abundant displays of blooms that will increase in quantity year after year - that is providing you don't get tempted to divide it again in the very near future

The only reason I can think of - as to why the Agapanthus you didn't divide and had the invader hasn't yet produced any blooms - is that it may be one of the other varieties that flowers at a different time of year.

 

[ChanellG]

Thanks, @gata montes. I shouldn't have to divide it again because I only did that in the first place to multiply the plant and I've moved it to a larger pot to give it more root space (the real reason I think it flowered). The one I did not divide will have to be turned out so so I can try and separate it from the invader that in growing in the pot with it. I won't bother with that though until I get done with some other things.