Preparing my perennial garden

Joined
May 14, 2014
Messages
31
Reaction score
3
I am preparing my perennial garden patch from seed. What other suggestions do you have as to what perennials I should put in my garden that will look great all summer long. I need some that can withstand a lot of heat and sun!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
1,597
Reaction score
790
Hi Francy when you say that you are preparing your perennial garden from seed - does that mean you are hoping to sow the seeds now - because if you are - I think that you would land up being extremely disappointed - as although it is very possible to grow a large variety of perennials from seed - sowing them at this time of year will almost always guarantee failure - due to the fact - that the seeds from most perennial plants are known as " cold germinators " - which means that - as they need cold temperatures in order to break their dormancy and germinate - they are best sown in late autumn or winter - with the traditional time for sowing being somewhere between October and March.

Although there are many, many long flowering perennials that would thrive and look stunning in high heat and lots of sun - without first knowing what kind of winters you experience and whether you have heavy winter rainfall or not - it is not very easy to know what to suggest - particularly as its a perennial - it needs to be a plant that will survive both the high summer heat as well as the winter - in order to return the following year :)
 
Joined
May 14, 2014
Messages
31
Reaction score
3
Thank you for this information and advice! I think I will wait to plant my perennial seeds until fall now! I don't want to be disappointed and I want to have flowers this summer, so I think I'd be better off buying some that are already grown instead. Thanks again for the information!!
 
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
3,375
Reaction score
943
Have you thought of tulips and calla lilies? You can grow those from bulbs! Far easier to grow than anything you try to grow from seed. If I'm not mistaken my in laws start during the winter with the tulips and by spring they already have a lot tulips growing in their garden :) They look so beautiful! This year they did something different tho...
 
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
556
Reaction score
439
Location
Puget Sound, Washington
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
7b
Country
United States
Start talking to local nurseries and ask what they recommend. Flowers like calendula and cosmos are annuals that will self sow or you can save seeds from for color all summer and never disappoint. I am sure there are many others suited for your climate. It is not too late to plant these.
 
Joined
May 14, 2014
Messages
31
Reaction score
3
Ah yes! I will have to check those out! I do have some bulbs I can plant as well, as I absolutely love tulips. I just wish they would last all summer long!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
1,597
Reaction score
790
Thank you for this information and advice! I think I will wait to plant my perennial seeds until fall now! I don't want to be disappointed and I want to have flowers this summer, so I think I'd be better off buying some that are already grown instead. Thanks again for the information!!


To be honest I think that would be a very good way of getting started - as at least that way you would be able to get some established prior to planting your seeds in the autumn - especially as - at this time of year there is normally plenty of choice in most garden centers and as you are wanting something that will flower all summer long and withstand strong sunlight as well as cope with intense heat - you wouldn't go far wrong if you were to chose any of the following - as they all thrive in strong sunlight and temperatures that go up to and above 45 degrees centigrade - as well as flower continuously throughout the summer

All plants with daisy like flowers such as Asters, Gaillardias, Gazanias and Argyranthemums are known for being able to cope with these conditions and if looking for something that is easy to grow and something that will quickly establish itself - you can't go too far wrong - with Argyranthemums which come in a wide range of colors as well as this one called

Madeira Deep Pink

Argyranthemum - Madeira Deep Pink.jpg


All varieties of Sedum, Veronicas and Coreopsis thrive in these conditions - the latter of which comes in hundreds of different color variations - which range from bright yellow and orange to the bi-colored ones like

Ruby Frost

Coreopsis - Ruby Frost - garden 2.jpg


and Route 66

Coreopsis - Route 66.jpg


As well as a wide variety of tuberous perennials like Agapanthus, Cannas, Iris and of course all the lily family including

The Daylily - which apart from being spoilt for choice when it comes to colors - very quickly multiplys and establishes its self

DAYLILIES.jpg


and of course Liatris which is extremely hardy and can withstand both intense heat as well as intense cold and comes in shades of pink . lavender and white

Liatris Spicata - Purple.jpg


Hopefully you now have enough of a choice to get you going and planning your perennial garden - but should you need a wider choice or further help please feel free to ask - as there are many, many more that I could recommend too
 
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
11
Reaction score
3
Beautiful photos! I planted a flower garden for my Mother in Florida three weeks ago and got confused once again between perennials and annuals! I told her that she would not get those that I planted back if they experienced a hard winter. A lady standing in the check out told me that they can have annuals come back if the weather isn't that bad, is this true?
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
1,597
Reaction score
790
I can fully understand your confusion davbonpol particularly as the difference between perennials and annuals is not always quite as clear cut as it sounds.

As although perennials are plants that will generally once planted keep returning year after year and annuals are known to have a limited lifespan as they usually only survive one season - due to the fact that they normally die off as the temperatures start to cool.

There are also some plants that are known as “ half-hardy annuals ” or “ frost-tender perennials ”- which because they are native to a particular region - would be regarded as perennials in their native environment - but - considered to be annuals if grown in their non-native environment where climatic conditions where different. For example Gazanias are regarded as perennials in a warm climate and will often flower throughout the year - but if grown in a cooler climate they are classed as annuals because they can't survive the different climatic conditions
 
Joined
Feb 13, 2021
Messages
3,406
Reaction score
2,114
Country
United Kingdom
You don't say where you are, you could even be in the middle of an Australian summer :) It does help when thinking about what will grow. Go for the tulips, they are amazingly able to take a bit of mis-handling, I have forgotten them and planted very late and got away with it. Not all seeds need a cold spell, and most come in larger quantities than you need, it could be well worth trying a few to see if they germinate, if not you still have the rest for later in the year.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
26,588
Messages
256,641
Members
13,262
Latest member
mahnoor1

Latest Threads

Top