How to design a stunning and low-maintenance perennial garden

The key to a lively and happy garden is to have a few true perennials in your gardening beds. Some perennials will even bloom in the winter giving your garden an endless supply of blooms year round.

How to design a perennial garden

Growing perennials together is the most practical option, it allows for easy planting, soil preparation, and care. When trying to decide which flowers to plant in your perennial garden design, take a look around your neighbour’s gardens to try and get inspiration for the way you want your design to be.

As part of your perennial garden design process, your soil has to have the right nutrients to maintain the flowers you want to grow, soil testing is key in this stage.

Plant your perennials on a cool day to avoid shock from the sun. Make sure to give your perennials sufficient space to double or triple in size. As perennial plants grow and bloom, it is also a good idea to spread well-rotted manure, compost, or organic fertilizer and cover the soil with mulch to keep moisture and fertile.

Types of plants best for your perennial garden

Choosing the best plants for your perennials is important. They will appear in your garden year after year, without having to be replaced, and they are easy to propagate by dividing them into smaller plants, spreading colour season after season throughout your garden. These are some of the best perennials to grow.

Delphinium

Delphinium flowers bear tall stems with many gorgeous flowers, which open over time from bottom to top giving the flower colour for many weeks. Although they have different shades of colours, blue is the predominant shade. These perennials grow well enough in both sun and part shade.

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Sea holly

With architecturally shaped leaves, the sea holly flowers have tall blue stems that flower in early summer and make your garden a haven for pollinating insects such as bees. They prefer sun and free-draining soil and are ideal for gravel gardens too.

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Daylilies

These flowers boost a range of colours including yellow, orange and red. Their trumpet blooms are borne in clusters on sturdy stems. They are very colourful and the best option for perennial gardens.

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Iris

Iris are genus flowers with species and varieties that offer something for almost every garden design. These moisture-loving flowers thrive in boggy soil and at the pond edge, making them an excellent choice for your perennial garden. Most iris bloom in the summertime.