Have you ever gone into a home and garden store and walked up and down the aisles determined to find some plants to put in your yard? If so, then you know how many choices stare you in the face. Sure, there are the easy decisions to make like what colors you would like, how big you want them to be and what kind of leaves you'd like to feature. But what about the more difficult decisions: Which plants are best for the region I live in? Which plants would live best in the shade and which in the sun? And exactly what is the difference between perennials and annuals? What do those terms even mean?
It can be an incredibly daunting task, but one that can be made easier with the help of HowStuffWorks. By definition, a perennial is a plant that lives longer than two years. It blooms in the spring and summer, and then it dies again every fall and winter. Then again in the spring, the blooms come out to greet the warmth and sunshine. While perennials have to live longer than two years to qualify as one, some have been known to live as much as 3,000 years. Now you won't be around that long to see if your plant thrives, but there are some things you need to know to make sure your plant has the best life possible.
Visit HowStuffWorks to wade your way through all things perennial, from which plants are considered part of the family to how to care for them properly. We'll take the guess work out of your yard, so you can spend your time digging your cares away. So get those shovels and sprinklers ready as we take a trip through perennial paradise.
The encyclopedia of perennials helps you select and care for perennials. Learn all about your favorite perennials in the encyclopedia of perennials.
The foliage and seed heads of ornamental grasses help to extend the garden season through winter. These perennials usually have feathery or plumelike flowers. Learn more about ornamental grasses for the garden. See more »
Flowers ranging from pink to fuchsia are valued for their softness and delicacy. Discover the varieties of pink to fuchsia perennial flowers, and learn how to select flowers that will bloom year after year.
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Plume poppies are lovely both in and out of bloom along borders. Their large lobed leaves of gray-green and white come with small with flowers that wave in the wind and bloom in late summer.
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Poppy flowers with silky petals are a focal point in any garden. Oriental poppies come in orange, scarlet, watermelon-pink, pale pink, and white. Find out more about this perennial flower.
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Prairie coneflower is also known as Mexican hat. It is a tall wildflower that will help attract butterflies to the garden. it does very well in a meadow planting or in borders. Read more about how to cultivate prairie coneflowers.
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Primrose is a perennial flower. Gardeners enjoy its beautiful shades of colors, including red flowers, yellow flowers, purple flowers and orange flowers. Grow primrose in the outdoor garden bed or as a house plant. Learn about primrose.
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Pulmonarias, or lungworts, are perennials that grow in difficult sites where others cannot, like sloping ground shaded by trees. Pulmonarias are great in a shade garden, wild garden, or as ground covers. Learn about lungworts.
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Few colors can affect a garden as much as garden as red. A bright red strongly complements natural greenery. Read about red perennial flowers, and see if these bold blossoms are appropriate for your yard.
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Rock cresses are creepers with tufted rosettes of oval leaves covered with white down. Learn to care for these perennials, whether placed in a rock garden or cultivated in a wall garden.
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Rockcresses are creeping and trailing perennials with small leaves and 4-petaled flowers in various hues of blue, lilac, and purple. They are easy to care for and make perfect ground cover and edging of borders.
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Rodgersias have leaves resembling those of a horse chestnut tinted with bronze. Their white flowers appear in July, blooming in flat clusters. Moderately easy to care for, they need sun only part of the day.
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Rose campion is a beautiful, tall, and colorful garden classic that oozes nostalgic charm. Popular in English gardens as long ago as 1597, this classic garden plant makes a good cut flower. Learn about this plant, its history, and its uses.
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Rose geraniums are beautiful floral perennials that have lovely scents ranging from floral to spicy. They will grow in pots, hanging baskets, or as bedding plants. Learn how to make them thrive in your garden.
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Rose mallow's hollyhocklike flowers are pink, purple, or white with a dark red eye. The leaves are green above and hairy white underneath. They're easy to care for with full sun and room for growth.
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Rudbeckia is a relative of the black-eyed Susan. Like its cousin, this perennial is the perfect country garden plant. The 3-5 feet plants bloom from July to September and have golden-petaled flowers with dark, raised centers. Learn about rudbeckia.
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Salvias, or meadow sages, are perennials grown in flowerbeds. Sage is used in cooking. There are many varieties of hardiness and appearance available to gardeners. Learn about the salvia species.
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Santolina has bright yellow flowers in summer atop its aromatic foliage of needlelike leaves. It loves the sun and is a great choice for edging, clipping or container gardening. Learn about this lovely sun-loving plant.
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Sea hollies have simple spiny-toothed leaves with clusters of teasel-like blossoms. Blooming in July and August, they need full sun. They will make a fascinating addition to a wild garden and as cut flowers.
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Sea lavenders have large leathery leaves that form a basal rosette and branch out into clouds of tiny lavender-blue flowers. Since they bloom in summer, they are an excellent choice for beds and borders.
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Self-heals have simple leaves with prominent veins and resemble snapdragons blooming in the summer. They are good ground cover in wild gardens and shady areas along walkways, rock gardens, and under taller plants.
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The Siberian iris is an attractive perennial that comes in a variety of blues, which makes it perfect for a color-themed garden. It is a solid perennial that can endure cold winter seasons, but it does require some attention in summer. Read more.
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