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.
If you love gardening, you'll enjoy planting perennials for average soil. Many perennial flowers grow in average soil. In this article, we'll give you the list of average soil perennials, broken down by color. See more »
Monkshood has showy dark blue flower spikes that bloom in late summer and early fall and resemble hoods. Its toxic properties have been described since the early sixteenth century. Read more about this fascinating plant.
See more »Ornamental strawberries, or Alpine strawberries, are great ground cover with pretty, small flowers, and small fruit. While edible, the fruit is not produced in great numbers, nevertheless the plant grows quite aggressively. Read more about ornamental strawberries.
See more »Spiderworts are similar to daylilies and dayflowers where each blossom lasts only one day. They produce 3-petaled flowers that open at dawn. Use Spiderwort as a house plant.
See more »Sunflower heliopsis, or false sunflower, has large yellow or orange daisies that bloom from summer to frost and are excellent for cutting. Read how to care for them and get to know related varieties.
See more »Virginia bluebells have cool green foliage and two-toned pink and blue flowers. They make beautiful carpet under deciduous trees and are the perfect foil for daffodils. Read more about these ephemeral flowers.
See more »
