Ideas for Displaying Perennials

With so many varieties of perennials to choose from, gardeners have almost limitless options for displaying these lovely plants. The following creative gardening ideas will help you get started.
  • Arrange the perennial garden so that you can see and enjoy every plant -- regardless of how small it is. Place the tallest plants in the rear of a border that is viewed exclusively from the front. In an island bed viewed from all sides, place tall plants in the middle.

perennial flowers
Plants of different heights
add variety to your garden.

  • Work medium-height plants into the middle of a border or island bed, filling out the garden in front of the taller plants. Set small plants up front, where they won't be hidden by taller leaves or flowers. The neat progression of short to tall gives a garden a sense of order and tidiness many people appreciate. Don't be too rigid, however. You can work some medium-size varieties into the plants up front to add interest. Bring a few tall plants forward to break up any tendency to make height organization rigid.
  • Combine several different perennial forms to keep the garden from being monotonous. Diversity provides spice to perennial gardening.
  • Convert your front yard to a cottage garden. Tending flowers is much more fun than mowing grass!
  • Plant shade-loving perennials on the shady north side of shrubs if you don't have trees. Perennials such as anemones, astilbes, hostas, Lenten roses, and violets can look lovely against a backdrop of evergreen shrubs. Flowering deciduous shrubs such as viburnums or hydrangeas can be even more beautiful.
  • Interplant perennials with reseeding annuals for a lush look that changes every year.
  • Plant perennials instead of grass in the boulevard strip. The boulevard strip is the very public space located between the sidewalk and the road. It can be hot, dry, and heavily trod upon, which makes it difficult to keep grass looking healthy and nice. Instead of fighting a constant battle with turf, use a different tactic. Plant the boulevard strip with low but bushy perennials that people won't walk on. Choose heat- and drought-tolerant perennials such as coreopsis, Silver Mound artemisia, and sea thrift. Now the problem area can become a pretty garden.
  • Start a shade garden under trees by adding 4 inches of ­compost over the tree roots before planting. Rich, moist compost provides a fast start for newly planted perennials. This is important -- the flowers need to be growing strongly before tree roots move in and capitalize on their growing space. Compost also helps keep the garden moist in summer, when the trees and perennials may compete for water. Just be careful when planting not to damage the tree roots.

In our next section, we'll talk about the process of planting perennials.

Playing with Height Variations
A garden can look more natural and interesting if it's allowed a few height variations. Here are some ideas to try:
  • Plant some medium-height early bloomers such as columbines toward the front of the garden. They will flower before the other perennials are stirring and can be cut back after flowering so that only compact leaves remain.
  • Swing an arc of medium-height plants up toward the front of the border, making a gentle curve that softens height restrictions but doesn't extend so far into the front of the border that it becomes restrictive.
  • Loop a small drift of shorter edging plants back into the medium-height flower section to ease the dividing line between the two.
  • Use plants with airy sprays of small flowers at the front of the garden. Perennials like baby's breath and coral bells have see-through veils of blossoms that don't obscure what's behind them. This can make the garden sparkle.


Want more gardening tips? Try:

  • Gardening Tips: Learn great helpful hints for all of your gardening needs.
  • Annuals: Plant these beauties in your garden.
  • Perennials: Choose great plants that will return year after year.
  • Gardening: Discover how to garden.