Hey Y'all! If you follow us on Instagram, you'll know that this week for #tiptuesday we talked about how gardening is a great hobby to get into! Below I am sharing with you some of the best beginner perennials to grow. If you are new to gardening, here ya go!đ
First off, Perennials come back each year so you don't have to re-buy like you do with Annuals. I have always remembered this by remembering Annuals you buy "annually". I love having mixture of both Perennials and Annuals, with Perennials being my foundation plants (in an area that already has shrubs established or a small area where you don't have space for anything larger).
Full Sun Perennials (full sun=6+ hours a day):
Coreopsis loves full sun, has tons of flowers most of Summer, is a great cut flower, and our pollinators love them. We carry several colors at Riverbend and I love each one of them.
Daylilies also love full sun, grow each year so you enjoy more flowers each year (another added bonus of many Perennials!), and we have this new variety this year I am so excited about!! 'Mauna Loa'- it sounds Hawaiian doesn't it?! All Daylilies are pretty easy to care for, and we have many varieties at the nursery. 'Stella d' Oro' is the most popular variety hands down in this area (orangey- yellow color) but I wanted to spotlight a variety you may not be as familiar with. Certainly a bright, fun pop of color which I love, don't you?!
'Huskers Red' Pennisetum is a lovely Perennial which I just planted several of in my yard actually (above). In Summer they have long white spike flowers that Hummingbirds love!đ I am also very fond of their foliage!
Part Sun Perennials (4-6 hours of sun and usually do best with morning sun/ afternoon shade):
As you can see, Dianthus performs well in Full or Part Sun.'Firewitch' is an awesome perennial that has blue foliage and hot pinkish purple flowers. I love Dianthus and consider it a great beginner perennial.
You cannot go wrong with 'Autumn Joy Sedum. Seriously, you could probably accidently mow over part of it and it'd survive (although I wouldn't recommend that). đ 'Autumn Joy' blooms pinkish red blooms in Fall and will take Full or Part Sun just fine.
Shade Perennials:
Now onto plants that love Shade- if you have a shady spot, Coral Bells are amazing to brighten things up! Look at this variety I am holding, how brilliant the red is (also note it matches my shirt, but I digress). We offer several colors and varieties of Heuchera, as seen here too:
Don't they make you giddy??! They're all so pretty. Also, Hostas, Lenten Roses, and Japanese Painted Ferns are great starting Perennials for shade.
The Take Away:
This list is not exhaustive by any means but is a great starting point for anyone wanting to get more into gardening but is not sure where to start. I didn't get into how to plant, or amending your soil, watering and etc. What questions do you have specifically for us? We love helping our customers and would love for you to grow with us! We are ALL always learning more about the wonderful art of gardening. Have a great one, y'all and be encouraged to grow something green! đđą