Herbaceous PerennialsThere is nothing quite so spectacular as the vivid colour display of an herbaceous perennial border in summertime. Every conceivable colour in a tangled blend of tall spikes, huge blooms, feathery sprays and dainty nodding heads, can be intermingled at once, leaving the effect of splashes on a painter's palette.
Herbaceous perennials are described by definition, as plants that die down to nothing over the winter months, then send up new shoots and foliage each spring. This is true of most of them but there are exceptions. Euphorbia, Hellebore, Heuchera and Tiarella are some examples that do not disappear completely, also some genus are less hardy and are not likely to survive a severe winter.
With only a modest amount of work, herbaceous perennials will be a delightful addition to your garden. Whether it is in the form of a purely herbaceous border or interspersed throughout your exisiting planting. The beauty of a herbaceous border is that you can provide everything from a tall backdrop such as Digitalis (Foxglove) at heights up to six feet, right down to a path edge of six inches with Geranium 'Ballerina', with every gap filled in between. As well as the gradient of heights, the flowering period will go from spring through to autumn with a succession of every colour imaginable, with their vast range of bold, brightly coloured flowers and also the many different leaf shapes, colours and textures to add an extra dimension to your planting scheme.
There are thousands of perennials to choose from, but some have to be mentioned, such as a traditional cottage garden plant, the Lupin, gives a great variety of colours with taller varieties sporting thick spires of pea like flowers up to four feet, whilst dwarf varieties such as 'Gallery' series offers denser, compact foliage with flowers of only a couple of feet.
Aquilegia (Columbine) is one of the earliest to flower with lots of colours and heights to choose from. The often two toned, dainty flowers seed extremely easily making them very good value. No herbaceous border is complete without Delphinums. The towering spikes of sky blue, purple, white or pink flowers will need staking to protect them from snapping in the wind, but is well worth the effort. If you cut back the flower stalk in June/July you may get another flush in the autumn.
At the end of the season simply cut down the old flower stalks, leaving a small amount of leaf coverage to fall over the crown for protection over the winter months. In the spring the whole border will benefit from a top dressing such as growmore, a balanced food to promote growth and flowering. | | | |
