Got Sun? Get Perennials!

by Julie @ Southern Wild Design

Got some sunshine in your yard? Get some perennials! Now is the time to be planning and preparing for fall planting. Fall is the best time to plant perennials, and perennials are the perfect choice for bringing life and color into your garden.

planting perennials in sunny garden, flowers, gardening, perennial

I planted a perennial bed last fall. I want to take you on a journey to see just how I did it and what it looks like today, less than one year later. Just a word of warning…you are going to want to do this, too!

The house I purchased two years ago sits on a corner with the vast majority of the property to the side of the house. This side yard was a blank slate…Bermuda grass and two Japanese maples arbitrarily plunked down somewhat near the middle.

I started by giving the lawn a shape—a required design rule—and getting rid of Bermuda grass. Essentially I tackled this with a tiller and a rake. After edging and adding rocks to solve a drainage problem my bed was ready.

I planted these perennials at the beginning of October. I then heavily mulched with the “mulch” I get at the city landfill that is full of leaves, grass clippings, and shredded tree limbs. It breaks down very quickly and feeds the soil. The plants must then be watered in and kept watered until they become established.

Early summer has this perennial bed brimming full with a riot of color. With time, the bed will fill in even more!

Flowering perennials can be thought of as the life of the (garden) party. Perennials—plants that live longer than two years—provide food and habitat to the birds, bees, butterflies, and all other pollinators.