Reading gardening catalogs always presents the gardener with endless choices of perennials--new varieties, shapes, sizes and colors. Where's a gardener to start? Kathy Renwald asked perennial expert Fred McGourty for his advice on how to create a pleasing perennial garden. Here are his suggestions:
- When choosing colors and plant combinations, trust your own sense of design. "One's eye tells you what works," McGourty says. "Try to keep with the same side of the spectrum. Closely related colors usually go well together."
- Repetition is important, especially the larger the garden gets. "There needs to be a sense of unity," he laughs. "Gardens that have one of this and one of that have plunk-itis." To make certain he resists that impulse, the veteran nurseryman always sets aside an area for those one-of-a-kind plants that he simply must have. "That way we can grow them, look them over and eventually work them into the garden scheme."
- Choose a plant as much for its foliage and seasonality as for its flower. "You're looking at the foliage all season long," McGourty explains. "Plus, most perennials have a bloom for about three weeks--that's not terribly long. It's the succession of bloom that's the attraction. You have a floral kaleidoscope as the season goes by, so there's always something to look forward to."
Staples in McGourty's garden:
Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' (Coreopsis verticillata). Pale-yellow, daisy-like blooms from early June till the first hard frost. Grows about 15 inches tall, and is ideal for a sunny, dry location.
Astilbe. For shade plants, astilbes are high on the list. They come in pink, white, red, lavender. Taking advantage of the choice of varieties, you can have them in bloom from June to September.
Ornamental grasses. They provide beautiful vertical outlines against the sky and architectural interest in winter.
Annuals. Some have a very long bloom period. "Particularly in the first year or two of a perennial bed, when plants take a while to come into their own, annuals are good filler plants, and they also give a seasonal backbone to the garden," says McGourty.
"In a fair-sized garden I love to see some cosmos or cleomes in the background," he adds. "Flowering tobacco is good too. So is the edging plant, sweet allysum. Use annuals that give the feeling of a perennial. The plant has to look like it fits."
Another good annual: the blue salvia (Salvia farinacea 'Victoria') blooms all summer and is wonderful with yellow flowers nearby, such as the false sunflower, which blooms from end of June till September.
So happy planning. And remember: because they're easy to move, perennials provide a great way to experiment with new designs.
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