How to Plant a Perennial Border in the Landscape

Perennial borders add beauty to the garden landscape year after year. Perennials are plants and flowers that return to delight you every year. Unlike annual flowers, which only last one season, the blooming period of a perennial does not last all summer. Therefore, it takes some planning to ensure a continuous show of blooms and colors. Visit the garden nursery and spend time looking at their displays. Study the different types of plants. You will likely have clear preferences for certain plants and flowers. Use your preferences to develop the garden theme.

Color is the framework for garden design. Choose a color scheme for each season. One main color can be the backbone of the garden each season. For example, the border can be predominantly yellow in the spring, pink or red in early summer, blue or violet in the midsummer turn to gold and orange in the fall.

Ever changing color change provides excitement in the garden. Select a few plants in each desired color range. To avoid a checkerboard effect, plant each perennial en mass and repeat along the garden border. Similar plants can be planted near the mass of flowers. For contrast, plant opposite colors near the masses of colors. As an example, if the border has masses of orange day lilies you can plant yellow coreopsis as a similar plant or a blue flower for contrast.

Shape and Texture. A variety of shapes and texture can be intermingled to add spice and interest to the perennial garden. Perennial plants come in a mixture of heights. Foliage shapes can be pointed or rounded. Since perennials have a shorter blooming cycle than annuals, the leave shapes become a part of the interest of the garden design.

Style. The perennial border can be a formal or informal design. Formal gardens have symmetrical design. Informal gardens are more popular and easier to maintain. The informal garden can be planted in curved drifts of color.