Backyard Oasis

Any backyard, patio or balcony will look more inviting with a few plants. And many plants will take little time, particularly if chosen wisely.

Perennial flowers are strong, local flowers that come back every year without having to replant or do any extra work. This is one reason they are as popular as they are. Perennials usually have a peak flowering season. During the plants off seasons, the flowers and stems die back and you can hardly even tell the plant is there (rather than just dying and looking like hideous brown clumps in your garden). When it’s time to bloom, entirely new flowers shoot up where the old ones were. Many people will intermix annual flowers in with perennials to keep a constant flow of color to their backyard or garden area.

Before deciding whether to put in perennials or not, you need to make sure that your soil has proper drainage. If the water stays saturated for long periods of time, you should build a raised bed. Raised beds help drainage and can be used in areas where the soil is not really acceptable for plants.

To test for water drainage, dig a hole and fill it with water. Wait a day, and then fill it with water again. All traces of water should be gone within 10 hours. If the hole isn’t completely dry, you will need to build a raised bed.

Picking your perennials can be a complicated process. The goal should be to have them flowering as much as possible during the year, so you should create an outline of the year. There are tow ways to go about selecting perennials.

Research the different types of flower you want, and create a timeline of flowering. If you plan it right, you can have a different type of flower blooming at any point in the year. You can research plants online or by selecting a good perennial book.

And one final step for a great perennial garden is using mulch. You should definitely use mulch when planting perennials. This will reduce the overall amount of work you have to do. It will reduce the amount of weeds and increase the water retention of the soil thus cutting back on extra garden maintenance. Bark or pine needles work great. In my area I can pick up bark and needles for free. (Check at tree companies and local township office for these items.)

Perennials are quite easy to care for once they adapt to their surrounds. Use fertilizer sparingly once your plants start to come to life. And add more mulch to the plants every two or three years

Note: Perennials will grow well in containers or patios or balconies. Either store them in the winter in a slightly warmer area or cover well with straw. How well they need protected from winter will depend on your climate.