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Perennial Gardening
Perennial gardening is extremely popular today,
and there are numerous reasons why. One is that, if you live in a
fairly temperate region, the flowers will bloom throughout the year,
or nearly so (though this is certainly not true for every species).
As well, as the plants don¡¦t die during the winter, but rather come
back again in the spring (in colder regions this is dramatically
apparent), there is less expenditure of time and money.
While the manifold values of perennial gardening could be spoken of
at length, for the purposes of this article, a few highlights in
this world of planting will be discussed, namely beautiful flowering
plants that you might consider adding to your own garden.
The first of these pearls of perennial gardening is the ¡§crazy
daisy,¡¨ the chrysanthemum. Unlike many flowers similar to it,
chrysanthemums often produce two or even three flowers per stem,
thus ¡§fluffing out¡¨ the plant and really filling the eye with yellow
and white and other colors.
Next we have Ascleria-Tuberosa, the butterfly weed, so named due to
their absolutely magnetic pull for butterflies. These plants have
pointed leaves and bunches of small red flowers that will soften in
color as they open. Very hardy, this plant lasts a long time, only
watch out: it may try to take over the rest of your perennial
gardening efforts, as it¡¦s quite invasive.
For a taste of the delicate and absolutely gorgeous, try McKana
giants. These plants have flowers that grow in a star shape that are
usually dual-colored. Colors include white, mauve, yellow, and deep
red. The plant itself stands nearly 3 feet tall.
For the graceful, semi-wild look while doing your perennial
gardening, look to Canterbury Bells. These delicate plants grow to
around 2 ½ feet tall with svelte stems that are absolutely willowy
and wave about in the wind. Added to this are the blue, lavender,
pink and white selection of the flowers themselves in the shape of a
bell or a cup which will enchant anyone.
The state flower of Colorado, the Columbine, love a semi-acid soil
with humus and a small amount of shade. They produce a lovely flower
with many blooms each season that are perfect in a vase on the
dinner table. For something similar in your perennial gardening,
wild Eastern columbine is a treat in which not only is the
dual-colored (red and gold) flower a sight for the eyes, but the
plant itself, an off-green, is worth seeing.
For a taller flower (often reaching 2 meters in height), try the
Buddleja-Davidii. The flowers come in white, pink, purple and red in
tight clusters. In more temperate climes this plant actually forms a
shrub over the years.
Last of the flowers for this selection for your perennial gardening
delight, are pretty bonnets. These flowers come in the standard
pink, light red, and purple as well as maroon. Yet each has edges of
white that add to the distinction of this flower. As well, the edges
of the flowers ruffle and make for an absolutely stunning natural
bouquet.
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