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Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Flowering perennials can make your yard come to colorful life with their colors, scents and beautiful foliage.

Flowering perennials are the dazzlers of the garden. Blooming in every color, size and shape –from the blue sentinels of Delphinium to the bold statement of a red-hot poker, perennials put on a show of garden color that’s more lush and beautiful with each passing year. Flowering perennials punctuate the seasons, heralding spring, summer and fall much as special holidays mark the calendar.

What exactly are these wonderful plants? According to horticulturists, perennials are plants with fibrous roots that grow and bloom for more than two years. Annuals, on the other hand, grow, bloom, set seed and die in one season. And unlike shrubs, which also grow and bloom repeatedly, perennials don’t have woody stems.

While many perennials have long blooming seasons, growth stops in a dormant phase. Herbaceous perennials, including plantain lilies (or hostas), lose their leaves in winter. Others, including Shasta daisies, keep a low tuft of foliage. In areas of mild winter climates, some flowering perennials (like lily-of-the-Nile and golden marguerite) are fully evergreen.

Perennials are also practical. Because they’re permanent plants, they’ll save you the effort and expense of replanting your garden each year. They’re the perfect complement for your garden beds and borders, and they’ll keep giving their gift of beauty for many years to come. For the most part, perennials are sturdy plants able to grow in many climates and soils, in sun and shade. Even fancy hybridized versions are descendants of hardy wildflowers that grow in meadows, mountains, swamps and woodlands. Since they come from so many different environments, there are flowering perennials to suit nearly every garden situation.

Landscaping with perennials allows you to create attractive seasonal effects for all areas of your yard. You’ll discover a place for perennials, whatever your garden’s size or style. Pretty and practical, flowering perennials offer a rainbow of color for any style garden – enjoy them!