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What is an Herbaceous Perennial? By definition, a perennial plant will live for more than two growing seasons. True herbaceous perennials will completely die back in the winter, while their roots remain persistent, with clumps of stems and buds at or below ground level. The term "hardy perennial" includes not only those true herbaceous perennials but evergreen perennials which retain their basal foliage in the winter. Sub-shrubs or semi-woody plants such as lavender, perovskia, and santolina are often treated as perennials and are usually included in the literature and catalogues on perennials. Some perennials, like delphiniums, can be short-lived and may last only three years, while others, like peonies, can live for decades. Care and maintenance of a perennial garden need not be complicated or daunting. In fact, much of good gardening is a combination of some basic horticultural principles with common sense and a good eye. Close observation of nature's cycles can sometimes be the best teacher. Many gardeners keep a log or journal carefully recording their garden's progress. If this is diligently done, the information extracted can prove invaluable to the gardener and can save many hours of manual labor. Remember, there are many choices available; some purely aesthetic, others purely horticultural. Perhaps the wisest choices are a combination of horticulture and aesthetic principles. A comprehensive outline of these practices would fill a book. The following synopsis should be treated as a brief survey to interested gardeners who may not be familiar with these basic principles:


Introduction to Perennials

Perennials--those nonwoody plants that come back year after year--offer almost endless variety in color, texture, shape, and size, making them suitable for virtually any garden location. Many are prized for their flowers; aster and phlox are just two of these. Others, such as ferns and hostas, are valued for their foliage.

Unlike shrubs and trees, perennials do not have permanent woody parts. But while some die down completely at the end of each growing season, then reappear at the start of the next, others spend the winter as low tufts of foliage, ready to grow when weather warms. And a third type is truly evergreen, with foliage nearly unchanged throughout winter.

All perennials have a minimum lifespan of more than 2 years -- but beyond this, longevity varies enormously. Some grace the garden for only a few years, while others survive much, much longer (peonies, for example, can live for generations).

Though flowering perennials are often grown in borders, you'll also find them just about everywhere else. They may replace the front lawn or fill a parking strip; they may be used in the vegetable garden to add color and edge planting beds. Some gardeners set them among established shrubs to provide variety and add a touch of color to a predominantly green, leafy planting.

 


 

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