Miami, FL – June is national Perennial Gardening Month, making it the perfect time to plant and discover beautiful flower combinations from Costa Farms.
Unlike annuals that need to be planted each year, perennials live for years and get bigger and better with age.
“Perennials are a great investment and the backbone of a beautiful garden,” says Justin Hancock, garden expert for Costa Farms. “Year after year, these plants come back adding bold color and texture to the landscape. No yard should be without them.”
When it comes to picking perennials, Hancock says the options are endless. They vary in size, texture, color, blooming season, and foliage. Plus, many perennials attract much-needed pollinators to the garden, such as birds and butterflies.
Hancock suggests using plant combinations with different characteristics that bloom consecutively to add color and interest from spring to fall, avoiding a mid-season slump.
He says to pick perennials in contrasting shades of green, yellow, and blue in different heights and textures to balance the look of the garden. Perennials’ foliage is also important. When not in bloom, the leaves add structure and interest to the bed.
Here are Hancock’s four favorite easy-to-grow perennials to get summer gardens off to the perfect start:
1. Hostas love shade and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors—often with variegated foliage that brightens low-light spots. These gorgeous plants have flower spikes in pink, lavender, or white. Some even have a sweet fragrance. Hostas grow and expand each year.
2. Coneflowers attract butterflies and other pollinators. These perennials usually grow to 3 feet tall and bloom from early summer through fall. For extra pizzazz, choose double- or triple-flowering varieties and colors that include white, raspberry, orange, and yellow.
3. Coreopsis, a low-maintenance perennial with a long bloom time and trouble-free nature, is a great addition to the garden. A native prairie plant, the bright sunny-yellow flowers are hard to miss on a dreary day. Most coreopsis grows about 18 inches tall and produce single or double flowers.
4. Seedum, another easy-care perennial, stands up to heat, drought, and pests. Sedums get bigger and better each year. Blooming from late summer to fall, sedums have lush greenery all season. Their nectar-rich blooms are a favorite with butterflies and other pollinators.
For an instant sedum or perennial bed, use the new Drop and Grow® collections from Costa Farms, featuring sedum tile mats and annual/perennial trays that are grown in long, narrow strips. Planting is simple. All a gardener needs to do is loosen the soil, drop in the tiles, mulch and water well.
For a more personalized garden, follow Hancock’s tips for planting perennials this month and creating color in the garden that will last all season:
1. Evaluate the landscape to determine if a spot is shady or sunny. An area is considered sunny is it gets at least six hours of direct sun each day. Partly sunny areas get four to five hours of sun a day and shady areas get less than three hours of sun a day.
2. Space large perennials properly from the start. Allow enough space to prevent overcrowding as plants grow. Note a plant’s mature size on the plant tag.
3. Plant tall perennials together so they can support each other.
For more perennial plant tips and information, visit http://www.costafarms.com.
About Costa Farms
Costa Farms is the largest producer of indoor houseplants in the world. Founded in 1961 by Jose Costa, Costa Farms is a third-generation, family-owned business that globally stretches over 3,800 acres and employs 2,800 people. Along with thriving indoor, bedding and perennial plant divisions, Costa Farms operations are located in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, and abroad in the Dominican Republic, and Far East. Learn more about Costa Farms at http://www.costafarms.com.
Source: Costa Farms
