Praising the Perennial Garden

Oh how I adore the perennial garden in our front yard.


I love the way the flowers sprout from the ground, spread their leaves, and form their precious blossoms without any encouraging from me.

I love the way the different hues bloom in rapid succession, beginning in May and continuing through the fall.

I love the way the garden looks from the front window where I stand and appraise it periodically throughout the day. I also love the different views it offers from the lawn and the street. (I think the streetside view is the best, actually.)


Two years ago at this time, there was no perennial garden. Instead, there was a rather ugly bush. It wasn't removed until July, and that's when the perennial garden came to be.

Having never planted perennials before, I decided—as I do with so many things I try—just to wing it.

I purchased flowers that were already blooming and that I liked the look of. I selected ones with names that seemed familiar. I picked some that were on clearance because it was already July. I tried to make sure they were all suited to our climate and, when I could figure it out, that they were native.

Around this time last year, I added some mulch and a few new plants, but mostly let the garden do its thing.

And this year, I only added one new plant—a purchase from the master gardener's plant sale, one that will hopefully add a bit of late-summer color. Beyond that one planting, I have weeded and mulched and little else.


This year, it's all about enjoying the fruits of previous years' labor. Like the blooms shown here, which made their appearance the other day.


The first flowers of the season, all in hues of purple, are giving way to a more vibrant assortment of oranges and yellows.


Fun, isn't it?