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Aren't perennial gardens wonderful! You don't have to worry about planting tiny annuals each spring. Instead you get to visit your garden each day and thrill when each little perennial peeks through the soil. But deep down, haven't you wished for just a few perennials that are reliable and seem to make it through everything: hail, wind, late frosts, deer, grasshoppers and, worst of all, benign neglect? Well, take a deep breath and relax, there are perennials that will come back every year and can survive most of these events and more.
* Fernleaf Peony Paeonia tenuifolia. Ferny leaves very early in the spring. Survives late snow and frosts. Bright red 2-3” single flowers last for 2 weeks. Not browsed by deer or bunnies. Looks fragile, but is tough. You won't want to share with friends. May bloom time.
* Siberian Iris Iris sibirica. Can go through sleet, small hail, and frost with no damage. Deer, grasshopper and disease resistant. Bloom time only two weeks but the foliage remains attractive after flowering. Is tolerant of dry conditions. When grown a little dry, won't fall over or require dividing as often. Outstanding grown in groups or as a specimen plant. Bloom time late May to June.
* Valerian Centranthus ruber. Not bothered by deer, grasshoppers or disease. Blooms from late May to heavy frost in fall. Cut back or deadhead for repeated bloom. Self-seeds freely but slumping winter foliage will smother most of the seedlings (if not cut back in fall).
* Mullein hybrid Verbascum ‘Southern Charm’.
Dark-green rosette-forming leaves.
Spikes with many buds opening over long period of time. Flowers
are small cream, yellow and lavender. Deserve a place in the front
of the border to be admired. Cut bloomed out spikes for production
of more spikes. Deer, rabbit and insect resistant. Hail damages
only basal rosette of leaves. Little care required but does not like
the very hottest of our summers. Sun or a little shade.
Long bloom time over late spring to summer.
* Pineleaf Penstemon Pestemon pinifolius. Wonderful sunny groundcover. Woody evergreen with needle-like leaves. Xeric and long-lived; not browsed by deer, rabbits or grasshoppers. Short spikes of orange-red tubular flowers attract hummingbirds. Blooms last almost two months. June-July bloom time.
* Balloon Flower Platycodon. Long-lived. Does not like to be moved. Buds resemble little hot-air balloons. Does not tolerate wet conditions or over-crowding but requires little care. Deer, rabbit, disease and hail resistant. Sun or part shade but may require support in part-shade. Warning - emerges late in spring, mark position in garden. Bloom over several weeks beginning late June to early July.
* Asiatic Lily hybrids. Very hardy. Numerous buds with upward-facing blooms. Not bothered by rabbits or grasshoppers. Deer will browse occasionally. Can be damaged by hail when in full bloom. Worth growing just for their beauty and reliability. Sun or part shade. Best in groups with low-growing flowers around them. Rarely need to be staked. Little care. Summer bloom times.
* Purple Coneflower Echinacea Very tolerant of many soil types. At home in hot dry conditions, sun or shade. Many varieties available. Deer, rabbit, grasshopper and hail resistant. Easy-care. Seedheads provide winter food for birds. Cut back in spring. Bloom time mid summer through fall.
There are many more of these tough perennials. Notice the plants that do well under adverse conditions in your own garden and in the gardens of friends and neighbors. Soon you will have your own list of perennials that you can plant and almost forget.
Q: Last year I had some beautiful Calla Lilies in pots. I tried to overwinter them in my unheated basement in the dark. I followed the instructions I was given at the nursery. When I tried to plant them recently, they all had long pale growth that broke off. Could you tell me what I did wrong?
A: Perhaps the basement was too warm, even if it is unheated. The proper temperature to keep the rhizomes dormant is 40 to 50 degrees. Check the rhizomes throughout the storage period to make sure they haven't sprouted. If they start to sprout, pot them up and keep in a sunny warm place.
Q: After our recent cold and windy weather, I found that some of my perennials had frozen leaves. Why did this happen only in one part of my yard.
A: Its possible that you have a microclimate or frost pocket area. Cold air sinks and follows the contours of the land. The coldest air settles in the lowest part of your yard. Also a fence or other structure might be stopping the cold air and keeping it in one spot.
Q: Recently I bought a whole flat of petunias that were already in bloom. I thought I was getting a head start on the flowering. A friend told me I was wrong but couldn't explain it to me. Can you explain it?
A. Once a plant starts to bloom, the energy is used for the flowers. Transplants need to use the energy to further the root and shoot growth. Look for small compact transplants that are not yet in bloom or bud. Pinch off any flowers or large buds to allow the plant to become established before they start to bloom. You will have bigger and better plants and flowers.
Grasshopper eggs hatch in May and June. Now is the time to begin the fight against grasshoppers while they are still little. The most effective grasshopper strategy is a long-term effort combining the microsporidian Nosema locustae, cultural controls and chemical controls. For more information, refer to Fact Sheet #5.536 - Grasshopper control.
If your soil is just impossible, try a raised flower or vegetable bed. You can fill the bed with a very good soil and the additional height of the bed provides good drainage. Because you can work the bed from all sides, the soil doesn't become compacted and the plants grow better. If the edging on the bed is wide enough, you can garden while sitting on the edge. Save those backs.
Use fast-growing annual vines and give additional privacy and shade. Plant them on sections of lattice or on a trellis and place them where they are needed most. Many of the annual vines have exotic showy flowers as a bonus.
The authors have received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.
Fact Sheets are available at the Larimer County Extension Office, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado, telephone (970) 498-6000, or contact us by e-mail at larimer@coop.ext.colostate.edu
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