By Cindy Haynes
Horticulturist
Iowa State University Extension

I’m dreaming of summer – who wouldn’t be after the winter we’ve had this year? Instead of more of snow and ice, I am dreaming of two  months or more of flowers in my landscape. While many annual flowers will bloom for months, I’m too busy (and lazy) to plant large numbers of annuals every year.

Believe it or not -- there are many perennials that are capable of blooming continuously for months. (See plant list at the end of this article.)  Long-blooming perennials not only maximize your dollar, they also provide beautiful complements and backdrops for short-blooming perennials, like poppies and peonies.

Prolonging the Bloom Period of Perennials
As with any plant, proper perennial placement is essential to its success. Be sure to research the site requirements for each plant before planting it in your landscape. Plants that prefer or tolerate existing light requirements (sun or shade) and soil conditions (wet or dry) will go a long way to ensure success. 

Regular maintenance will also extend a perennial’s bloom period. For example, many of the perennials on this list bloom better if they are deadheaded frequently. Deadheading is the removal of spent flowers. Prompt removal of faded flowers prevents the plants from wasting energy in producing seeds, but instead channels that energy toward additional flower production.

Another maintenance task that will lengthen the bloom period of many perennials is irrigation, particularly during periods of dry weather. Flower production is often one of the first things sacrificed when a plant is under severe stress. When watering, remember to keep the foliage dry to reduce disease problems.

Finally, division may be necessary to keep some perennials thriving and blooming well. Some perennials need to be divided every three to five years. Most perennials will not bloom well the season after they’ve been divided. Be patient; flower numbers should increase dramatically by the second year.

Tips on Combining Perennials
One pitfall of having large numbers of long-blooming perennials is that your landscape can get a bit “stale” viewing at the same flowers every day. So place perennials carefully in the landscape. Plant several of the same perennial species in large masses for impact near entrances, patios or frequently viewed locations.  And don’t forget to scatter a few short-blooming perennials in your garden as well. They will add shots of “seasonal interest” and diversity to your landscape.  

Spring will be here soon – I know it’s out there somewhere!  So as the snow and your winter blues melt away, get outside and find a few places for long-blooming perennials. Then you too can be dreaming about summer blossoms during those long winter nights.

-30-

There are five high resolution print quality photos available for use with this week's column:

Coreopsis, [CoreposisMoonbeam32108.jpg, 1.8 MB]
Blanket Flower, [BlanketFlower32108.jpg, 1.5 MB]
Bleeding Heart, [BleedingHeart32108.jpg, 1.9 MB]
Corydalis, [corydalis32108.jpg, 1.4 MB]
StellaDaylily, [StellaDaylily32108.jpg, 1.9 MB]

The table included in this release also is available as a Microsoft Word document:  30perennials1.doc