 4 feet wide. Use plants in borders, as a wonderful ground cover, edging around the house and as a specimen plant in a rock garden. When used in a woodland garden it brings all the other plants to life with its colorful foliage and flowers. As a bonus the flowers will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
When I am asked to select a few perennials that are easy to grow and almost a sure thing for new gardeners, I always start with Daylilies. Daylilies grow almost anywhere in partial shade, but prefer sun most of the day. When planting, condition the soil with peat moss, animal manure and compost to create a healthy soil. The better the soil, the larger the plant will grow and that means many more flowers for you during the summer. If your soil is heavy or contains clay, be sure to add extra compost and some coarse sand to the planting area. Standing water will rot the root system and kill the plant. The foliage resembles a dense clump of long grass like leaves that arch down, creating a very attractive plant even without the flowers. The foliage will grow 10 to 36 inches tall and has few insect or disease problems. The plant blooms in the summer for 4 weeks or more and your garden will be filled with non-stop color. Daylilies come in every color of the rainbow including hundreds of different shades of lavender, pink, purple, red, pink, salmon, yellow and hundreds of duel color combination. The flowers are funnel shape and develop on tall stems lifting them above the foliage. This perennial is wonderful when planted in rock gardens, wall gardens, on sloping ground and along fences. The daylilies will attract butterflies to your garden as well as hummingbirds. The flowers are also self -cleaning and fall from the stems as they fade. Plants will do very well even when planted in traffic islands or areas that get little to no care.
Asclepia Tuberosa-Butterfly weed
A benefit of growing perennial flowers is the arrival of butterflies to the garden. Sitting on your deck, patio or porch enjoying the beautiful flowers in the garden is very relaxing. Now add a few brightly colored butterflies flickering from flower to flower and all the work and planning of this garden is worth the work. The best perennial for attracting butterflies to your garden is the Butterfly weed plant. The plant produces endless flowers in colors of orange, pink, red, and white that are filled with nectar. The nectar will draw these beautiful creatures to your garden all day long and at night invite moths to join in on the fun. This perennial has unusual handsome foliage that grows in a clump with upward growing branches. The stems are thick and the foliage is leathery, shiny and smooth. When any part of the plant is broken, a milky white sap will flow and quickly seal the break. The flowers come in clusters on long stems and each blossom is star-shaped. Seedpods are special because they are filled with hundreds of seed attached to a silky looking parachute that moves the seed from your garden to open patches of soil. The flowers bloom for about 6 weeks and this beautiful plant will grow 2 feet tall and just as wide. Plants grow best in a full sun location or light shade. Butterfly weed will grow in most soils but prefer a soil conditioned with compost and animal manure before planting. The better the soil, the bigger the plant will be and that means more flowers. Plant in a meadow garden, mixed borders, rock garden, cut flower garden or specimen plant near a garden pool.
Growing perennials in the shade or flowers in general in the shade is not easy. The one perennial that will do quite well for you in the shade and it is called the Astilbe. The Astilbe will grow well in the full sun to shade as long as your soil are rich in organic matter to retain moisture during the hot days of summer. The plant produces a flower that resembles a feathery plume in many colors such as white, pink, purple and red. The flowers grow 1 to 3 feet tall and will flower for 4 to 6 weeks long during June, July and August. As a cut flower the flower will last a week or more easily.