Choosing Hardy Perennials
Planting hardy perennials in your garden is an economical, low maintenance way to enjoy your favorite plants and flowers. Since perennials grow back year after year, there's no need to buy new plants in the spring. Hardy perennials are especially forgiving because they'll tolerate cold winter weather without protection. The following article explains how to choose the best hardy perennials for your garden.
Know Your Zone
A plant's hardiness is determined by how well it fares in your climate. For instance, a perennial that is considered hardy in Georgia might not be considered hardy in Michigan. Beyond consulting your local nursery, the best way to learn about perennial hardiness is to know your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. Consult a zone map, which outlines each planting zone in a different color. These can easily be found online by searching for "hardiness zone maps." Once you've determined your zone, you can look on plant tags and seed packages to see if your desired plants will grow properly in your area.
Choose Your Plants
Once you know your hardiness zone, you can start choosing your plants. Before you make any selections, however, it's important to take notes on the environment where you intend to plant your perennials. How much sun does the area get? What is the soil quality like? These questions will help you select the plants that are best for your location. A shade-loving hardy perennial like Lily of the Valley won't do well in a sun-scorched back lot, while Black-Eyed Susans would thrive in such conditions. When choosing hardy perennials, it's also important to note that many species have invasive tendencies, meaning they'll grow and spread rapidly. Because of this, you will likely need to dig the plants up every few years and divide them so they don't take over your yard or garden. This is an easy task that is typically done in early spring.
