Perennials may not be the best showstoppers in a garden full of annuals, but they make great foundation plantings to serve as a reliable backdrop or trusty fillers among other plants. There’s no reason you can’t select perennials that are just as beautiful as your favorite annuals, however, it’s just a matter of choosing the flowers that pack the most punch and using them appropriately.

Best Perennials to Choose

When choosing a perennial to fill an empty space in your garden, make sure to get the most bang from your buck by selecting one, or several, long-blooming perennials. These flowers will be worthwhile additions to your landscape for their ongoing staying power, giving you a reliable backdrop and structure to build from.

• Achillea (Yarrow)
• Alcea (Hollyhock)
• Anemone (Wind Flower)
• Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
• Campanula (clips series)
• Clematis ‘Jackmani’
• Coreopsis (Tickseed)
• Corydalis lutea (Yellow Bleeding Heart)
• Delosperma (Ice Plant)
• Dicentra exima (Bleeding Heart)
• Doronicum
• Echinacea (Coneflower)
• Gallardia (Blanket Flower)
• Gaura (Wand Flower)
• Geranium ‘Johnson Blue’
• Helenium (Helen’s Flower)
• Heliopsis (Sunflower)
• Hemerocallis ‘Stella D’Oro’ (Daylily)
• Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’ (Daylily)
• Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)
• Lavender
• Liatris spicata (Gayfeather)
• Ligularia (Ragwort)
• Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
• Lythrum (Loosestrife)
• Malva (Mallow)
• Monarda (Bee Balm)
• Nepeta (Catnip or Catmint)
• Oneothra ‘Siskiyou’ (Evening Primrose)
• Perovskia (Russian Sage)
• Rudbeckia (Coneflower)
• Salvia (most verticillata)
• Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower)
• Shasta Daisy ‘Becky’ or ‘Snow Queen’
• Stokesia (Stoke’s Aster)
• Veronica (Speedwell)

Using Your Blooming Perennials

To make your perennials truly pop, it’s important to position them in your landscape where they will show to their best advantage. Popular options include…

• Filling in between showstopping annuals with perennials that will grow and bloom to cover fading blooms after the annuals are finished.
• Adding blooming perennials in front of a hedge, fence or privacy screen for extra coverage with a dash of color.
• Using perennial flowers as a backdrop for lower annual plantings along a house foundation or in other flowerbeds.
• Creating a naturalized lawn or meadow-like area full of different perennials for a low-maintenance option that still stuns.
• Planting perennials in hard-to-tend areas, such as alongside a water feature, in tight corners or on terraces so they can be gorgeous with less maintenance.

With so many options for lovely perennials that can be used in many different ways in the landscape, there’s no excuse not to enjoy these easy-care flowers for many years!

Citrus trees grown in fancy terra cotta pots, light-weight decorative containers or wooden planters can be used to adorn your garden, no matter how small it is. Use a potted citrus as a centerpiece for an herb garden, place several in a series on your steps or decorate your deck with these grand-looking accent plants. Dark, glossy green leaves look beautiful all season long while colorful, healthy fruit dangles enticingly from the branches. Although citrus plants are not winter hardy in the north, they may be moved indoors during this time. For added pleasure, citrus offers weeks of fragrant flowers in the spring.

Top Citrus Picks

There are several varieties of exotic citrus trees that can be stunning in the landscape. The most popular options include…

• Calamondin Orange – This cross between a mandarin and kumquat produces miniature oranges that are somewhat tart but make excellent marmalade.
• Ponderosa Lemons – Producing fruits that weigh up to a whopping 5 pounds each, Ponderosa Lemons have a thick ring with very little juice.
• Variegated Pink Lemons – This lemon has variegated foliage and produces a yellowish-pink fruit.
• Meyer Lemon – Although not a true lemon (it is said to be a cross between a lemon and either an orange or mandarin), the Meyer Lemon is one of the sweetest lemons.
• Key Lime – Also known as Mexican Lime, this selection is highly prized for making Key Lime Pie. The plant is very thorny and produces small aromatic fruits.
• Goliath Pummels – The largest of all citrus fruits, pummels taste similar to grapefruit.
• Blood Orange – Having an unusual red flesh, these oranges are prized by gourmet cooks for their slight berry-like flavor.
• Flame Red Seedless Grapefruit – This grapefruit variety produces medium-sized pinkish-colored fruits.
• Cocktail Trees – These are a grafted tree that usually contains 4 to 5 different types of citrus on the same plant, great for your own fruit salad in minimal space.

Citrus Care

Place citrus plants in a sunny location where they will receive a minimum of 6 hours of sun to ensure the best possible fruit. Water regularly and feed with a fertilizer listed specifically for citrus plants every two weeks. During the summer months, citrus plants will produce a lot of new growth. In the early fall, before bringing plants indoors, prune citrus plants back about 1/8 of their existing size. This will help to minimize the shock that plants often experience when being moved. Use a humidity tray indoors or mist daily. Avoid placing your plant in a drafty area or by a heating vent. Provide a minimum of 6-8 hours of daily sun or very bright light in the winter months. It may be necessary to supplement with an artificial light source at this time of the year to keep the plant at its best.

It may seem unusual to have strange citrus trees in your yard or even right inside your home, but with a little care, you’ll be amazed at how much fun these plants can be to grow, and their sweet fruit is a wonderful reward for your efforts.

Are your house plants looking a little peaked after a long winter of being cooped-up inside? Getting out for some fresh air during the warm months is healthy for all living things, including your potted plants. It is important to move plants safely and thoughtfully, however, or else you risk shock and damage that can destroy your carefully cultivated houseplants. With the right steps, you can move your houseplants to outdoor accommodations for the spring and summer while still protecting them from unfavorable conditions, pests and wildlife.

Tips for Moving Houseplants Outdoors

When you are ready to move your houseplants outside…

• Wait until there is no longer any danger of freezing or frost before setting houseplants outside.
• Before you place plants outdoors, acclimate them to the spring temperatures. Set them outside for short periods of time and bring them inside at night.
• Over a period of two weeks, lengthen the plants’ outdoor exposure time gradually. Continue to bring plants inside at night if temperatures are not consistently above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Do not place plants directly in the sun or else the leaves may burn.
• Set plants on pot feet or a suitable plant stand to prevent sow bugs.
• Arrange plants in groups for increased humidity, being careful to promote good air circulation within the foliage.
• Check soil often for moisture levels, as warmer days and breezes may dry pots out more quickly.
• Empty saucers of excess water to prevent root rot and minimize standing water that will attract biting insects.
• While away on vacation, use a self-regulating plant watering system.
• Mulch the surface of the soil to retain moisture and keep weed seeds from invading the soil.
• Keep squirrels from digging in pots by placing a layer of crushed oyster shells or chicken wire on top of the soil.
• Use a slow-release fertilizer to save you time and energy on frequent fertilizing. Or, use a water soluble fertilizer every other week. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions so as not to burn tender plant roots.
• Groom plants by clipping off damaged stems, yellow leaves and spent flowers. This will also improve air circulation and sunlight reach.
• Trellis or stake plants that get too tall to prevent them from flopping over.

As they enjoy their time outdoors, you’ll see healthier, more robust houseplants with plentiful new growth and vigor. Why not give all your plants a great spring and summer getaway by moving them outdoors?

“Ice plants” refer to several types of plants, usually succulents with fleshy thick leaves in cool green-blue colors. However, after an introduction to Delosperma, you’ll know it as the real deal. As a group of tough groundcovers, these blooming succulents flourish in full sun in well draining soils with little water, once they are established. Plus, they’re amazingly colorful!

About Delosperma

Native to Africa, with fleshy, clustered green leaves, Delosperma species and varieties solve many common groundcover, erosion and container garden needs. From only ½” tall and a few inches wide to 4 inches tall and spreading to 2 feet wide, Delospermas begin blooming with daisy-like flowers in early spring and often continue blooming through the summer. Depending on the variety, these perennial succulents punch up the garden with bright fuchsia, red, bronze, yellow, white, lavender or orange flowers, and several variegated or two-toned blooms are available as well.

A more adventurous gardener can turn up the heat with Delosperma ‘Fire Spinner.’ It quickly grows to an attractive weed-thwarting 2 inches high and 15 inches wide mat in two seasons. The variety name perfectly describes the flowers. It’s a kaleidoscope of hot colors on unbelievable 1½” wide fiery flowers. Radiating from a clear white center, petals with deep magenta color in the middle transition to hot orange, finishing with bronze on the outer tips. These arresting flowers sit atop shiny, apple-green needle-like succulent leaves making an astonishing garden statement from late spring through fall. What an unexpected showstopper!

What Delosperma Demands

Most gardeners are all too used to the finicky habits of their favorite plants, from precise soil pH levels to a specified amount of sunlight to a unique cocktail of soil fertilization and amendments for the best growth. Not so with Delosperma – all these plants ask (it’s more of a demand, really) is good drainage. With that, they’re fairly self sufficient – easy to care for and requiring very little maintenance.

Birds, bees and butterflies love Delosperma just as much as gardeners, but deer don’t, making these plants ideal for areas where deer are a bit too friendly in the garden. They work well as borders or to soften the edges of buildings, walkways and driveways, and they’re right at home in well-drained terraces, rock gardens and xeriscaping.

Whether you live in a naturally drought-prone area or just want to conserve water without sacrificing color and beauty, give Delosperma a try and you won’t be disappointed!