Plant colorful perennials now to free up time later

Looking for a way to make gardening easier in the spring? Perennials are a surefire way to add color and variety year after year.

Local nurseries and greenhouses are in full bloom, and it is hard to pass up the rows of colorful annuals. However, there are also plenty of perennials with long-lasting and beautiful blooms, colorful foliage and unique leaf structures.

When planted as a base around the backdrop of trees and shrubs, they come back every year as part of an everlasting structure in your landscape.

Careful choice of perennial species will multiply beneficial effects around your home.

Long summer-blooming choices like yarrow (Achillea “Moonshine” or “Paprika”), tickseed (Coreopsis varieties), and garden pinks (Dianthus “Horatio”) are excellent plants for drought-prone areas.

Butterflies can be attracted with other drought-tolerant and long-blooming perennials. Try planting ornamental onion (Allium “Blue Twister”), blanket flower (Gaillardia varieties), purple coneflower (Echinacea pupurea), and lavender (Lavandula varieties).

Butterflies and hummingbirds both share nectar from blossoms of hummingbird mint (Agastache varieties), sage (Salvia “May Night”), and bee balm (Monarda didyma).

When purchasing perennials, discuss your choices with trained nursery staff or study labels for plant characteristics and requirements. Purchase plants that can easily survive in your landscape and unique microclimate.

Always confirm the hardiness zone listed for the variety being considered. If it is not listed, ask.

There are many microclimates in the Spokane area; a zone 5 or 6 hardy plant may be great in the city but have a tough time surviving in the surrounding foothills.

Consider the future location that will accommodate your eye-catching perennial of choice.

Does the plant require full sun or some shade? What are its water requirements?

What are its growth patterns? Will it be 3 feet tall, or 6 inches?

Some perennials grow vigorously and spread invasively if not kept in check. It is important to know your level of tolerance with such plants.

Understanding the plant’s characteristics before planting will save heartache in future years when carefree gardening is a requirement.

Many summer-blooming perennials grown under fluorescent lights in greenhouses are now on full color display at local nurseries. The forced blooms give buyers a great advantage when choosing colors and bloom textures for matching or contrasting with neighboring plants.

Plant bought now should be planted as soon as possible. Perennials are typically planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring and before the hot weather of summer arrives.

By planting perennials now, next May’s gardening tasks will be much more carefree.

Things to do in the garden

•Tender vegetables and annuals can now be planted in the garden. However, continue to monitor daily low temperatures to protect them from cold snaps and chilly winds. A late spring frost is still possible.

•Plants purchased from greenhouses should be introduced to outside temperatures and natural sunlight slowly for a few days before planting. Grown in controlled conditions under fluorescent lights, they should now be protected from cold temperatures, strong direct sun, and wind until they have adapted to the natural environment.

•Use row covers to hold in warm air around tender plants and also to protect them from harmful insects. Larva, such as cutworms and leaf miners, are prevented from infesting plants that have been protected from flying egg-laying adults.

•Add mulch to shrub and perennial beds to help retain moisture in the soil. Natural mulches, like fine bark, eventually will decompose, enriching the soil while naturally retarding weed growth and reducing water evaporation from the soil.

•Fertilize shrub and flower beds, watering well. Healthy, nutrient-satisfied plants are less likely to be attacked by insects and disease.