Talking Design – Perennial Flowers

Designing a landscape using perennial flowers is the best way to have something wonderful blooming throughout the seasons. Most fallblooming perennials are hardy, long-lived and come in vivid colors. Fall bloomers, late summerblooming perennials and ornamental grasses are the three components of a well-planned garden, which provide beauty and enjoyment throughout the colder seasons. Fall bloomers have all season to grow so many are tall and bold when they flower. The top ten perennials that we use in our landscape designs are the Aster, Turtlehead, Chrysanthemum, Joe Pye Weed, Toad Lily, Perennial Sunflower, False Sunflower, Sedum, Goldenrod and the Blue Mist Shrub. Most of these will bloom from the end of summer until frost.

Lake Bluff, IL., Schmechtig Landscapes

Ornamental grasses and late summerblooming perennials such as Black-eyed Susan, Coneflower and many others, have dried flowers and interesting stalks that remain into the fall and throughout the winter. These dried perennials and grasses should not be underestimated in the garden. The colors of these fall-blooming perennials compliment our yellow, orange and red fall colors magnificently.