Growing Hardy Perennials: A hardy flowering perennial is a plant that will live indefinitely, and produce its flowers without attention every year. But 'indefinitely' is not strictly accurate. Michaelmas daisies, admittedly, seem to go on for ever; but Aquilegia (columbines) definitely does not. And `without attention' is a bit of wishful thinking. Whereas a clump of Solidago (golden rod) will live and thrive for years without anyone as much as lifting a finger, others, like delphiniums, need slug protection, shoot thinning, staking, tying, feeding, mulching, deading and dividing to keep at their best.
All the same, hardy perennials are the easiest, most accommodating and most reliable flowers you can grow. And although there are, and always will be, different kinds varieties that have specific likes, and dislikes - dry or wet places, sunshine or shade, heavy or light soils - most of them are very happy to be in almost any site in normal situation and will live for several years.
They do, in fact, give an impression of permanence even in a newly created garden; and this is a great part of their value. Well chosen and placed trees and shrubs are the ultimate signs of an established layout, but in some cases these may be too big, or possibly a little too permanent. This is where the Hardy perennials plug the gap. Nor do they all disappear each winter.
The term 'herbaceous' perennial is applied to those whose top growth dies and is cut off at the end of each season; but there are some perennials with tops that live unharmed from one year to another. Irises, pinks, heucheras, bergonias and the grey- leaved Anaphalis are just a few that always show. And although they may not have any great decorative value in the middle of winter, they will, carefully placed, he better to look at than bare frozen ground.
