An overview of perennials

Planting has been both a profession and a hobby of individuals through history. Rulers from all civilizations have hired garden lovers to embellish their castles and gardens. From the magnificent hanging gardens of Babylon, to the gardens in the Palace of Versailles, garden lovers have created true natural, living masterpieces.

Today, most individuals have some type of flowers and plants in their houses. It might be as easy as a flower in a pot, or maybe a garden in the front of the house, with dozens of roses or tulips and a gorgous artificial lawn. Even though plants don’t need you to devote them as much time as pets, large gardens do come with their share of work. On the other hand, gardening is very satisfying for individuals, specially on spring, when plants flower and bring color after the cold months.

People who like to keep all year round gardens tend to prefer perennial flowers. Perennial plants are plants that live two or more years or seasons, unlike annual plants, which die when the first winter comes. This is very convenient when you plan to have a garden all year round, as you only have to replace a few plants each spring, and not all the garden, which you would have to do if you had annual plants.

There are a number of types of perennials, with different characteristics and properties. In this article we will cover some types of perennials, but not all.

- Evergreen perennials. These types of perennials retain their leaves all year round. This means that they keep their leaves green, even in winter. The most famous example of evergreen perennials is the Begonia, which usually thrives in tropical or subtropical weather. In cold weathers, it’s usually treated as an annual, rather than a perennial.

- Deciduous perennials. These types of perennials are exactly the opposite of evergreen perennials. They lose their leaves during winter and grow it again in spring. These perennials are better for climates where there is snow in the winter. The Goldenrod belongs to these types of perennials.

- Monocarpic perennials. Despite what you might think, they don’t die in a year, like annuals do. That’s because they may take years to flower. The most common monocarpic perennial, one of the drought resistant perennials used in gardens is the bamboo, which can last twenty five years, or even develop wooden trunks, and are used when a tree is wanted. Pines are good examples of these types of perennials.

- Herbaceous perennials. These types of perennials have stems and flowers and seeds that die in the winter. However, some parts of the plant, usually the roots, survive, and so they grow back to life after winter passes and spring comes back.