Perennials wintering in the open field are the most persistent and beautiful species
Perennials wintering in the open field are an excellent option for summer residents and gardeners who do not want to waste time digging up plants annually, storing them correctly, and then re-planting them in a flower bed in spring. Beautiful perennial flowers easily endure winter frosts and do not require additional maintenance.
Perennials wintering in the open field - the main advantages
Perennial crops have several advantages:
- a long life cycle eliminates the need for annual planting work;
- good resistance to frost and a sharp drop in temperature;
- early onset of flowering;
- long-term preservation of decorative properties;
- the need for transplants occurs no more than once every 3-5 years, when the bushes noticeably grow;
- minimum care requirements.
There is a huge variety of outdoor wintering perennials. Thanks to the large assortment, each florist will be able to choose the most suitable plants for growing in a flower bed, decorating a rock garden and other landscape elements.
Perennial species
Perennial flowers that do not require digging up for the winter are divided into three main groups depending on the structure of the root system - ground cover, bulbous and rhizome.
Ground cover perennials are undersized crops, most often with creeping shoots. These plants quickly grow to the sides, forming the so-called curtains - a kind of "pillow". Ground cover flowers require annual rejuvenation and pruning at a height of about 4-6 cm.
These include:
- splinter;
- periwinkle;
- stachis;
- Iberis;
- phlox.
Bulbous perennials are crops that have a bulbous rhizome. Such plants can both be left to winter in the open field, and dug out for the winter for storage in a warm place.
Bulbous perennials include:
- tulips;
- daffodils;
- crocuses;
- lilies.
Rhizome perennials - represent the main group of perennial plants with an adventitious or tap-root type of root system.
The most popular members of this group are:
- iris;
- lily of the valley;
- astilba;
- delphinium;
- aquilegia.
Ornamental shrubs
Ornamental shrubs are popular among summer residents and gardeners among perennials wintering in the open field. Such crops have a sufficiently deep root system that can withstand soil freezing.
Thanks to their decorative appeal, ornamental shrubs will be a great decoration for a garden plot. For the winter they can be left in the open ground, in case of severe frosts, they can be additionally covered.
Even if some parts of the shrub die, it can restore the vegetative mass thanks to the buds.
The most popular ornamental shrubs include:
- roses;
- spireas;
- tree peonies.
Roses
There are more than 3000 varieties of roses, among which every gardener will be able to pick up perennial frost-resistant flowers, depending on the desired shape, bud color and climatic conditions of the region.
The rose is rightfully considered the "queen" of landscape design - it looks great in elegant solitary plantings, as well as quality vertical gardening... But when planting roses, it must be borne in mind that they are the most fragile and delicate of all ornamental shrubs and in most cases need shelter from frost.
In order for perennial roses to endure the winter well, a number of rules must be observedl:
- from the second half of July, exclude fertilizing with nitrogen content, as they accelerate the growth of young shoots;
- fertilize the soil under the bush with a mixture of potassium and phosphorus;
- do not forget to trim 45-55 cm.
As a covering material for roses, it is best to use a layer of agrofiber, tightly pressed to the surface of the soil.
Spireas
Spireas are frost-resistant perennial flowers that are highly resistant to negative weather conditions. Due to this, spireas tolerate winters well even in the northern regions.
The most common winter-hardy varieties of spirea:
- summer flowering - Douglas, Bumalda, Wangutta, Japanese;
- spring blooming - Arguta, Nipponskaya, Gray.
Only young flowers need additional winter shelters. They are insulated with spunbond. Adult plants perfectly tolerate winter frosts even without additional shelter.
Tree peonies
Tree peonies are distinguished by large flower buds and good frost resistance. Before the onset of winter, these perennials do not need to be cut off - it is enough to cover them with agrofibre.
There are several dozen varieties of tree peony, among which you can find beautiful specimens with giant double or semi-double flowers, which bloom in May and lasts until the end of June.
Large herbaceous perennials
Large herbaceous perennials are a good option for gardening in northern regions. They are distinguished not only by excellent winter hardiness, but decorative attractiveness. Flowering in most herbaceous perennials begins in mid-July and most often lasts until the first frost.
All winter-hardy herbaceous perennials are divided into botanical families, each of which has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.
The most unpretentious are:
- Saxifrage - the most popular representative is astilba, which attracts the attention of gardeners with lush snow-white panicle inflorescences.
- Asteraceae - a feature of plants from this family is the absence of single buds. Echinacea, rudbeckia, aster, chrysanthemum attract attention with lush inflorescences of various colors.
- Cyanosis - this botanical family includes phlox and cyanosis, delighting gardeners with bright purple flowering.
To decorate the flower bed, you can use herbaceous perennials from the legume group. Various types of lupins with bright moth flowers will not only decorate the garden area, but also saturate it with nitrogen.
Ground cover perennials
Ground cover perennial plants have earned a special love of gardeners, because they grow rapidly, turning the site into a dense floral "carpet".
Popular ground cover perennials:
- Subulate phlox is a plant with small needle-like leaves and miniature flowers of snow-white, pink or blue color. Used to decorate the borders around flower beds and decorate garden paths.
- Yaskolka - these perennial flowers have creeping shoots that form flower "carpets" up to 10-15 cm high. The inflorescences are silvery-white, lasts from April to May.
- Periwinkle is a beautiful and unpretentious perennial, covered with blue-blue flowers in early spring. The periwinkle foliage tolerates winter frosts well and does not freeze.
Perennial plants wintering in open soil are a bright decoration of the site that does not require careful care from a summer resident or gardener.Crops tolerate winter frosts well, do not require annual excavation and spring replanting, without losing their decorative qualities in any weather conditions.