Perennials and Bulbs
Planting perennials and bulbs in your yard—anywhere in your yard—is a fantastic way to add lots of color and variety to your landscaping. Although they work especially well in rock gardens and borders along pathways, perennials and bulbs are guaranteed to enhance the look of any spot you may have that is in need of color! Many of perennials will attract humming birds, butterflies, and of course, bees, to your yard, adding an important ecological dimension to your yard and neighborhood. Perennials and bulbs come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 1” to over 5’ tall and up to several feet in spread. When buying perennials and bulbs for your yard, we have two important recommendations. First, we have a short growing season here in the high country. By planting bulbs that emerge in early spring, you can maximize your growing season—getting a very early start in making your yard colorful and visually appealing. Second, we suggest that you plant perennials that bloom at different times throughout our growing season so that something is always in bloom in your yard from early spring to late fall.
Deer Resistant
Good news! Most of the perennials we carry are deer resistant. Although it is true that deer will eat just about anything when they’re hungry enough, deer find these perennials unappealing and will avoid eating them if other “foods” are available (which is most of the time). Many deer resistant perennials also possess other attractive characteristics such as being drought and shade tolerant and attractive to humming birds and butterflies.
Drought Tolerant
Living in a high desert alpine environment means that we don’t get a lot of rain—anytime. And even when we do get rain, it seldom amounts to much. Fortunately, there are plenty of perennials that are drought resistant once they are established. These perennials can thrive in any kind of landscape setting, including xeriscaping—an approach to landscaping that is a blend of hardscaping and water-conserving plants.
Shade Tolerant
Although Chaffee County and neighboring areas get plenty of sunshine, most of us have shady areas in our yards created by trees, large shrubs, our house, and any outbuildings we may have on our property. A fantastic way to add some color to these shady spots is by planting shade-tolerant perennials. Like all perennials, these shade lovers come in a variety of sizes and shapes, as well as incredibly vibrant colors.
Humming Bird Trumpet
Attracting Hummingbirds
Each year from about April through September, several species of hummingbird visit Chaffee County and nearby areas on their annual migration between the Americas. If you want to attract these little flyers to your yard, our recommendation is to plant plenty of hummingbird-seducing perennials in several areas of your yard. Hummingbirds can be aggressive toward one another while feeding, so the more perennial groups you have throughout your yard, the better!
Daisy
Attracting Butterflies
In addition to attracting hummingbirds to your yard, perennials are also a great way to attract butterflies. Although some perennials are attractive to both hummingbirds and butterflies, some are attractive to butterflies only. In thinking about attracting both butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, remember that not all perennials are created equal. Hummingbirds and butterflies will often compete for the same perennial, making it especially important to plant perennials that are unique to each.
Salida Rock Garden in Bloom
Love Your Perennials
As the old saying goes, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” This adage is especially true in landscaping, regardless of the types of plants you have chosen to beautify your home and property. Maintaining a perennial garden or bed is not all that difficult, but there are a several things you should pay particular attention to in planting and developing your garden: properly planting and spacing of plants, mulching, watering, weeding, thinning (dividing), and cutting back plants in the spring or fall.