Herbaceous Ornamentals Linda Lindquist, CMG Carol Reese, CMG Herbaceous Plants Annuals Hardy Annuals Biennials Tender Perennials Perennials (Herbaceous & Woody) Bulbs 1
Herbaceous Plants Provide Seasonal Color Carefully selecting the right combination of herbaceous plants can provide your garden with nearly year-round color and interest Herbaceous Plants Provide Seasonal Color Before going to garden center and cleaning their shelves of herbaceous plants, consider this: Your soil condition and type Possible drainage issues Watering and maintenance Light exposure and duration Existing landscaping features Research best plants for area Have a plan, make a design 2
Annuals Entire life cycle, from seed germination to seed production is accomplished in one growing season. Provides continuous blooms Fills in until permanent plants mature Inexpensive, but replaced every year Annuals - Categories Tender intolerant to any frost, may not grow well in cool conditions. Wait 2-3 weeks after last frost to plant Semi-hardy tolerates light frost down to 28 Hardy tolerates frosts and cool conditions. May decline 3
Tender Begonia Impatiens Verbena Coleus Amaranth Semi Hardy Cosmos Moss Rose Petunia Rudbeckia Sunflower Hardy Dianthus Pansy Snapdragons Sweet Peas Violas Sun Loving Annuals Celosia Cleome Cosmos Lantana Marigold Verbena Zinnias Petunias Dahlia Bronze Leaf Begonias Sweet Potato Vine Ageratum Angelonia Vinca Portulaca Melampodium Sunflowers Pansy Viola Ornamental Peppers Cali Millionbells Gomphrena 4
Best Shade Annuals Full Shade Browallia Coleus Fuchsia Lobelia Torenia Caladium Rex Begonia Joseph s Coat Part Shade Begonia (Green Leaf) Salvia Pansy Viola Nicotiana Geranium Snapdragon Cleome Dusty Miller Asparagus Fern Angelonia (sun) Cornflower (sun) 5
Rudbeckia (sun) Cleome (sun/ pt shade) Begonias (shade) Salvias (sun / part shade) 6
Dahlias (sun / pt shade) Stocks (sun/ pt shade) Coleus (shade) Lantana (sun 7
Caladium (pt sun / shade) Marigold (sun) Verbena (sun) Homestead Verbena (sun) Can be tender perennial 8
Zinnia (sun) Uptown White Wall 2 x 2 Profussion Mix 12 x 12 Thumbelina Mix 6 x 10 Zahara Double Fire 18 x 18 Burpee Benary s Giant Series 4 x 4 State Fair Mix 36 x 16 Border Beauty Mix 20 x 10 Biennials 2 years to complete life cycle: 1 st year only produce vegetative parts 2 nd year flowers, seeds, then dies Dianthus Hollyhocks Foxglove Sweet William Carrots 9
Tender Perennials Perennials in some areas, but not in our zone Blue Salvia Heliotrope Zonal Geraniums Herbaceous Perennials Non woody plants that live and flower for 3 or more years. Die back to ground in winter Easily propagated through division 10
Woody Perennials Fibrous, rigid, or Hard stems Trees Shrubs Vines 11
Herbaceous Perennials Tender Stems Tops will die back after freeze Coneflowers Peonies Daylilies Rhubarb Asparagus Artichokes Strawberries Deer Resistant Amsonia (Blue Star) Astilbe 12
Deer Resistant Coreopsis Helleborus Dry Soils Achillea (Yarrow) Baptisia 13
Dry Soils Coreopsis Echinacea Wet Soils Swamp Milkweed Canna 14
Wet Soils Japanese Iris Tradescantia Aster Astilbe Daylily Echinacea Rudbeckia Butterfly Weed Sedum Hosta Salvia Russian Sage Phlox Liatris Columbine Huchera Leucanthemum Bleeding Heart Yarrow Penstemon Agastache Hollyhock Artemesia Coreopsis Dianthus Iris Iberis Miscanthus Pennisetum Crocus Hyacinth Narcissus Tulip Gladiolus Clematis Peony Shasta Daisy Ferns Red Hot Poker Gaura 15
Ornamental Grasses Pampas Grass Ornamental Grasses Muhly Grass Maiden Grass 16
Ornamental Grasses JapaneseForest Grass (Haikon) Blue Fescue Grass Bulbs, Tubers, Rhisomes, & Corms What's the difference? 17
Bulbs, Tubers, Rhisomes, & Corms Bulbs are modified shoots made up of scales, joined together at the bottom. (Onions, tulips) Corms are modified stems that are solid. Each year, a corm will replace itself. (Gladioli, crocus, freesia) Tubers are underground stems or roots that are swollen to store carbohydrates. Each tuber only lasts one year. (Potatoes, yams) Rhizomes are an underground stem, but will last much longer. (Dahlia, iris, ginger, bamboo) Bulbs, Tubers, Rhisomes, & Corms Categorized by bloom season Spring Flowering Summer Flowering Fall Flowering Hardy / Tender 18
Spring Flowering crocus, daffodil, tulip, hyacinth Needs cold period, plant in fall Emerges early spring, short bloom Dies back, returns next spring Usually hardy Summer Flowering Iris, lily, allium (hardy) Gladiola,, Dahlia (tender) Plant in spring after last frost Most are tender (treat as annuals) 19
Fall Flowering Hardy Cyclamen, lily, autumn crocus Blooms mid to late fall Usually Hardy Selecting Plants Uniform growth habit Study color of foliage, yellow-pale green color of older leaves can be indication of poor nutrition. 20
Selecting Plants broken or mechanical damage such as scars, bruised bark or stems. No open wounds wilted leaves, root bound plants, healthy roots should be white/yellow, dead roots are black bug infestations diseased plants Mulching Maintains moisture Protect roots from temperature extremes Weed control Organic mulch breaks down to release nutrients / improve soil Refresh annually Avoid volcano mulching 21
Mulches Inorganic Rock Recycled rubber Plastic Film Landscape Fabric Coarse Sand Organic Bark Wood Chips Pine Straw Grass clippings Cocoa hulls Compost When to Plant Annuals Summer Annuals: After last frost date Cold Hardy Annuals: Sept - Nov Perennials Best is early fall If planted in spring / summer monitor watering 22
Planting Overcast days are best Never soggy or frozen Soak plants before planting Dig a good hole Tease the roots! Mulch, fertilize, water Resources University of Tennessee Master Gardener Handbook PB 1855 Butterfly Gardening PN 1621 Best Practices Ornamental Plants Justin Stefanski, UT Extension Agent Perennial Plant Society of TN Missouri State Univ. Extension Publication DP2 (Herbaceous Ornamentals) 23
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