Perennials offer the gardener a vast palette of plants from which to choose. Perennials add elements of color, texture and design sophistication not possible using just common annuals like petunias and marigolds.
Use of perennials in xeriscape gardening
Though using drought tolerant plants is one of the primary principles of this specialized garden, it’s not the only one. You may want to create a special spot that needs more shade and water so you can have some of your favorite plants that aren’t categorized as xeriscape.
For an overview of the principles involved in a xeriscape design, read the Principles of Xeriscaping on our website. Well-designed xeriscape gardens are not only beautiful but are also environmentally appropriate for areas having limited rainfall or frequently subject to drought conditions. The arid West is where xeriscape gardens first achieved popularity, but their fame and practicality is now spreading to other parts of the country.
When designing a perennial bed, it is usually best to have multiples of each variety. A bed with one each of 12 different varieties will not be as pleasing as a bed that has three each of four species. An exception to this is a plant that gets to be very large. At six feet tall and four feet wide, a single Helianthus maximiliana ‘Santa Fe’ is usually enough for most perennial beds. However, a long row of Helianthus against a fence can be stunning.
Plant height is one of the more obvious characteristics to guide the placement of plants in a flowerbed. Generally, plant tall plants toward the back and groundcovers in the front. Color is another design element. I am drawn to plants in shades of pink, purple and white so most of my beds have those three as the underpinning colors. When I do incorporate a yellow, it seems to stand out because I don’t have a lot of it. When selecting color, try to stick with three color ranges per bed, excluding that of the foliage.
The last design consideration is plant foliage. Variation in size, color, and leaf shape creates lots of textural interest. Perhaps you’ve seen a garden that consists solely of plants with white blooms, and yet you found it very intriguing. More than the white blooms, the creative use of foliage was probably what piqued your attention.
In the mid-1990’s, High Country Gardens recognized that the concept of pre-planned perennial gardens was the best method of providing our customers with professionally designed perennial flower beds.
To help you plant a healthy and colorful garden, watch our planting guide videos from our HCG president and chief horticulturist, David Salman.
A national speaker on the topic of Waterwise Gardening and Xeriscaping, David Salman has spent over 20 years in pursuit of better plants for western landscapes. David is the author of numerous magazine articles and writes the High Country Gardens catalog. He devotes considerable effort to breeding new perennials while searching for and evaluating the garden performance of new and unfamiliar native and adapted plants for the waterwise Western garden.
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