Create stunning perennial gardens that bloom year after year with expert planting from Greenlawn Inc. Serving Columbia and Howard County since 1986.
Call for FREE ConsultationPerennials are the backbone of beautiful, low-maintenance Columbia gardens. Unlike annuals that require replanting every year, perennials return season after season, growing larger and more impressive with time.
At Greenlawn Inc, we've been designing and planting perennial gardens throughout Columbia and Ellicott City since 1986. Our 39 years of experience means we know which perennials thrive in Maryland's challenging climate with hot humid summers and variable winters.
We create gardens that provide three-season interest, require manageable maintenance, and improve year after year as plants mature.
These proven perennials excel in Maryland gardens:
The workhorse of Howard County gardens, daylilies tolerate heat, drought, and neglect while providing weeks of color in summer. Available in countless colors and bloom times, they're virtually indestructible once established and multiply reliably.
Perfect for Columbia's shaded areas under mature trees, hostas offer incredible foliage variety from tiny miniatures to massive specimens. These shade-loving perennials provide texture and structure through summer with attractive flower spikes.
These native perennials are perfectly adapted to Howard County conditions. They handle heat, humidity, and drought while attracting butterflies and bees. Both self-seed gently, filling in gaps naturally.
Karl Foerster grass, maiden grass, and switchgrass add movement, texture, and year-round interest. These tough perennials handle Maryland's weather extremes beautifully and look stunning through winter.
'Autumn Joy' sedum offers three-season interest: attractive foliage in spring, pink flower clusters in late summer, and russet seed heads through winter. Extremely drought-tolerant once established.
Successful perennial establishment depends on proper planting timing:
Fall Planting (September-October): Fall is actually the best time for perennial planting in Columbia. Cool temperatures reduce transplant stress while soil remains warm enough for root establishment. Fall-planted perennials develop extensive root systems over winter and explode with growth the following spring.
Spring Planting (April-May): Spring planting works well for most perennials, especially those that bloom in late summer or fall. The key is planting early before summer heat arrives, giving plants time to develop roots before stress begins.
Summer Planting: We avoid planting perennials during Maryland's hot summer months (June-August) unless absolutely necessary. Summer heat stresses transplants, requiring intensive watering and often resulting in setback or failure.
Expert perennial garden design ensures constant interest throughout the growing season:
Hellebores, bleeding hearts, and early-blooming salvias provide color in April and May. These perennials fill the gap between spring bulbs and summer flowers, ensuring your Columbia garden isn't empty while later perennials develop.
Daylilies, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, phlox, and hostas carry the garden through Maryland's long summer. We select varieties with staggered bloom times, ensuring continuous color from June through August.
Sedum, asters, mums, and ornamental grasses shine in September and October. These late-season perennials extend garden interest into fall when many landscapes have faded.
Correct Spacing: Perennials need room to reach mature size. We space perennials appropriately for their mature spread, accepting that new gardens look sparse initially but will fill in beautifully as plants mature.
Proper Depth: Most perennials should be planted at the same depth they grew in their containers—crown level with soil surface. Proper depth is critical for establishment and long-term health.
Soil Preparation: We amend Howard County's clay soil with compost and organic matter, creating conditions where perennials thrive. Good soil preparation pays dividends for years as plants establish and spread.
While perennials are lower-maintenance than annuals, they do require care:
Spring Cleanup: Cut back last year's dead foliage in early spring before new growth emerges. This cleanup removes winter debris and makes way for fresh growth.
Deadheading: Removing spent flowers extends bloom periods for many perennials and keeps gardens looking fresh. Some perennials benefit from regular deadheading, while others can be left to develop attractive seed heads.
Division: Most perennials benefit from division every 3-5 years. Division rejuvenates plants, controls spread, and provides free plants to expand gardens or share.
Perennials are plants that return year after year from the same root system, while annuals complete their entire life cycle in one season and must be replanted annually. Perennials typically die back to the ground in winter and emerge from their roots each spring, growing larger and more impressive with age. While annuals often provide more continuous bloom throughout the season, perennials offer better long-term value, requiring less replanting effort and expense.
Most perennial gardens take 2-3 full growing seasons to reach their full potential. The first year, perennials focus on root establishment and often look small and sparse. The second year, they grow more vigorously but still haven't reached mature size. By the third year, properly spaced perennials fill in beautifully. There's an old saying: "First year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap."
Most individual perennial varieties bloom for 3-6 weeks rather than continuously all season like many annuals. However, expert garden design sequences perennials with different bloom times to create continuous color from spring through fall. For example, we might plant early summer daylilies, mid-summer coneflowers, and late summer sedum to ensure something is always in bloom.
Deer are a significant challenge throughout Howard County, but many perennials are naturally deer-resistant due to fragrant foliage, fuzzy texture, or bitter taste. Reliable deer-resistant perennials for Columbia gardens include salvia, lavender, Russian sage, catmint, lamb's ear, ornamental grasses, and most ferns. Hostas, unfortunately, are deer candy and will be heavily browsed unless protected.
Many perennials thrive in shade, making them perfect for Columbia properties with mature tree canopies. Excellent shade perennials include hostas (in dozens of varieties), ferns, hellebores, astilbe, bleeding hearts, solomon's seal, and coral bells. These plants evolved in woodland environments and actually prefer shade to full sun.
Most perennials benefit from division every 3-5 years, though timing varies by species. Signs that perennials need division include declining vigor, smaller flowers, dead centers with growth only around edges, or plants that have grown too large for their space. Spring-blooming perennials are typically divided in fall (September-October), while summer and fall-blooming perennials are divided in early spring (April).
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