Beautiful flowers are the decoration of any site. But the annual planning, preparation and work on new flower beds is not an easy and costly business. Therefore, many gardeners make their lives easier and plant perennial unpretentious flowers. They require minimal care, the plant lives from 2 years to several decades (with the condition of timely division of the bush). And in beauty, perennial unpretentious garden flowers are in no way inferior to annuals, and often even surpass them. Well, let's move on to considering the most suitable options.
Daffodils
These are reliable, unpretentious perennial flowers for summer cottages that will never let you down. They are bulbous, bloom in early, mid or late spring, depending on the variety. The flowers have a central trumpet (corolla) surrounded by a collar of petals that can be of different hues, such as yellow, orange, white, red and peach. Some varieties have a subtle aroma. The fact that daffodils woke up, you will learn fromthin narrow leaves that will appear from the ground as soon as the sun warms. They are slightly shorter in length than the flowers.
When buying, choose beautiful he althy bulbs that have not dried out. The first time it is better to plant daffodils before winter, and later divide and plant the bushes at the beginning of summer, when their leaves completely wither. The bulb is buried in the ground by 5-7 cm. For planting, choose sunny or slightly shaded areas.
Further care is very simple: the plant should be well watered during the flowering period, if it lingers, feed. In order for thin stems not to fall from the wind, they sometimes need support. When the buds wither, they need to be cut.
Daylily
Another easy-to-care plant that looks spectacular. It is undemanding to the soil, almost not affected by pests. The Latin name of the daylily in translation means "one-day beauty", because the bud blooms in the morning and fades at night. But do not worry, there are up to 12 ovaries on one stem, so the plant will delight you with its flowering for several weeks.
Daylily comes in different heights, so it can be used in many ways: in borders, in separate groups or in the back of a flower bed.
Gardeners literally bred thousands of varieties of this plant, which differ not only in the size and color of flowers, but also in their shape, flowering period. In some species it is longer or occurs twice a season.
Caredaylily
The plant requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, but in hot regions, flowers with bright colors must be shaded, otherwise they will fade. The soil should be moist but with good drainage. It is best to plant a daylily in the spring so that it gets stronger before winter. But if the cold time is severe, then in the first year it is preferable to dig it out or at least cover it well until the heat returns.
Compost the soil generously before planting, leaving enough (30-60 cm) space between seedlings. Deepen the bulb no more than 2-3 cm. In the first year, the daylily is especially demanding on watering, and then it is resistant to difficult conditions.
When you notice that the plant has become less blooming, this may be a signal that it has grown too many "babies", it's time to divide it. This usually happens 3-5 years after planting. The operation is also best done in the spring.
Irises
If you are looking for perennial, hardy flowers with an interesting bud shape, delicate aroma and amazing vitality, then these beauties are your best choice.
Irises have three large outer petals that look down and three inner vertical ones. The former may have beards or fluffy combs. They come in a variety of colors and sizes.
Most irises bloom once - in early summer. Some, mostly bearded hybrids, are remontants and bloom again a little later.
Irises need a sunny spot and well-drained soil. Flowers are planted in the middle - late summer in shallow wide holes. The rhizomes are left open on top or lightly crushed with earth in hot regions. After all, unlike bulbs, which need to be buried in the soil, they love sunlight and can rot under a layer of soil.
These hardy perennial flowers are extremely easy to care for. It consists in careful watering, without waterlogging the soil, and fertilizers should not be overdone either. Old flowers are cut off when they have already wilted, and the leaves are left - they continue to nourish the root throughout the season. Once every 2-5 years, the bush needs to be divided and planted.
Peonies
These are very beautiful unpretentious perennial flowers for summer cottages. Photos of peonies in all their glory inspire their cultivation.
And after the luxurious flowering is over, you will not have a bare flower bed, but a juicy green bush, which will turn reddish-golden in autumn.
Perennial can even outlive you - a peony bush lives up to 10 years. Plants require minimal care, once they are planted in a good place, it is better not to disturb them, they are very sensitive to transplantation.
These hardy perennial flowers need plenty of sunshine and loose, well-draining soil. Peonies are not even afraid of cold winters, because frost promotes the formation of buds in spring.
Caring for peonies
For planting, take parts of the rhizome with eyes from an adult (3-5 years old) bush. Terms of the procedure - autumn(September-October), until the first frost. The place should be unshaded, open, protected from the wind. The soil needs to be properly fertilized. The plant is planted in a wide hole with eyes up to a depth of 2.5-5 cm.
After that, as with previous perennials, care is minimal. Fertilize the bush only if you have very poor soil. Water it in time, remove faded buds and cut the foliage for the winter to eliminate the risk of overwintering diseases.
Echinacea
Many people have a tincture of this plant in their first aid kit. But in gardens, perennial unpretentious flowers are not so common. And in vain, because even in the strongest heat, echinacea will please you with large flowers. Their classic color is purple with a convex brown cone-shaped core, but there are varieties in which the petals are red, yellow, orange or white. Echinacea attracts butterflies and birds with its scent and grains.
Most often, the plant propagates by seeds that are sown in spring, loves sunny places and fertile soils. Echinacea should be watered at least once a week. In the spring, fertilizing with compost and mulching should be done. Faded buds need to be cut off not only so that new ones appear more actively, but also to prevent unauthorized spread of seeds. Divide bushes every 3-4 years. More often, the plant should not be disturbed, it does not like it.
Phloxes
These perennial, unpretentious flowers for the flower bed can serve as an example of a spectacular appearance and ease of care. Varietiesand a lot of colors, you can always choose a variety that you like. Phloxes bloom with a bright beautiful ball, which consists of small five-pointed flowers.
Prefer open sunny places, but will tolerate light shade from trees. Propagated by seeds or cuttings.
Plant the plant in rich, fertilized soil. Leave about 30 cm between the flowers so that they can grow well and not interfere with each other. Adult flowers are fed with compost and mulch the ground around them. Although garden phlox is a drought tolerant plant (because it comes from field phlox that can withstand harsh conditions), it is recommended to water it at least once a week. For the winter, you should take care of shelter.
The most unpretentious perennial flowers that bloom in autumn
Of course, these are chrysanthemums. In autumn, when everything around begins to wither, they explode with a burst of rapid flowering. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors: white, yellow, pink, orange, red, lavender, purple, and bicolor. There are undersized bushes and almost meter giants.
Chrysanthemum can be grown from seeds, by dividing the rhizome, buy ready-made seedlings or even plants in pots. Once every 2-3 years, it is better to transplant them to avoid problems with pests and diseases. The division of the bush is best done in the spring. Depending on its size, this should be done every 3-5 years.
Theseperennial unpretentious flowers for the garden love unshaded areas with loose fertilized sandy soil. Subsequent top dressing is optional, but desirable. In order to enhance the formation of flower ovaries, when the sprouts reach 20 cm, they need to be pinched. For the winter, cut the stems to 20 cm and cover.
Autumn Beauty
If peonies are associated with the last call, then asters are certainly held in high esteem on September 1 and Teacher's Day. Still, because they bloom from late August to mid-October, they come in different sizes, colors and shapes. Asters are perennial, unpretentious flowers, a photo of a flower bed with them proves how impressive they can look.
The conditions for caring for them are similar to caring for chrysanthemums. After all, both plants belong to the same botanical family - Asteraceae.
You can grow both from seeds that are sown in early spring, and from seedlings if the spring in your area is cold and protracted. And you can buy adult plants in pots.
Astra loves sunny areas, but can handle light shade.
The plant should be watered at least once a week, fed with compost every spring and protected from weeds. High grades should be tied up. Pinching the tops also works well.
For the winter, the old foliage is completely cut off and the plant is covered.
Once every 2-3 years, the bush needs to be divided so that the aster continues to develop rapidly.
For problem areas
All of the above plants requirefor optimal development sunny places. But what to plant on the north side of the house or under the trees? Pay attention to the hostas - flowers are perennial, unpretentious, while growing well in the shade. Most of all they are valued for beautiful juicy foliage. However, many species will please the gardener with interesting flowers on a high stem, in the form of a funnel or bell, sometimes resembling lilies. Coloring - white, lilac or purple. Blooms from June to October, depending on variety.
Caring for hosts
It should be noted that not all varieties like deep shade. The lighter the color, the more sunlight the plant needs. Therefore, for especially shaded areas, choose varieties with dark, rich green leaves.
The planting hole should be abundantly fertilized with compost. While the plant is young, it requires a lot of moisture, but make sure that it does not stagnate. In the future, hosts will also appreciate timely watering, however, adult flowers tolerate short droughts well.
Plant care consists of spring feeding, protection from slugs and a little shelter for the winter. Hosta grows well in one place for several years, moreover, the bush will reveal its full potential no earlier than 3-6 years after planting. It is not necessary to divide it, only if you want to propagate the plant.
These perennials will decorate your garden and will not cause trouble.
