Perennials can be used in many different ways in the garden. Sun-loving ornamental grasses and brightly blooming flowers such as purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan and goldenrod are breath taking in big masses. Shade-loving perennials such as host and ferns can be mixed with smaller trees, flowering shrubs, evergreens, vines and bulbs in a layered garden. Perennials can cover the ground under a tree or hold a slope that is too steep to mow. They can be grown in containers and used to mark an entryway, to brighten an outdoor entertaining area or to mask a bare spot in the garden. You can even mix perennials and annuals so they happily coexist in the abundance of a loosely arranged cottage garden.
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Cutflowers
Many perennials make excellent cut flowers. If you like to bring fresh flowers indoors but hesitate to cut them from your regular gardens, consider setting aside a cutting garden. Find a spot that receives at least a half of day of sun and that has reasonably good soil. You might want to locate your cut flower garden in an out-of-the-way spot where you won't notice the lack color. Feel free to use both annuals and perennials in your cut flower garden.
Keep blooming flowers picked and remove spent flower heads to prevent seed pods from forming because many plants stop flowering once seed pods develop. To keep bouquets fresh for as long as possible, cut flowers in the early morning when the stems are tight with water. Use sharp scissors and cut long stems. Take a bucket filled with warm water with you and immediately plunge fresh cut flower stems in water. When you bring the flowers indoors, strip all the leaves from the stems and place them in warm water with a bit of floral preservative. Change the water frequently and recut stems to keep flowers looking their best.
