Creating a perennial bed: planting plan for all locations

When creating a perennial bed, there are a few things to consider - from the season to the right preparation and choice of the right plants. We have prepared a planting plan for partially shaded, shady and sunny locations and reveal the best herbaceous combinations.

Perennials are among the most valuable plants in the garden: correctly arranged perennial beds will bloom almost all year round, from early spring to late autumn, and thus offer a rich variety of insects Buffet. The sheer variety of plants invites a wide variety of insects to feast, hide and winter. But the correct creation of perennial beds confronts many people with an almost impossible task: which plants can grow where and how are they best combined? We explain exactly how to go about creating a varied perennial bed and name a large selection of plants for a perennial bed in the sun, partial shade and shade.

Creating a perennial bed: the right time of year

Planting time is in spring and autumn! And that also applies to perennials, because at the beginning and end of the vegetation period the plants do not have to deal with high temperatures and drought while they are growing. Nevertheless, planting with container goods can also be carried out in summer - balled or even bare-rooted plants will have a particularly difficult time in summer. If you want to plant in summer, you also have to be prepared for a watering marathon. Incidentally, it is best to plant in overcast weather, the perennials should be stored in the shade and kept moist before planting.
Tip: If you have a little more space available, you can also plan smaller and larger shrubs in your perennial bed. In this way, shady and sunny areas can be created by yourself and a very varied area is created. We recommend doing this bee-friendly shrubs to choose. In summer you can listen to the humming of the busy insects and enjoy the scent of the flowers yourself.

How to re-plant a perennial bed: soil preparation

Regardless of whether you want to completely replant an existing bed or rededicate an area that has been used for other purposes up to now: It all starts with the planning and preparation of the area. Perhaps curbs still need to be set, old plants removed, or lawn cut off. But then the ground work can start:

You should start with a soil analysis. Experienced gardeners and professionals can infer its properties by examining the soil Estimate how rich in nutrients a soil is by describing the previous land use and maintenance. A laboratory analysis of your soil is always worthwhile before a new planting. Because:
In the best case scenario, it is not the soil that is adapted to the plants, but the planting to the soil. If you know the properties of the soil, you can specifically modulate them somewhat - more on this below.

Then all weeds - especially the stubborn root weeds - are completely removed. The respective material is then distributed to improve the soil and dug or milled deep into the spade.

Did your soil analysis show a very low pH value and you don't want to create a bog bed? Then lime is first applied in order to increase the pH value a little.

In general, high-quality potting soil like ours Plantura organic potting soil, Horse manure or compost upgrade all types of soil. Especially extremely sandy or heavy, clayey soils benefit from the introduction of this organic material.

Light, sandy soils are also greatly enhanced with clay minerals such as bentonite. Heavy, clayey soils, on the other hand, are mixed with sand to ensure better drainage. Don't be frugal with extreme floors - just adding small amounts of these materials will have almost no effect.

Last but not least, a strong basic fertilization with a long-term effect should not be missing: It provides nutrients over a long period of time. Who mainly uses organic fertilizers like ours Plantura organic flower fertilizer sets, promotes soil life and thus a fertile subsoil in which the perennials can take root and are perfectly supplied with nutrients.

Summary: This is how you create a new perennial bed

• Prepare the area: remove old plants, fill in the grass or create a border.
• Perform soil analysis.
• Adjust the soil properties depending on the desired planting.
• Lime to raise the pH value or spread acidic bedrock (granite, basalt) to lower it.
• Improve poor soils with plenty of potting soil, horse manure or compost: Useful on soils that are too light and too heavy.
• Improve heavy clay soils with plenty of sand.
• Improve light sandy soils with clay minerals (sand soil improvers).
• With a primarily organic long-term fertilizer like ours Plantura organic flower fertilizer carry out a basic fertilization.

Tip: Where do you get high quality perennials from?

If you are shopping for a new perennial bed, going to the garden center should only be a stopgap solution. It is better to plan in advance what plants and quantities you will need and then buy carefully. You can purchase the plants from a regionally based perennial nursery or online mail order. In any case, we recommend sticking to the sites of professional perennial nurseries. So you can be sure that you will receive high quality, healthy and hardy plants. You will also find information on the websites of good perennial nurseries, for example, on whether the perennials are planted individually or in groups and how hardy they are.

Creating a perennial bed of perennials: our tips

An interesting, lush, richly blooming and weed-free perennial bed can be achieved by combining 4 to 5 different plant types that complement each other. These types of plants are:

1. Leitstauden resp. Scaffoldersthat stand individually (solitary) and structure the bed. They are particularly tall or large and attract attention.
2. Companion perennialsthat bloom when the main perennials are no longer blooming and thus provide variety in the bed. They are often of medium height so as not to compete with the scaffold perennials.
3. Filling plantsthat are only relevant in the initial phase of a perennial bed. They seed themselves and keep the ground covered so weeds cannot establish themselves as quickly.
4. Ground cover perennialsthat grow low and flat in order to cover the space between the larger scaffold and accompanying perennials in the long term. They suppress weeds permanently.
5. Optional: flower bulbs and tubersthat can be used to let small splashes of color appear in the bed in spring or autumn.

In the suggestions below for planting sunny and dry, partially shaded or shady areas, the plants are structured according to this pattern. In order to create a lush, perennial herbaceous bed, at least plants of the first 4 plant types should be used.

In addition, you will find information on what proportion this type of plant should make up in the total area. In this way you avoid beds that require a lot of maintenance and are, for example, completely overcrowded or heavily weeded.

Important: When choosing and buying, be sure to consider how many of the plants will be planted per square meter should - because this is how the plant comes into its own and weed growth is also better held back.

Tip: A selection in particular bee-friendly ground cover, with which you can add to your planting, can be found in our special article.

Planting plan for a perennial bed in a sunny and dry location

Your soil analysis showed that your soil is rather sandy and the location is sunny? Instead of completely turning the soil inside out, you should plant perennials that are adapted to these conditions. Bring in only a little potting soil or compost and limit yourself to a little clay mineral and fertilizer. In the following you will find suitable perennials for the sunny and dry location as well as the proportion that they should have in the area.

1. 10% of all plants: scaffold shrubs
   • Sheaf of gold (Achillea filipendulina)
   • Atlas fescue (Festuca mairei)
   • Blue rhombus (Perovskia abrotanoides)
   • Brandkraut (Phlomis russeliana)
   • Teller Sedum (Sedum telephium)
   • Hair dryer grass (Stipa calamagrostis)
   • Silk hair mullein (Verbascum bombyciferum)
2. 30% of all plants: accompanying perennials
   • Pearl basket (Anaphalis triplinervis)
   • Mountain aster (Aster amellus)
   • Golden Hair Aster (Aster linosyris)
   • Gold Spurge (Euphorbia polychroma)
   • Prairie candle (Gaura Lindheimeri)
   • Red scabious (Knautia macedonica)
   • Great Speedwell (Veronica teucrium)
3. 10% of all plants: filling plants
   • Rattle flower (Catananche caerulea)
   • Yellow scabiosis (Scabiosa ochroleuca)
   • (White) Carnation (Lychnis coronaria (‘Alba’))
4. 50% of all plants: ground cover shrubs
   • Caucasian cranesbill or blood cranesbill (Geranium renardii, Geranium sanguineum)
   • Grove anemone (Anemone sylvestris)
   • Little hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella)
   • Bermuda shorts (Calamintha nepeta sbsp. nepeta)
5. Optional: flower bulbs and tubers
   • Ornamental leek (Allium nigrum)
   • Elven Crocus (Crocus tommasinianus)
   • Grape hyacinth (Muscari latifolium)
   • Botanical tulip (Tulipa praestans)

Planting plan for a perennial bed in partial shade

Is the location of your future perennial bed partially shaded? After you've reached for the spade and sprinkled the soil with good potting soil or compost as well as some storage fertilizer like ours Plantura organic flower fertilizer we recommend that you choose from the following plants. These like to colonize the penumbra and grow particularly well there.

1. 10% of all plants: scaffold shrubs
   • Bell Funkie (Hosta ventricosa)
   • Record sheet (Rodgersia- Species)
   • Diamond riding grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha)
   • Solomon's mirror (Polygonatum- Species)
   • Large-flowered foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora)
   • Flat ear grass (Chasmantium latifolium)
2. 30% of all plants: accompanying perennials
   • Purple bells (Heuchera villosa var. macrorrhiza)
   • White forest aster (Aster divaricatus)
   • Schönaster (Kalimeris incisa)
   • Palm leaf hellebore (Helleborus foetidus)
   • Spring rose (Helleborus x hybridus)
   • Candle knotweed (Persicaria amplexicaulis)
3. 10% of all plants: filling plants
   • Yellow shamrock spur (Pseudofumaria lutea)
   • Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata)
   • Broad-leaved forest bellflower (Campanula latifolia var. macrantha)
4. 50% of all plants: ground cover shrubs
   • Elven flower (Epimedium x rubrum or Epimedium x versicolor)
   • Wild strawberry (Waldsteinia geoides, Waldsteinia ternata)
   • Woodruff (Gallium odoratum)
   • Forest grove (Lutzula sylvatica)
   • False mandrake root (Tellima grandiflora)
5. Optional: flower bulbs and tubers
   • Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)
   • Cyclamen daffodil (Narcissus cyclamineus)
   • Lilies (Lilium, e.g. B. Variety ‘Claude Shride’ or ‘Hyawatha’)
   • Angel's Tears Daffodil (Narcissus triandrus)
   • French leek (Allium stipitatum)

Planting plan for a perennial bed in the shade

The deeper shade is also more than suitable for creating a magnificent herbaceous bed. Here you will find special specialists that not every neighbor has already planted in the front yard. Shade can often be found under tall trees or in strips of wood and often brings another one Another component added: the so-called root pressure, i.e. the competition between several plants in a confined space Space. We have selected perennials for you that still shine under these doubly difficult conditions.

1. 10% of all plants: scaffold shrubs
   • Giant sedge (Carexpendula)
   • Bell Funkie (Hostaventricosa)
   • Thorny Shield Fern (Polystichumaculeatum)
   • Summer silver candle (Cimicifugarubifolia)
   • Diamond riding grass (Calamagrostisbrachytricha)
   • Pipe grass (Moliniacaerulea)
2. 30% of all plants: accompanying perennials
   • White forest aster (Aster divaricatus)
   • Schönaster (Kalimeris incisa)
   • Spring rose (Helleborus x hybridus)
   • Candle Knotweed (Persicariaamplexicaulis)
   • Italian arum (Arumitalicum)
   • Bergenia species (Bergenia sp.)
   • Caucasus forget-me-not (Brunneramacrophylla)
   • Carex species (Carex sp.)
   • Horst-forming Liriope (Liriope muscari)
   • Peacock fern (Adiantumdate)
3. 10% of all plants: filling plants
   • Almond-leaved milkweed (Euphorbia amygdaloides)
   • Wood violet (Viola riviniana)
   • Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris, even. var. stellata)
   • Yellow shamrock spur (Pseudofumaria lutea)
4. 50% of all plants: ground cover shrubs
   • Purple bells (Heuchera sp.)
   • Wild goldberry (Waldsteinia geoides, W. ternata)
   • Elven flower (Epimedium sp.)
   • Little Periwinkle (Vincaminor)
   • Grove (Luzulapilosa, L.. sylvatica)
   • Common hazel root (Asarumeuropaeum)
   • Japan sedge (Carexoshimensis)
   • Mushroom sedge (Carexcaryophyllea)
5. Optional: flower bulbs and tubers
   • Leuchtlins Prairie Lily (CamassiaLeichtlinii ssp. susdorfii)
   • Trigrinum Lily (Lilium ‘Claude Shride’)
   • Cyclamen daffodil (Narcissuscyclamineus)
   • Balkan anemone (anemoneblanda)
   • Spanish rabbit bell (Hyacinthoideshispanica)
   • Dog tooth (Erythronium ‘Pagoda’)
   • Elven Crocus (Crocustommasinianus)
   • Snowdrops (Galanthusnivalis)
   • Small crocus (Crocuschrysanthus)

Expert tip: Arrange and plant perennials correctly

Before planting, it makes sense to display the perennials in their pots on the prepared bed. Arrange the plants according to your wishes: The leading perennials are placed individually or in small groups of three, starting from them the accompanying perennials are usually placed. Here you can be completely free and creative. The ground cover perennials come between the leading and accompanying perennials and, last but not least, filler plants and bulbs are distributed selectively in small tuffs. If everything is positioned according to your wishes and at the right distance, you can also see whether there are still any plants missing. Now the perennials are potted and planted and, of course, watered extensively with the garden hose.

Mulching perennial bed: advantages and correct approach

Mulching freshly created herbaceous beds has a number of advantages. The mulch material protects the soil from drying out, insulates the plants against intense heat and cold, delivers slowly organic material for building up humus in the soil, which keeps it loose and: mulch suppresses unwanted weed growth quite effective. In the video you will learn how to properly mulch your perennial bed.

It is important to know how much mulch is needed: The layer should be at least 5 cm thick for One square meter of perennial bed therefore requires around 30 - 40 liters of mulch, because the perennials occupy part of the Area. It is also very important to carry out what is known as compensatory fertilization before mulching, i.e. to distribute a thin layer of nitrogen-rich fertilizer under the mulch material.

Because young perennials are often low and have often shed their leaves, especially in autumn when planting, mulching is a little more complicated than, for example, with trees. To avoid completely burying your perennials under mulch, do the following:

1. Place all the perennials with pots on the surface, as they should be arranged later.
2. Plant the perennials with the root ball poking out of the ground a little - the soil level will rise due to the mulch.
3. Place its pot upside down on top of each small, planted perennial.
4. Spread a nitrogen-rich fertilizer like our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer as compensatory fertilization.
5. Now mulch the entire bed, of course you should not outline the upturned pots.
6. Collect the upturned pots over the entire area - the perennials are now only very slightly covered by the mulch that has fallen into the hole, but not completely buried.

Suitable mulch materials can be bark mulch, wood chips, leaves, lawn clippings or even litter from the stable such as straw, chopped straw or hemp chaff. Pine bark is very durable and decorative, it is only slowly degraded, so that there is often no need to mulch until the area is completely overgrown with plants.

Once the perennial bed has been created and developed into a multi-layered sea of ​​leaves, the maintenance effort for such an area is very low. However, it makes sense about that Fertilizing the perennials Provide an occasional supply of nutrients to support the dense and weed-suppressing growth of the plants.