March Newsletter: Plants of the Month – Perennials

Perennials

This is our favorite time of year at VerdeGo! We would love to help you transform your garden this SPRING! We look forward to seeing you!!! We carry many beautiful Perennials in our garden center. Here is a sampling of some of the many to choose from:

Pentas:

Plant it and the butterflies and hummingbirds WILL come! Pentas have always been a staple to any Perennial or Butterfly Garden. They prefer full sun but will bloom in as little as 3-4 hrs of sun. Hummingbirds prefer the red pentas and often seek out this plant in the garden. Dwarf varieties will grow about 2′ while the larger varieties will stand 4′. Established plants normally recover well after winter and come up again from the roots. Enrich the soil with potting soil and fertilize with slow release bloomer. Pentas make an excellent cut flower. Pentas are moderately salt tolerant and deer resistant.

Salvias: (Indigo Spires, Red, Mystic Spires, Black & Blue, Wendy’s Wish)

Salvias are one of the best performing and easiest to grow perennials for the garden. Mystic Spires, Indigo Spires and Wendy’s Wish all grow tall and open making it an excellent choice for a taller background plant in butterfly or hummingbird gardens, as a mass planting or in a container. Salvias can bloom almost year round and they will take temperatures as low as mid- 20s. Plant them in well drained and fertile soil. Fertilize Salvias 2-3 times per year with slow release bloomer and enjoy the color, butterflies and hummingbirds. Salvias are salt tolerant and deer resistant.

Dwarf Firebush:

Firebush plants are often called the ‘Hummingbird Bush’ for its ability to attract them! Firebush do well in our area and bloom almost year-round for lots of color and hummingbird watching. Bright orange, yellow and red tubular flowers are filled with nectar. A beautiful plant that gives lots of color and nature enjoyment. Plant in a sunny location and fertilize 2-3 times per year with slow release bloomer. Firebush is moderately salt tolerant but deer will tend to eat it.

Lantanas:

It takes the hottest sun, once established is drought tolerant, salt tolerant, and the deer don’t like it! Masses of flowers 9 months out of the year make this perennial a favorite for Florida gardening. This plant does REQUIRE several trimmings during the growing season to keep it from becoming unruly. Use a slow release blooming fertilizer in spring and summer. If winter damaged comes back quickly in spring.

Firecracker Plant:

Firecrackers, as the name implies, get covered in sprays of bright red tubular flowers that cascade down to resemble an exploding firecracker.  They love hot, sunny and dry locations.  Give them lots of room as they grow tall and will spread.