Five Essential Perennials for Florida Gardens

After moving into a new house this year and with spring approaching, I’m excited to plant a new perennial garden. Although my sprawling vegetable garden has taken up most of the space, I have saved choice spots for my favorite perennials. These five indispensable plants stand out for their low-maintenance needs, dependability, profusion of blooms, and, of course, their value to native birds, insects and butterflies.

My top three perennials are stellar Florida natives. Because native insects depend on native plants and these insects are the backbone of the fragile food-chain that sustains our wildlife, planting native perennials helps to support our diverse wildlife. More natives mean more birds and butterflies to enjoy!

Heliopsis blooms from spring to frost!

Heliopsis helianthoides (Ox-eye Sunflower) is an often forgotten Florida native. Forming a compact two to four foot mound, it’s the one of the first perennials to bloom in the spring. It has sunny yellow, daisy-like flowers that continue non-stop until the first frost of winter kills it back. This tough, easy-to-grow plant is drought tolerant and carefree. It will grow in full to part sun. The butterflies love it.

Hamelia patens (Firebush) is another must-have Florida native. Firebush is a showy and fast growing perennial shrub that grows four to six feet tall. It forms a nice mass of pretty foliage that becomes covered with clusters of long, tubular orange to red flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The blooms are followed by decorative fruits that more birds will enjoy, and beautiful reddish-orange fall foliage that you will enjoy. It readily blooms from summer to fall in the full sun, but will tolerate part shade at the cost of some blooms.

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) is a well known Florida native that is renowned for its medicinal properties. Many of you gardeners are probably well familiar with it. This clump forming perennial grows up to three feet with its tall spikes of daisy-like, purplish-pink flowers that have orange, spiky central cones. The long-lasting blooms appear from summer through fall and attract a host of butterflies and pollinating insects.

Agastache foeniculum (Anise Hyssop), though not a Florida native, is a North American native. It is a classic plant for both herb gardens and borders. Anise Hyssop is composed of erect branches of mint-and-licorice-scented leaves that end in fuzzy spikes of small lavender flowers. Flowers appear summer through fall. The plant grows to three to five feet tall and one foot wide. The edible flowers are charming crumbled into salads. They are also highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The bees can’t get enough of them! I like to have a few around my vegetable gardens to invite pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Salvia guaranitica (Black and Blue Salvia) is a South American native that has earned its place in my garden. A favorite of hummingbirds, this eye catching salvia sports abundant, electric blue tubular blooms with nearly black calyxes on flowering spikes that rise above a mass of three to four foot mint green foliage. Blooming in late spring, this reliable perennial does best in full sun to part shade. It will bloom until frost, but it benefits from a mid summer pruning and moist, rich soil.

I hope you enjoy these stellar plants and the wildlife they bring to your yard. Happy planting!

Plant Native Perennial Wildflowers for Long Lived Beauty in the Garden

The toughest, longest lasting perennials in our garden are native wildflowers. When placed properly, I don’t think I exaggerate in predicting they will be with me for a lifetime.  Many of my favorites are early spring woodland wildflowers such as bloodroot, trillium, Jack-in-the-pulpit, green dragon, mayapple, columbine and woodland phlox. These are mostly dormant now, but watch for them in woodland gardens and in the wild next year. Trillium starts the show, emerging in December, and Indian pink gives the finale in April.

Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Georges

Indian pink’s bright red tubular flowers attract hummingbirds and each plant matures to two feet tall by three feet wide. It is mild mannered, spreading nicely by seed as long as it is not mulched heavily.

For the sunny garden, plant purple coneflower. Its large pink daisy-like blossoms on three to four foot stems are striking in late spring and early summer and attract both bees and butterflies. We planted one purple coneflower in our front yard garden nearly 20 years ago and now have a multitude of plants. They multiply by clumping as well as from seed. The flowers cut nicely for use in arrangements. One cultivar that has performed well in our butterfly garden is ‘Kim’s Knee High’. This coneflower is shorter (knee high) and blooms for a longer season.

Another stellar native perennial for a sunny spot is oxeye sunflower, also known as Heliopsis. This plant, with abundant sunny yellow flowers, starts blooming in early spring and blooms into fall. It is bushy but only gets to 21/2 feet tall. Heliopsis attracts lots of pollinating insects.

I also recommend dwarf ironweed and narrowleaf sunflower for their value as pollinator plants and for their toughness and vivid colors. However, both spread aggressively and form large masses so are best used on larger properties or where you would like a mass of purple or yellow. Ironweed blooms mostly in the summer while the sunflower is at its peak in autumn.

All of the native perennials in this article have performed well for me. You may have to experiment to find the right ones for your yard.  Most perennials do best in soil that is well drained and rich in organic matter. Mix in abundant mushroom compost or homemade compost to the soil prior to planting. Healthy soil pays dividends in the vigor of plants and in the ease of maintenance of the garden. Match the plants to the soil and light conditions in your yard.

These are just a few of the many native perennials that grace our yard. I am committed to trying new ones as well. This year I planted twinflower in our butterfly garden. It is low growing with violet flowers and is a larval food plant for buckeye butterflies. We have had a few caterpillars already! I’ll be able to comment on its longevity in a few years…….

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

4 lbs. heirloom tomatoes, sliced seeded and chopped
1 bulb fennel
1 lb carrots
1 lb onions
4 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 qt liquid vegetable stock
bouquet garni (thyme, rosemary, sage, 1 tsp peppercorns, 1 small head of garlic halved)
salt & pepper to taste
2-4oz heavy cream (optional)
sprig of basil for garnish
 

Method:

1. Begin by braising the fennel, carrots, and onion in the extra virgin olive oil - this process can take 15 minutes or 2 hours depending on how much flavor you want to extract from the vegetables.

2. Once you are satisfied with the color, texture and aroma from the vegetables, add the bouquet garni and the tomatoes. Combine well, adjust the consistency of the soup with half of the stock and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Puree the mixture in a blender and pass through a mesh strainer make it smoother, if desired.

4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If you want a more luxurious soup, add a small amount of heavy cream to the finished soup and a sprig or two of basil.