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Perennial flowers are the easiest way to make your garden blooming and beautiful. After all, these plants do not need to be planted every year - it is enough to sow the seeds once, and for several years the flower beds will delight the owner with the onset of the new season. Finding a suitable perennial flower is not a problem today; every year there are more and more varieties of these colors.
However, the vast majority of perennials are intended for temperate and southern climates, but gardeners in cold Siberia will have to try hard to find perennial flowers for their site. But still, this is a completely doable task!
This article contains a list of the best perennials for the Siberian climate, as well as brief recommendations for growing them.
What makes perennial flowers special?
Perennial flowers and plants are distinguished by the fact that at the end of each season they do not die, but “fall asleep.” The root system of perennials remains in the ground, and in the spring new shoots and inflorescences appear. The difficulty of growing perennial plants in Siberia and Ural consists of very low winter temperatures - the ground freezes to a fairly large depth. Due to severe frosts, the roots of a perennial plant may die.
However, today there are hundreds of species of perennial flowers, among them there are those that feel great in the north, and even those that are selected specifically for the Siberian region.
Perennials for Siberia are grown in the same way as plants intended for other parts of the country - these crops do not have any special requirements. Like all flowers, Siberian perennials need to be watered in a timely manner, sometimes fertilized and protected from attacks by fungi, diseases and pests.
Due to the cool and humid climate, bulbs are often infected with fungi, so they must be treated with fungicides before planting in the ground.
How to design flower beds with perennials
Landscape designers recommend creating standard, three-tiered flower beds in Siberian areas. This is done so that the flowerbed blooms all season. After all, even perennial plants have a limited flowering period. This statement is especially true in relation to bulbous flowers (tulips, daffodils, crocuses); these crops need time and energy to form new inflorescences.
First line
It is recommended to plant low-growing perennial flowers (up to 30 cm in height) in the foreground of the flower bed; these also include ground covers (plants creeping along the ground). The same flowers fill the space between other plants, stones from landscape compositions, paths are decorated with low-growing perennials, and garden trees are surrounded by them.
As a rule, it is the low-growing crops that begin flowering first. After all, this group includes snowdrops, crocuses, and tulips.
For growing in the Siberian climate, where frosts can reach -40 degrees and the ground freezes more than two meters, the following low-growing perennials are suitable:
Lily of the valley
One of the most famous perennials, which has earned the reputation of being a very unpretentious and persistent flower. The delicate bells of lily of the valley will decorate any spring garden, and the massive bright green leaves will be the first greenery on the site after a long winter. The roots of lily of the valley grow by 30 cm in one year, so the perennial very quickly takes over all the available space. Without transplantation, lily of the valley can grow for up to forty years in one place. Not only in the spring will the perennial decorate the flowerbed; the leaves of the lily of the valley are decorative in themselves, and in August the bushes will additionally be decorated with round red berries (be careful - the fruits are very poisonous!).
Primroses and snowdrops
They are known to dislike heat very much and do not tolerate the sun well.In all regions of the country, it is recommended to grow delicate primroses only in shaded areas, but gardeners in Siberia can plant these perennials absolutely anywhere in the garden. Primroses love humidity and coolness, and there is plenty of this in the north.
Pansies
They are also called tricolor violets. This is a very bright and elegant perennial that will become the pearl of any flower bed. The flower is very suitable for growing in combined multi-tiered flower beds, since until the inflorescences appear, the plant does not look very presentable - there is not much foliage here. But the tricolor inflorescences that appear in June will delight you until the end of August. Perennials are propagated by seeds; pansies do this well on their own, but for the best effect, seedlings need to be grown in pots. In the first year after planting in a flowerbed, the perennial forms a green mass and only the next season will delight you with flowering.
Daisies or asters
These flowers are classified as perennials only conditionally - just like pansies, they bloom only in the second year after sowing the seeds. And subsequently, the seeds simply sow on their own, providing the flowerbed with young flowers for the next season. Daisies and asters tolerate cold well and do not require additional care other than watering. The only thing is that to prevent the flowers from becoming smaller every year, the bushes need to be regularly divided.
Primrose
A perennial that loves moisture and cool air, light soil and shade. Able to survive in harsh climates, it pleases almost all summer with its beautiful dark purple flowers. Looks good in the foreground of flower beds and as an addition to rocky garden compositions.
Second tier of the flower garden
These can be flowering perennials and plants with beautiful, decorative greenery.
Among the medium-sized perennials most adapted to the conditions of the north are:
Tulips
Bulbous flowers, which are a symbol of spring and youth. For Siberia, it is necessary to select tulip varieties that bloom earlier than others. The two most suitable varieties are: early tulip and early terry. Typically, these perennials bloom in May, but in cold climates the period may shift by 10-14 days. To prevent the flowers from becoming smaller every year, perennial bulbs must be dug up every autumn. After this, dry and disinfect before planting.
Narcissus
One of the earliest and at the same time the most unpretentious perennial colors. The plant is convenient because it does not have to be dug up every year - the bulbs tolerate severe frosts well, and the inflorescences do not shrink. Narcissus is undemanding to lighting, soil composition, and does not require care. The only thing is that modern hybrid varieties of perennials are distinguished by very large inflorescences, which require tying up fragile stems.
reticulate iris
A very beautiful ornamental plant, pleasing with bright two-color inflorescences. The perennial tolerates frost well, but does not cope well with humidity. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant irises in lowlands. This flower is so tenacious that even if the root is completely frozen, from just one surviving bud the entire bush can be reborn.
Bearded irises
The perennial blooms for two months - from May to early July. The plant is spectacular not only thanks to its flowers, it has equally attractive, fleshy foliage. This perennial is very well suited for Siberia, as it withstands frost, blooms for a long time, and does not require complex care. To prevent the flowers from becoming smaller every year, iris bushes need to be periodically divided by their roots.
Scylla
A super frost-resistant perennial that can withstand very severe frosts without any shelter. Scylla is one of the first to bloom, along with snowdrops and crocuses. Delicate stems, sharp leaves and pale blue flowers will decorate any flower garden.
Erantis Siberian
A very unpretentious perennial, specially bred by breeders for northern latitudes. The flowers can be of different shades, the leaves are small. The bushes grow low, go well with other perennials, and do not require complicated care.
Perennials for the third tier
Plants whose height exceeds 50 cm become the background for medium-sized and low-growing perennials. These can be shrubs or single flowers on long stems.
Of the tall perennials intended for the Siberian climate, we can highlight:
True bedstraw
This perennial flower is very similar to a wild crop: the height of the bush is more than a meter, the inflorescences are small, collected in panicles. This allows the bedstraw to be used in naturalistic landscapes, close to the conditions of real nature.The perennial especially loves clay soils, but can grow in almost any area.
New Belgian aster
Perennials grow in bushes and can coexist with any other crops. The flowers are colored lilac and are small in size. The New Belgian aster blooms at the end of summer, flowering continues until the first frost. To make the inflorescences larger and the bushes taller, it is recommended to feed the perennial with mineral fertilizers.
Phloxes
These perennials are considered one of the most common in gardens.
Siberia. Plants tolerate cold well and like moderate watering and occasional fertilizing. Purple and lilac phlox will decorate any garden. They bloom throughout the summer.
Tips for beginners
When purchasing perennials for your site, you need to be prepared for the fact that many of these plants can independently “capture” a certain area. For example, lilies of the valley are very aggressive; in order to limit the growth of these flowers, gardeners often insert metal sheets or slate into the ground around the flower bed - this way the roots do not spread beyond the designated area.
It is not necessary to water perennials in Siberia very often - most of these flowers tolerate drought well, but such weather is rare for the northern region.
Do not forget about replanting perennial bushes and dividing them regularly, otherwise there is a risk that the flowers will become smaller and smaller.
Recommendations from “experienced” gardeners and numerous photos of perennials will help the gardener in choosing a variety.
Forgot about aquilegia (water catcher).