British horticulturalist Gertrude Jekyll once said, “There is no spot of ground, however arid, bare or ugly, that cannot be tamed into such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight.” What a joy it is, then, to take that dull and unimpressive spot in the yard and transform it into a season-long spectacle of vibrant colors!
Achieving such an effect is not an easy task, but rather requires careful planning. Its design must be orchestrated with great precision to ensure that fresh flushes of color appear just as earlier ones are fading, to create a seamlessly woven tapestry of vivid floral threads, a veritable masterpiece to please the senses, in your Main Line perennial garden.
Main Line Perennial Garden Design
“Great-looking landscapes don’t have to be a lot of hard work. If you pick the right plants, you can enjoy a yard that’s filled with color from spring to fall — without having to spend every weekend tending it.” — BHG.com.
Layering in the Perennial Garden
One of the most important design concepts for the Main Line perennial garden is layering. A planting bed for perennial flowers should be wide enough so that there is room for layers of plants, with a 3-foot wide minimum for perennial plant gardens. Design the garden so that larger perennial plants are located in the back of the garden bed, when up against a building, fence, etc. You can layer middle and lower level perennials in front of the back row. For an open bed, place the taller plants in the center with shorter plants at the bed edges.
Perennial Garden Plants and Features
So what are the features of a resplendent Main Line perennial garden? The heart and soul of the perennial garden is its color. While the majority of perennials flower for a brief period of time, they always blossom their hearts out and produce lavishly. 
These pedal-pushing wonders include creeping phlox, once-blooming roses, Shasta daisies, lady’s mantle and others. When the peak bloom has passed, the plants turn to the production of seeds and the foliage tends to become pathetic, and others take up the display, thus continuing the color contest throughout the growing season.
There are some perennials, however, that work hard constantly, generously offering their cheerful hues when others are flagging. Such winners include repeating roses, lavender, day-lilies and various forms of dianthus, all of which offer lovely foliage to complement their sunny blooms. The drab and insipid no more! Let it be rather a beautiful Main Line perennial garden that takes up residence in your yard. Then sit back and enjoy the view!
In business for over 35-years, full-service landscape design company Aardweg Landscaping of Newtown Square, PA was recently 
recognized with the “Best Of Houzz” 2015 award for Customer Satisfaction by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. Are you interested in adding seasonal color to your main line perennial garden? To schedule a complimentary on-site consultation, call Aardweg Landscaping at 610-355-0703, or send an email using the website Contact form.