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Margaret Hensel's Criteria for Selecting Perennials
Margaret chose perennials for our new cutting garden based on the following considerations:
perennials that would create the look and feel of a cottage garden and make a good cut flower
plants that provide a long period of bloom for a long cutting season
plants that are easy to grow and care for
plants that are generally tolerant of a wide range of growing
conditions, with minimal insect or disease problems
plants that require minimal staking
plants that are strong growers
plants with various growth habits and foliage forms
plants with a variety of flower forms — both round and spikey
a good range of colors — keeping in mind the colors of the rooms
where they might be most often arranged. (For example, a blue and white
kitchen would look great with a bold bouquet of bright yellow and white
blooms.)
Plants that thrive in Hardiness Zones 3 or 4 to Zones 8 or 9.
(Margaret steered clear of marginally hardy plants. As she says, "This
garden is about bounty, not fussing.")
Plants that bloom from spring into fall
flowers that hold up well in a vase of water
Plants you just have to have because you love them in the garden and in the house
