Environmental requirements include sun and wind exposure or lack of it, soil conditions and water needs. Matching the perennial plant to the site conditions produces a successful perennial Garden. Gardeners create showy collections of herbaceous perennials. Under normal growing conditions, perennials live many years, dying back to the ground each winter. They quickly establish themselves in a few growing seasons and create a backbone for the flower Garden.
Plants vary in flower color, bloom time, height, foliage texture and environmental requirements.
Environmental requirements include sun exposure, soil conditions and water needs. The key to a successful perennial Garden is to choose plants whose requirements match your site's conditions. Table 1 lists perennials adapted to the broad range of growing conditions in Colorado's lower elevations. Many also do well at higher elevations, but for a more specific listing of higher elevation perennials, see fact sheet 7.406, Flowers for Mountain Communities . More information on design and maintenance of perennial Gardens can be found in 7.402, Perennial Gardening .