The York Guardian

Instead, we have smaller urban landscapes so we all have to garden within a limited space. I will look at this in a positive light and recommend some smaller perennials that will not overtake your garden in just one summer.

There are a number of wonderful compact perennials that can thrive in small spaces in the sun or shade. One of the highlights of compact perennials is that they are not fast spreaders and are easily manageable in a smaller urban garden

Three Compact Perennials for Sun

English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is a scented perennial that works well in a formal, relaxed or naturalized garden.

This perennial has upright purple flowers in the summer with unusual blue, grey foliage. Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) combines well with lavender and has spiky upright leaves that form a soft dome shape. This particular ornamental grass is drought tolerant, slow growing and looks great in the late fall after the summer perennials have finished blooming.

For lovely yellow colour all summer, plant thread-leaved coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata) in your smaller garden. It looks excellent with smaller ornamental grasses.

Top three Perennials for shade

Foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia) is one of my favourite woodland perennials thriving in part-sun to shade conditions.

One of the wonderful features of this perennial is that it is not invasive and has delicate flowers in late spring (May to June).

The lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) combines well with foam flower and is known for its early bloom after the snow melts.

Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) is a lovely ground cover for smaller gardens with a dainty white flower and starlike green foliage. It will even establish itself slowly underneath large deciduous trees.

Divide and Conquer

Do not fret if your perennials become too big in your small garden; there is an easy solution.

Divide all your perennials after three to four years (or when they become overcrowded) in the fall or the spring (depending on the type of perennial).

Cut back the stems to three inches in height and use a small spade to loosen the plant out of the soil with the root ball intact.

Divide the plant with a sharp spade or carefully pry apart with your fingers. Plant in another spot (if there is room) at the same depth with similar light conditions or give it away.

If you do like one particular type of perennial and it thrives in your garden don't be afraid to repeat it in different areas. Repetition of plant material is important in smaller gardens.

There are lots of smaller perennials to chose from; just experiment and find out what works well in a smaller space.

Marilyn Pomer is a landscape designer for Greenescape Designs Inc. If you have any questions or comments, e-mail Marilyn at marilyn@greenescape.ca.