Hi, all!! I've found so many interesting personalities on this site that I thought I'd ask if there is anyone around into perennial flower gardening. I started doing it several years ago when I decided that growing vegetables wasn't for me, and growing annuals didn't get at a creative spark I wanted to tap into. I find gardening very therapeutic, and it's a great workout. I live in growing zone 5. Any other perennial flower gardeners out there?

I love love love perinnials! I plant both the flowering and non flowering sorts. I don't care for annuals, because I like plants that stay year after year. I am also a big fan of bulbs.

I just recently planted all the ground cover in my yard.. creeping thyme.. 216 little plants in between my flagstones. I also just planted some flowering vines.. royal purple trumpet vines, a scarlet one and two Clemetis plants. Columbines and a star jasmine also just went in. I planted a bunch of other things too. I am in zone 9.

I agree it is very therapeutic. Also, great exercise.

What are you planting this year?

Hi, LindaT--Thanks for your reply!! It sounds like you have a lot of interesting things growing there in zone 9--a very warm place year round. I have only heard of the clematis that you are growing. The others I am not familiar with. I have a lot of different varieties. A couple are the tried and true plants of our area (Chicago)--daylilies and hostas--neither the hot summers nor the cold winters will kill them, and they spread nicely to cover problem areas. I also have some other interesting plants. I have a lot of echinacea (purple coneflower). It's a great wildflower that blooms all summer. I also have speedwell (Veronica), purple heuchera, white obedient plant, peach colored astilbe, bleeding heart, and scabiosa. I've had a lot of trouble trying to decide where to put the astilbe, so I've never seen it bloom. Maybe this year. I also have penstemon and sedum dragon's blood (a ground cover) planted together, plus a few other things. I only have a city lot, so it may seem amazing that I have so many things, but I have beds in places around my house, next to the neighbors' garage, in front of our alley fence, and in back of the alley fence. Some are shady, wet areas, and others get burning sun all day. I like combining different colored foliage, since the plants don't all bloom at the same time. I'm still at the stage where I have quite a few weeds, but my goal is to one day have full beds that naturally keep the weeds out. Anyway, I could go on and on. I just love my flowers and being in the dirt. I lose track of everything else when I am in the garden.