A backyard garden can provide a cool and calming retreat from your busy day in the hot summer months.
Whether you’re seeking a serene space to meditate or just a pleasant place for relaxation, you’ll find that nature has provided an endless supply of beautiful plants that have been cultivated over time into blooming works of art.
Many red perennials have been bred since the height of the Victorian era to display vibrant color, distinctive shapes, and exotic aromas.
Red perennials flowers add beauty and fragrance to gardens worldwide, with some species even offering additional benefits such as edible fruit production or medicinal qualities.
Here are 10 red perennials to consider when designing your backyard paradise:
1. Red Yarrow
Yarrow is native to North America and Europe, where it prefers well-drained soil but also tolerates light shade or full sun in moist conditions (avoid wet or overly dry soils).
It blooms from late spring through autumn with flat clusters of small flowers that can range in color from cream to yellow to red, depending on the variety you grow.
The flowers are usually grouped into one-sided clusters that resemble the traditional yarrow symbol, also known as “Sneezewort”, because of its alleged ability to ward off allergies.
2. Red Valerian
Red Valerian is native to southern Europe and western Asia but can now grow wild in parts of North America due to gardeners intentionally introducing it. It prefers well-drained soil with part shade or total sun exposure and will produce pinkish flower buds that turn into bright red blossoms when they open during the summer months.
The leaves are evergreen with deep red veins running through them, giving this plant excellent ornamental value even after the rest of the garden has lost its color for the year.
3. Red Dianthus
Red Dianthus can be found growing wild in parts of Europe, but it is cultivated extensively throughout the world as an ornamental flower.
It blooms from late spring through autumn with low-lying clusters of pink or red flowers that are incredibly long-lasting. This plant prefers lean soil with good drainage and total sun exposure, but it tolerates some shade if need be.
However, this dianthus does not like drought conditions and should only be watered sparingly during extended periods without rain.
4. Red Cranesbill
Cranesbill is another wildflower that enjoys well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade. Still, it also tolerates moist conditions very well, making it perfect for planting near ponds and pools to produce pretty pink flowers throughout the summer months.
The leaves are palmate with five lobes running down toward the tips of each leaf, giving it its common name of “Wild Geranium”. It prefers cooler climates because the heat will cause it to wilt more often than many other perennials.
However, it typically comes back stronger each year after blooming while producing new shoots that will eventually be ready to flower themselves.
5. Red Salvia
Salvia is native to North and South America but can also grow in Asia and Australia, where bees and butterflies flock to drink the nectar from its flowers.
It blooms throughout the summer months with pretty blue, pink, or purple flowers that will attract many pollinators to your garden.
There are many different varieties of salvia available, making it easy to find one that fits into your landscape vision for your outdoor area. Most salvia prefers moist soil with sun exposure or partial shade.
However, some varieties like pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) prefer hot conditions such as those found at the edge of fire pits and would do well planted next to a brick wall.
These perennials should be watered regularly during the summer months to keep them looking lush and green.
6. Red Bleeding Heart
The bleeding heart is native to eastern North America, but it grows in most parts of the world where winter temperatures do not drop below 0°F (-17°C). It blooms in early spring with long pink or white flower stalks that look like they are dripping blood from the tips down toward the leaves at their base.
This perennial will transplant easily almost anywhere, but it prefers well-drained soil with lots of organic matter mixed in like composted leaves or manure.
It requires an area with either partial shade or total sun exposure to grow into a dense border that attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
7. Daylily
Daylilies are perennial flowering plants that come back strong year after year while attracting pollinators throughout the summer months.
They produce tall stems that are topped with either single or double bright yellow flowers with darker centers on each petal where most of the pollen is contained.
Most daylilies bloom in early summer and produce flowers through to the first frost of the year, making them a valuable plant for your garden.
While most varieties prefer either partial shade or full sun exposure, it is essential to make sure you plant your daylilies in an area where no trees will block out sunlight from reaching their foliage throughout the fall and spring months.
8. Red Armeria
Armeria is a flowering plant that has been cultivated in gardens since the 1800s. It comes from the Caryophyllaceae family and produces dense hordes of small pink, white or red flowers on top of green stems throughout the summer months.
This perennial thrives in full sunlight with plenty of water during the summer months when it’s actively growing.
It will need to be planted in moist soil with good drainage or even slightly on the edge of a water feature such as a pond or streambed where it can grow at its rate without being over-watered during each growing season.
9. Bergenia
As long as the drainage is good, Bergenia, also known as elephant ears or pig squeak, is a hardy perennial that grows well in most soil types.
It comes from the Saxifragaceae family and has large ovate leaves with lighter green veins. It will die back to its underground stem during the winter months, but it will return in spring with vibrant pink or white bell-shaped flowers that grow on top of red stems.
This perennial only needs partial sunlight throughout the growing season to keep it dense and filled out while flowering.
10. Saxifraga
Saxifrage is a genus of about 350 species of perennials native to the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where they can be found growing between rocks or on cliffsides with little soil.
They bloom from early spring through late fall and produce tall, grass-like leaves that can grow up to 2 feet tall (60 cm).
These perennials prefer moist soil with lots of organic matter mixed in like composted leaves, mulch, and manure.
Make sure you plant it in an area with either bright shade or full sun exposure where there will be plenty of air circulation for best results year after year.
How to Grow Red Perennials In Your Garden
Now that you know the best red perennials you can grow in your garden, do you wish to spice up your garden with some out-of-the-ordinary colors?
Have you ever wanted to grow red perennials in your garden but weren’t sure how? Well, now is your chance. Here is how to grow red perennials in your garden.
1. Decide where to grow the red perennials
First, decide where you would like to grow your red perennials. This is very important as they need well-drained soil and lots of sun exposure; however, some varieties can also do well in shady areas if their roots are kept cool.
2. Find red perennials that will grow in your area
Next, it is time to find the suitable variety of the 10 best red perennials you can grow. If you are looking for a smaller plant that can spread quickly, look into Bergenia or Saxifrage varieties.
Both need partial sunlight and prefer moist soil with plenty of organic matter mixed in.
However, if you are looking for a larger plant with big flowers and leaves, look into Armeria or Daylily varieties.
3. Plant the red perennials
After choosing your favorite red perennial and finding a place to plant it, it is time to start digging! Dig a hole twice as wide and similarly deep as the container that holds each plant.
Then, remove the root ball from its pot (do not worry if this breaks some of them).
Next, place the plant in the hole and backfill with your favorite fertilized soil mixed with a bit of organic matter.
4. Water the red perennials
After you have planted your red perennials, water them thoroughly until they are fully submerged, and then allow the area to dry out completely before watering again.
This will help promote more blossoms by stimulating root growth first.
It is also best to wait until the soil has warmed up before watering again, as this will ensure that your red perennials are not given too much water all at once during their first growing season.
5. Contain your red perennials
Finally, it is time for some containing. If you do not wish to keep your red perennials contained, then it is best to find them an area of the garden where they can spread on their own.
However, if you would like to contain them, use a soil-based potting mix containing no perlite or vermiculite.
Make sure that there are holes in the bottom of the pot so that excess water can drain out.
If you find that your red perennials are still getting too much water, then it is best to use a more porous soil mixture like one made with perlite or vermiculite added.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to grow red perennials in your garden, you can help to create a truly unique space that will amaze your friends, family, and neighbors alike.
Just think of how amazing it would be if each spring you had new blooms on plants that were not only different colors but also different shapes!
Red perennials can genuinely transform your garden into something special, no matter the size or shape of your yard.