Any gardener who has been tending a vegetable garden for any length of time could easily be forgiven for getting tired and bored of the never-changing way it looks. Many gardeners do begin their gardening adventures with such a garden, and quickly get frustrated with the fact their vegetable garden is not as aesthetically pleasing as they might like. An easy solution to this problem is the planting of low maintenance perennial flowers to spruce up the garden without creating additional work for the gardener.

Perennial flowers are in a nutshell, strong indigenous plants that either flower all year around or that once planted, will re-grow every season without any additional effort. Of the latter varieties, the entire plant dies off when they are not in season, removing any external evidence of its existence, and so therefore not being an eyesore in your garden. At the right time of the year, a totally new plant re-grows in its place, once again sprucing up your garden.

There are a few things to consider though, before putting perennials in your garden. One of the key considerations is the amount of drainage you have in your garden. Many perennials do not do well in gardens that are water logged for long periods of time. If you have such a garden, you can still use raised beds to plant your perennials in. An easy way to test the amount of drainage in your garden is to dig a small test hole, and fill it with water. Refill the hole after a day or so. If there is still water in the whole 24 hours after the second filling, then you probably do need a raised bed in your garden.

The second consideration is the specific perennial plants you will have in your garden. For most people, the most important requirement is that these plants flower for as long a period as possible. It is possible (and many people do) to have more than one perennial plant in your garden. A good first step would be to investigate the options available for your climate and soil type. By mapping out their typical flowering patterns on a calendar, you can select a group of plants to ensure that your garden is in bloom for most of the year. Picking the right combination will give you not only flowers all year round, but many beautiful mixes when one type is just beginning to flower at the time that another is dying.

So popular are such arrangements, that your local nursery or gardening supplier should be able to help you. Many of these now stock custom seed mixes for this very purpose, making your job easier by requiring only one planting. Especially for the novice gardener, this is often the best choice, as most of these mixes are selected and optimized to suit local soil, drainage and climate conditions. Even where your local nursery might not have any such mix on display, they are often happy to create a custom one for you on request.

Although the specifics will depend on the exact plants you choose, there are a couple of points to note that will make your experience with perennials an easier and more pleasurable one. Firstly, plant the seeds in small and separate clumps. If you plant too many together, they invariably choke each other. Secondly, use mulch when you plant them. Whether it is pine needles or bark, a bit of mulch will help them grow easier and quicker. Depending on your soil type, a bit of fertilizer thrown in when planting will ensure that you quickly have blooming flowers in your garden.

Irrespective of your final choice of plants, using perennials can help you to quickly and easily spruce up an otherwise boring vegetable garden, and should definitely be a consideration for any gardener, irrespective of experience.