Perennials are permanent plants that come back every spring. At least that is what they are supposed to do. Some may be short lived and fade away after just a few seasons. Others may multiply rapidly and need dividing after a few seasons. But most of them just keep chugging along year after year after year, gaining a little girth each season and becoming more substantial as time goes on until it is impossible to imagine your garden without them. That is the attraction of perennials. They can't help but grow on you. (No pun intended.)

For me, perennials give me the same kind of excitement I receive from opening Christmas presents. There is the anticipation of what lies inside the wrapping, or in the case of perennials, what lies just under the surface of the ground. You know there is something special down there just waiting to wake up and spring to life. And the really thrilling part of it is that whatever was there last year is going to be bigger and better this year. More shoots, more flowers, more impact than ever before. These plants truly appreciate in value and enjoyment every year they remain in the ground. It's a solid investment that never crashes.